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: S6W-07789

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the reported delay to the publication of the Just Transition Plan will result in a delay to any aspect of the Just Transition Fund, including in particular the release or application process in connection with the first tranche of £20 million funding, in light of any crossover between individuals who are involved in both the Plan and the Fund.

Question reference: S6W-07662

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescales are for the Fair Fares review, and how it will engage with (a) trade unions and (b) the public on this.

Our Fair Fares Review is in its initial planning stages. I recently undertook to provide the Scottish Parliament's Committee for Net Zero, Energy and Transport with further details on the Scottish Government's plans and timescales for the review. I will share this information with the Committee after the pre-election period for the Scottish local government elections. The Scottish Government engages and consults extensively with stakeholders, transport users and delivery partners, including Trade Unions, on a range of transport issues and this approach will be reflected throughout the course of the Fair Fares Review.

The Scottish Government is continuing to take action to make public transport more affordable through schemes such as the current ScotRail promotional campaign which will enable people to travel for half the normal price on off-peak train services across Scotland next month and the “Kids Go Free” promotion which enabled children to travel for free on Scotland's Railway during its first weekend in public ownership.

Question reference: S6W-08132

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to the creation of specialist “Lead Teacher” roles.

Since the start of the pandemic the Scottish Government has provided local authorities with £240 million of additional investment, over two financial years (2020-21 and 2021-22), specifically for the recruitment of more education staff, and a further £145.5 million of permanent funding has been allocated from April 2022.

The recruitment and deployment of teachers is a matter for individual local authorities, and they are responsible for using available resources to provide a complement of staff, including Lead Teachers, which meets the needs of each of their schools and its pupils based on local needs and priorities.

Question reference: S6W-07914

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason district nurses are reportedly paid at band 6 in some NHS boards but at band 7 in others.

Posts are banded locally according to the procedure agreed in partnership. Banding is based on the information in the agreed Job Description, not on job title. A fully qualified and experienced District Nurse would normally be matched to a Band 6 profile, unless they also undertook significant leadership/management or delivered advanced clinical practise. However, information on specific banding outcomes is not held centrally.

Question reference: S6W-07915

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will harmonise district nurses' pay in order that they are all paid at band 7, in light of reports that they are paid at different bands in some NHS boards.

Question reference: S6W-07785

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to excluding glass containers from its Deposit Return Scheme, in light of the reported announcement that glass will not be included in the schemes in England and Northern Ireland.

Question reference: S6W-07781

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met COSLA to discuss progressing the introduction of a national minimum allowance for foster carers, and when it next plans to meet COSLA to discuss this.

Question reference: S6W-07657

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the maximum management and/or performance fees payable to Serco Caledonian Sleeper are under its Temporary Measures Agreement.

There is no management fee payable under the Temporary Measures Agreement (TMA), instead there is a small, capped, incentive payment – linked strictly to performance.

As the performance payments relate to potential future revenues receivable by Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited, this information is currently commercially sensitive.

Overall values will be determined following a full financial reconciliation after the end of the TMA term on 31 March 2023.

Question reference: S6W-07652

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether all apprenticeships in the public sector pay the Living Wage.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to promoting Fair Work practices throughout Scotland and will continue to press the UK Government for the full set of powers around employment law in order to allow us to fully deliver our Fair Work ambitions, including replacing the National Minimum Wage (NMW) with the real Living Wage as set out in the Fair Work Action Plan. The Scottish Government also supports the abolition of the apprentice rate and a move towards the real Living Wage for all apprentices.

The Scottish Government, as an employer, has an on-going commitment to supporting payment of the real Living Wage in our public sector pay policy in a manner consistent with the terms of the living wage foundation accreditation scheme.

The pay policy applies directly to staff within over 50 public bodies, however the Scottish Government would encourage all public sector workforces to take a similar approach.

Question reference: S6O-01048

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the transition to secondary school and flexi-schooling models for pupils with additional support needs.