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: S6O-01009

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to support the pig farming industry in response to reported rises in the cost of feed, electricity, diesel, labour and haulage.

Question reference: S6O-01004

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to help people experiencing fuel poverty as a result of increased energy bills.

Question reference: S6O-00996

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how its policies across government will support young people living in Glasgow to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-01006

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is regarding the impact on Scotland of recent reports that the UK Government’s Animals Abroad Bill is no longer likely to be introduced.

Question reference: S6W-08022

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many active (a) onshore and (b) offshore wind energy projects there are in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-07590

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) COSLA and (b) Scottish Care regarding whether there is a need to increase the mileage allowance for social care workers, in light of the rising cost of petrol and diesel.

Question reference: S6W-07544

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the 2020 Cumberford-Little Report, One Tertiary System: Agile, Collaborative, Inclusive, and what, if any, workstreams it is developing to progress the recommendations in the report.

In recognition of the scale of the existing shock of the pandemic and of the need to consider existing models of funding, governance, collaboration and delivery, the Deputy First Minister and the then Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science commissioned the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to undertake their Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability on 3 June 2020.

The Cumberford-Little report was highlighted in the commissioning letter from Ministers as a key element of the evidence base to be drawn on in the SFC review.

Many of the recommendations first made in the Cumberford-Little report are reflected in the final recommendations of the SFC Review, published in June 2021, including the recommendation for government to set out a compelling narrative and purpose for the sector and the need for a transparent and accessible performance regime directly related to purpose.

The Scottish Government published its response to the SFC review on 26 October 2021, broadly accepting and agreeing with the recommendations. The response acknowledges the importance of the Cumberford-Little report in shaping those recommendations.

Work is underway to implement the recommendations in the SFC review both within Government and within the SFC. In addition, the recently published National Strategy for Economic Transformation with its clear focus on skills recognises the central role Scotland’s colleges have in supporting business growth and economic recovery. The delivery of the actions described in NSET will further support the ambitions and recommendations as envisaged in the Cumberford-Little report.

Question reference: S6W-07673

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people are currently waiting for a neurodivergent assessment as part of a Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting list.

This data is not centrally available; aggregated data for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) Waiting Times is sent to Public Health Scotland (PHS) from each NHS Board. It does not contain explicit information on the type of assessment or treatment children and young people are waiting for. It reports on the number of referrals for young people to CAMHS; numbers waiting to start treatment and total waiting; not accepted for treatment from referral and Did Not Attend status numbers for 1st contact appointments; and the time between referral and first treatment.

The CAMHS statistics capture children and young people who meet the CAMHS criteria. Children and young people who are waiting for a neurodevelopmental assessment but do not meet the CAMHS criteria are not reported in these statistics.

PHS are developing a patient-level dataset to provide detail for these aggregate CAMHS statistics. This Child, Adolescent and Psychological Therapies National Dataset (CAPTND) will contain reason for referral to CAMHS, which will include assessments for neurodevelopmental support needs where this is included in the care plan.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with Boards to implement the National Neurodevelopmental Specification: Principles and Standards of Care for Children and Young People, published in September 2021, which specifies service standards that all children’s services should follow, to ensure access to support is effective and consistent across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-07589

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to increase mileage allowance for social care workers, in light of the rising cost of petrol and diesel.

Mileage rates, that is the rate per hour that can be claimed back against tax, is set by the UK Government and allows employers to set a mileage rate of up to 45p per hour for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile thereafter. The actual allowance paid is a matter for individual employers. We are however aware of the pressures faced by social care staff and will continue to engage with partners to consider how providers can best support their staff.

Question reference: S6W-07591

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 20 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether social care workers are subsidising the cost of travel as a result of the rise in cost of petrol and diesel.

With regards to this specific question, we do not currently hold this information, this would be a matter for individuals based on a range of factors about their own working lives. Employers are able to claim up to 45p per mile for the first 10,000 miles and 25p per mile thereafter, as per the current rates set by UK Government.

We are engaging with stakeholders to better understand the scope and nature of the pressures facing the social care workers, who provide an invaluable service to the people of Scotland.