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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-01739

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to increase the availability of highspeed broadband in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency.

Superfast broadband coverage in Glasgow currently stands at 98.7% - in large part, thanks to commercial coverage, which also serves as a key strand of our Reaching 100% programme, particularly in extending coverage in Scotland’s urban areas.

However, our R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme remains available for those who are not expected to receive superfast broadband through either the R100 contracts or commercial build, offering a voucher worth up to £5,000 per property to secure a connection.

Question reference: S6O-01747

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent communication it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential impact on Scotland of the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

Question reference: S6W-12802

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider adjusting the Redress Scotland Scheme's payments to account for inflation.

As Scotland’s Redress Scheme will run for at least 5 years from December 2021, fluctuations in the inflation rates over this period are to be expected. To mandate routine or regular changes to account for these fluctuations would have added another level of complexity which may have detracted from the core aim of providing acknowledgement and tangible recognition of harm caused to those who experienced abuse in care.

No amount of money can make up for the harm done, and survivors have told us that, in some cases, the receipt of a payment, rather than the level of that payment, has been the recognition they have been seeking. The redress payment reflects only one part of that tangible recognition, which also includes the provision of support to access a personal apology, which again can be more meaningful to some survivors than the payment.

There is no fixed budget or limit to the number of redress payments which will be paid by the Scottish Government. We are committed to making financial redress to all survivors of abuse in care who receive an offer of payment from the independent decision making body, Redress Scotland, based upon the published assessment framework and associated payment levels .

Payments made through the scheme are not index linked. Section 39 of the Revised Financial Memorandum outlines that there is provision, but not a requirement, for Scottish Ministers to increase redress payment amounts to account for inflation, as set out in Section 41 of the Redress for Survivors (Historical Child Abuse in Care) (Scotland) Act 2021, through the introduction of regulations.

At this time, the longer term economic forecasts mean there are no current plans to introduce regulations of this nature, and monitoring of the situation will continue.

Question reference: S6W-13076

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to develop a purpose and principles for post-school education, research and skills development.

Today, we have published the Interim Purpose and Principles for Post-School Education, Research and Skills.

This publication sets out and seeks views on the interim Purpose and Principles and the topics that have to be explored to develop a plan for implementation that will deliver against them. This has been developed on the basis of feedback from previous research, reviews, reports and engagement, including the SFC Review of Coherent Provision and Sustainability and the National Strategy for Economic Transformation , and sets out the priorities that must guide our decision making in the face of a challenging set of imperatives for reform. A stakeholder engagement plan for the next phase of work and a discussion guide to support people to hold their own sessions on the interim Purpose and Principles are also published today, which is available in Gaelic or easy read format.

Question reference: S6O-01670

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the next steps for the national conversation to inform a new Dementia Strategy, which closed to responses on 5 December.

Question reference: S6W-12705

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reached a decision on the future location of the Registrar of Independent Schools.

The Scottish Government has taken the decision to locate the Registrar of Independent Schools within the new national agency for Scottish Education.

We have considered a range of options, including Professor Muir’s recommendation to locate the Registrar within the Scottish Government, and have undertaken further consultation with a range of stakeholders.

On balance, it is clear that there are significant benefits to locating the Registrar within the new national agency. For example, the Registrar’s location in the Scottish educational landscape is now well understood by those involved with independent schools, and this has worked extremely well in terms of knowledge and resource sharing, developing relationships and building trust. This includes the sharing of expertise and enhanced knowledge of the sector for all involved.

This decision will also ensure that the functional and organisational separation between the Registrar and the Scottish Government will continue to inspire trust and confidence within the sector as a whole.

Question reference: S6W-11904

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether a boundary map has been issued in relation to the Clyde Green Freeport bid, and, if so, when this map will be made available to the public.

Question reference: S6O-01511

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its latest assessment is of the impact of Brexit on Scotland's food and drink sector.

Question reference: S6F-01351

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the Scottish Government's support for the people of Pakistan as they face ongoing devastation following severe monsoon flash flooding.

Question reference: S6O-01367

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of its student accommodation strategy.