Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6F-01901

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2023

To ask the First Minister what impact the proposed pay settlement for teachers, if accepted, will have on other Scottish Government budgets.

Question reference: S6F-01903

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2023

To ask the First Minister, in light of Scottish Apprenticeship Week this week, how the Scottish Government is supporting people into apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6F-01899

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2023

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the Scottish Government's progress towards reducing the number of people on hospital waiting lists and ending long waits for NHS treatment.

Question reference: S6F-01887

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2023

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support homeowners seeking to reduce their energy bills.

Question reference: S6F-01876

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01875

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 March 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-15255

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, of the households that have claimed social security benefits in the last 12 months, how many had a (a) woman and (b) man as the lead claimant.

Social Security Scotland does not routinely produce information on households claiming social security benefits.

Information on the characteristics of applicants, including gender, is published as part of Official Statistics publications on Social Security Scotland client diversity and equalities analysis.

These statistics were most recently published in September 2021 and are available at: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/reporting/publications/social-security-scotland-client-diversity-and-equalities-analysis-to-may-2021 .

There is currently work being undertaken to produce an update to this publication, which will be published by the end of summer 2023. This will cover the period from June 2021 to October 2022.

Question reference: S6W-14987

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to invite nominations for the Access for All programme for the 2024-29 control period, prior to submitting nominations to the Department for Transport, and what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government in relation to the programme.

As the member will know, rail accessibility is reserved to the UK Government. However, my officials are in regular dialogue with the Department for Transport on matters of rail accessibility.

Nominations seeking Access for All funding for Control Period 7 (2024-2029) were submitted to the Department for Transport in time for the 16 September 2022 deadline. The Department for Transport is anticipated to announce successful nominations in Spring 2023.

Question reference: S6W-15165

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to new data showing that the number of registered businesses in Scotland has reportedly fallen to its lowest since 2016, including the number of large companies with 250+ employees.

The number of registered businesses in Scotland in 2022 was 175,175, which was down 1.1 per cent on 2021, but was 1,180 higher than in 2016. Registered businesses account for less than half the total number of businesses: the overall number of businesses (360,910) increased over the latest year and is now the second highest since the series began in 2000. The number of large firms in Scotland (employing 250 and above employees) has been affected by declines in sectors that have been most impacted by the pandemic and the cost crisis. However, employment in private businesses is estimated to have grown to quarter 3 2022 and is close to the highest in this series (beginning 1999), contributing to current high employment rates. For example, the latest Labour Force Survey estimates for Oct to Dec 2022 show the highest overall employment rate (76.6%) since records began in 1992.

Question reference: S6W-15035

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been undertaken of the efficacy of national recruitment campaigns in the social care sector in relation to (a) public, (b) private and (c) third sector providers, over the past five years.

The Scottish Government’s ‘There’s More to Care than Caring’ campaign launched 27 January 2020 and has run four times, with the latest activity starting on 23 January 2023 and due to conclude on 20 March 2023. We have evaluation data from the previous 3 campaigns, which details the achievements of the campaign in regards to engagement with the audience however this information is not broken down into subsectors across social care.