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-08460

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 24 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether any adjustment has been made to the future budget for the Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme for the 2022-23 academic year, in light of the recent increase in the retail price of milk.

The Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme expands and improves on the UK Nursery Milk Scheme, which it replaced in August 2021, promoting better health outcomes for children through a nutritious and varied diet. All pre-school child care settings who are registered with the Care Inspectorate are eligible to apply to the Scheme if a child in that setting attends for 2 hours or more each day. When a settings registers to the scheme each child will be provided with a serving of milk or non-dairy alternative and a portion of fruit or vegetable every day they attend the pre-school setting.

The budget for the Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme in 2022-23 is £12.5 million compared to £9.5 million in 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-08435

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of Living Wage employers.

Through the Scottish Government-funded Living Wage Employer Accreditation scheme over 85 percent of workers receive at least the real Living Wage in Scotland. We are taking a range of action to further increase this number, including:

Funding for Poverty Alliance to deliver Living Wage and Living Hours Accreditation and Making Living Wage Place recognition.
?Building on over £2.4bn worth of public sector funding between April 2019 and March 2021, including £619.8 million worth of contracts, through Fair Work First we are applying real Living Wage criteria to encourage employers to pay workers fairly.
From October 2021, we are mandating payment of the real Living Wage in Scottish Government contracts wherever relevant and proportionate.
Through the Bute House Agreement, by summer 2022, we will make it a requirement for public sector grant recipients to pay at least the real Living Wage to all employees, within the limits on devolved competence.
Our funding agreement with COSLA to deliver Early Learning and Childcare expansion allows local authorities to pay sustainable rates that enables private and third sector services to pay at least the real Living Wage to staff delivering funded provision.
We have led the way in increasing the minimum hourly rates of pay for the adult social care workforce among the four UK nations. In April 2022, the minimum hourly rate for those providing direct adult social care increased to £10.50 per hour - up from £10.02 which was introduced in December.
Our Retail Strategy commits to delivering a Fair Work Agreement that retailers can sign up to and demonstrate their commitment to improve fair work, helping to reduce in-work poverty.

Question reference: S6W-08472

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the Just Transition will support Inverclyde’s local economy through innovation in the renewables sector.

For a truly just transition we need to deliver for all of Scotland. In Inverclyde, through the Clyde Mission we are working with partners to make the Clyde an engine of sustainable and inclusive growth for the region which will be critical for a just transition. As part of this project, the restoration of the Platers Shed at Inchgreen will create jobs in Inverclyde and enable the use of green technology in modern shipbuilding. At least £25 million will also be available through the Mission to take forward heat decarbonisation projects along the Clyde in the current Parliamentary term.

We are also providing £500 million through the Glasgow City Region Deal to support a number of projects in Inverclyde, helping to attract new investment and business in the region.

Question reference: S6W-08357

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 24 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to invest in early intervention to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in Lanarkshire.

We aim to ensure that all children and young people in Scotland have access to appropriate support for their mental health, at the right time, without stigma. We know that the Covid-19 pandemic has been exceptionally difficult for the mental health and wellbeing of many children, young people and their families.

Last year, we provided local authorities with £15 million to fund new and enhanced community-based mental health supports for children and young people. We will issue a further £15 million to councils this year, with almost £1.8 million going to the local authorities in Lanarkshire.

The services include supports for positive mental wellbeing as well as emotional distress, and are focussed on prevention and early intervention. The funding gives councils the flexibility to implement supports on the basis of local priorities. Establishing these services is a significant step forward in supporting the mental health of our children and young people; making sure they receive the help they need when they need it.

There are currently twenty community-based services in place across Lanarkshire, with further supports in development. For example, North Lanarkshire Council have put in place the ‘Active & Creative Communities’ projects, which offer sporting activities that promote mental health and wellbeing for children and young people aged nine and over. These include ‘Street Soccer’, a targeted resource supported by youth workers and coaches who can offer mentoring and link young people into other supports to help meet their wellbeing needs.

In South Lanarkshire, the ‘early help hub’ provides strengths-based support to families by listening to what they need at the earliest opportunity and ensuring they are on a pathway that meets their needs. Instead of waiting until families meet social work intervention thresholds, the hub works alongside families to determine what interventions may prevent problems escalating.

The local authorities in Lanarkshire have advised us that over 3,250 children and young people used community-based services in the region, in the second half of last year.

In addition, advice and support to parents with young children is available throughout Scotland through the ‘Wellbeing for Wee Ones Hub’ on Parent Club and the ‘Solihull Online child development programmes’. These resources provide families with young children with easy ways to support their mental health and wellbeing.

We also continue to invest in a range of measures to support children and young people in looking after their own mental health and wellbeing. This includes providing enhanced digital resources on mental health and wellbeing available via the ‘Aye Feel’ website and social marketing campaigns, managed by Young Scot and through the ‘Mind Yer Time’ resource supported by the Scottish Youth Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-08747

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 May 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Keith Brown on 24 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update regarding the public consultation on legislative proposals from the Dame Elish Angiolini report of the Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing.

I am pleased to confirm the publication today of the Scottish Government’s consultation on legislative proposals arising from Dame Elish Angiolini’s report into Police Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues.

The consultation is available via the Scottish Government website, as well as it’s Citizen Space portal at https://consult.gov.scot/ and Police Complaints, Investigations and Misconduct: A Consultation and will run until 16 August 2022.

Once the consultation has closed and the responses analysed, a summary of this analysis will be published publicly and I will ensure Parliament is kept informed.

We wish to hear from those interested in police complaints and conduct, including those who may have previously had a negative experience in dealing with police. The responses will inform how to improve transparency and further strengthen public confidence in the police.

We commend the significant progress already made by partners to drive improvements in this area, and their ongoing commitment to deliver change.

Question reference: S6W-08019

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the latest projections for the total costs of the (a) Baird Family Hospital and (b) ANCHOR Centre at NHS Grampian, and the expected completion dates of each.

Question reference: S6T-00732

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of an outbreak of the monkeypox virus in the UK, including cases in Scotland, what action it is taking to monitor transmission of the virus in Scotland and support people affected.

Question reference: S6T-00730

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the sports and events sectors regarding alternative transport arrangements in light of the revised ScotRail train timetable.

Question reference: S6F-01149

Asked by: Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 May 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is, regarding the impact on Scotland, to comments by Ian Wright of the Food and Drink Sector Council regarding the UK’s preparedness for increasing food prices and shortages.

Question reference: S6F-01144

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 May 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to comments by Citizens Advice Scotland that one in five people are running out of money before payday.