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-01098

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 May 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01099

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 May 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01100

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 May 2022

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support the health and wellbeing of the NHS workforce.

Question reference: S6W-08473

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support communities affected by recent bank branch closures, and what representations it is making to those banks regarding their proposals to close branches.

The Scottish Government recognises that physical bank branches provide an important service for many individuals and businesses across Scotland. The closing of branches in Scotland raises concerns around access to cash and banking services - particularly for rural communities, vulnerable individuals and digitally excluded customers

I engage regularly with the banking sector through bilateral ministerial meetings and the Financial Services Growth and Development Board, engagements in which concerns around the ability for consumers to access cash and banking services are raised. Following the Lloyds Banking Group (LBG) announcement in March to shut 19 Bank of Scotland branches, I met with LBG representatives to discuss their decision and Governments concerns on the potential impacts on affected communities.

The responsibility for the regulation of the financial services industry is reserved to the UK Government and Scottish Ministers are unable to intervene in the commercial decisions made by banks. HM Treasury announced their intention last year to legislate on “access to cash” and in the Queen’s Speech on 10 May 2022, “ensuring continued access to cash across the UK” is referenced as an intended outcome of the Financial Services and Markets Bill.

The Scottish Government is ready to work constructively with the UK Government on this matter to ensure that Scotland’s communities have fair access to convenient, local cash and banking services.

Question reference: S6W-08425

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 16 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle Scotland’s reported litter problem, in light of comments by Keep Scotland Beautiful regarding a "looming litter emergency", and whether local authorities will be given support to help address this.

The Scottish Government is taking a range of action to ensure that we minimise the blight of litter on communities. We recently consulted on proposals for our new National Litter and Flytipping Strategy, including measures to strengthen enforcement measures, including raising fixed penalties, improve data collection, support private landowners and promote responsible behaviours. We will publish the final Strategy later this year, taking account of consultation responses. The Strategy is being developed in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland, Keep Scotland Beautiful and SEPA, and we are actively engaging with stakeholders throughout this process.

Local authorities are responsible for, and best placed to make decisions on the prioritisation of, measures to tackle litter at local level. However, the Scottish Government continues to work collaboratively with local authorities on this issue and our draft Strategy proposes measures to develop and adopt a shared approach between Scottish Government, local authorities, public agencies and the third sector, to effectively support litter prevention and behaviour change across Scotland.

Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging, which will be implemented from 2024, will include requiring producers across the UK to cover the costs associated with litter-prevention communications and managing litter disposed of in bins. The Scottish Government considers that producers should also cover the cost of managing litter disposed of on the ground, and we are working with the Welsh Government to explore options to put this in place.

Question reference: S6W-08421

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether full consideration is being given to the Sugar Warehouse in Greenock as a potential location for a national slavery museum, as part of action to address historic links to the transatlantic slave trade.

Further to my answer today to the Member's question S6W-08418 on 16 May 2022, the Scottish Government is not currently at the stage of considering preferred locations for a national slavery museum.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-08401

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 16 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the details and outcome of any consideration that (a) the Deputy First Minister and (b) any other member of the Cabinet has undertaken regarding whether the Self-Isolation Support Grant should be paid at the equivalent of the Living Wage.

Question reference: S6W-08405

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it is providing for mental health services to help people impacted by the cost-of-living crisis.

Poverty is the single biggest driver of poor mental health and there is a structural relationship between wider socio-economic inequality and mental health. The Scottish Government is aware that many people across Scotland will experience financial hardship as a result of the economic downturn and we know that heightened stress can be a risk factor in relation to suicide.

This is why in our mental health Transition & Recovery Plan we have committed to strengthening alignment of mental health policy with work to tackle poverty and reduce inequality and we have committed to further develop a response to those whose mental health has been affected by issues relating to debt, working closely with a range of advice organisations including Citizen’s Advice Scotland to better understand and tackle these issues.

Our Transition & Recovery Plan, is backed by our £120m Recovery and Renewal Fund, is transforming mental health services, with a renewed focus on prevention and early intervention and funding allocated since it was introduced in 2021-22 includes:

? £9m to enhance Psychological Therapies, including £5m to address waiting times.

? £15m to improve the mental health estate and physical environment for both service users and staff.

? Nearly £5m to support the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub, ensuring a 24/7 response.

? Almost £2m to roll out digital innovations, including online access to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.

? Funding to improve mental health care for children and young people, including £40m for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

The Scottish budget confirmed the direct programme budget for mental health in 2022-23 at over £290m – a 6% increase on the current year, and 139% more than in 2020-21.

Question reference: S6W-08408

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 16 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-34944 and S5W-35522 by Clare Haughey on 11 February and 8 March 2021 respectively, whether it will provide the same information for 2021-22.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Scottish Health Service Costs are published annually in arrears by Public Health Scotland.

The most recent cost book data available covers 2020-21 and was published on 22 February 2022. Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services spend is not routinely published in the cost book publication but is available from Public Health Scotland on request through [email protected].

Data for 2021-22 is not currently available, but will be available on request after publication of the 2021-22 cost book, which is currently scheduled for November 2022.

Question reference: S6W-08420

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Empire, Slavery and Scotland's Museums steering group.