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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: S6W-29488

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the impact on eligibility for the Winter Heating Payment in Scotland, what representations it has made to the UK Government regarding simplifying the application process for pension credit.

Pension Credit is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of DWP. The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ask her to do more to increase take up rates.

The Scottish Government is keen to see further details of plans by the UK Government to merge the administration of Housing Benefit and Pension Credit, which should simplify the application process and improve take-up rates.

Question reference: S6W-29489

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what promotional efforts it will make in conjunction with the UK Government to encourage any pensioners impacted by the loss of the Winter Heating Payment to apply for pension credit.

Pension Credit is reserved to the UK Government and is the responsibility of the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP). The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice has written to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions to ask her to do more to increase take up rates. We have also offered to work with the DWP to improve take-up rates. This will include working with stakeholders across Scotland to increase awareness of Pension Credit and the link to eligibility for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment.

Our welfare advice services, supported by Scottish Government investment, also work very closely with people who may be entitled to benefits, devolved or reserved, but have not yet applied. These efforts include increasing the awareness and take-up of assistance to support people who are struggling financially.

This is why we have committed to investing over £12 million for the provision of free income maximisation support, welfare and debt advice services in 2024-25, including support for the Citizens Advice Scotland Money Talk Team Service, which last year supported over 9,000 older people.

Question reference: S6T-02083

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Grenfell report, what plans it has to ensure that the reported 107 buildings identified in its cladding remediation programme are fixed, including how many will be remediated this year.

Question reference: S6W-29281

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 9 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has conducted on the screening of non-FAST (face, arms, speech, time) stroke symptoms, since the publication of the 2023 National Clinical Guideline for Stroke.

Question reference: S6W-29456

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 9 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21297 by Emma Roddick on 25 September 2023, which of the recommendations that were made by the expert group to "measure, track and evaluate progress made in eradicating racism in Scotland' it has followed.

The Scottish Government is determined to play our part in eradicating racism, inequality and injustice – and in building a better, fairer world.

On the recommendation of the Anti-Racism Interim Governance Group to Develop National Anti-Racism Infrastructure (AIGG), a public procurement process has commenced to identify a host organisation for the Anti-Racism Observatory for Scotland (AROS). The tender process closed on the 2nd September and tenders are currently being evaluated. The contract award is scheduled to take place at the end of October and the contract will commence in January 2025.

AROS will support the development of a detailed workplan to track and measure progress being made with the Scottish Government’s antiracism commitments, including relevant Key Performance Indicators. Working in partnership with partners, including third sector organisations and communities, AROS will develop robust governance and accountability mechanisms to ensure effective oversight of the workplan and strategic objectives that will drive anti-racism change.

Question reference: S6W-29481

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 9 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it has concluded from its economic impact assessment of the potential closure of the Grangemouth Refinery, which is yet to be published.

Question reference: S6W-29478

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 6 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board.

The Grangemouth Future Industry Board continues to meet regularly with the last meeting of the programme board taking place on 19 August. At the invitation of the Cabinet Secretary for Energy and Net Zero, the leadership forum will now be co-chaired by the UK Government Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The Board continues to focus its effort on securing a long-term and sustainable future for the Grangemouth cluster.

Minutes of previous meetings are on the Scottish Government website, accessible here: Grangemouth Future Industry Board - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-29479

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 6 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the ongoing talks with Petroineos and the UK Government on extending the life of the Grangemouth oil refinery.

Question reference: S6W-28907

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what research it or Public Health Scotland has undertaken to discover the rate of "false negatives" after the application of the FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) test for stroke.

Question reference: S6W-28909

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 27 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to reduce mobile phone addiction among teenagers.

The Scottish Government recognises that online platforms, including social media, can have a positive and negative impact on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing and that it is important to support people to use social media in a healthy and balanced way. We have provided over £400,000 to children and young people’s organisations since 2020, to fund a range of initiatives including the Young Scot ‘Aye Feel’ online hub and the ‘Mind Yer Time’ resource, with some of the work focusing on addressing social media usage amongst children and young to help them navigate online spaces and use screen time in a healthy and positive way. Additionally, our national resource for parents - Parent Club - has a range of information and advice to support parents to manage their child’s screen time, and to have informed conversations with their children on screen time, social media and internet use.

Keeping children and young people safe online is a priority for the Scottish Government and while we recognise that regulation of the internet remains a reserved matter, we have successfully engaged with the UK Government to strengthen protections for children in its Online Safety Act. We continue to press for stronger protections for our children and young people online, in cooperation with the new UK Government and the online safety regulator, Ofcom. The Minister for Victims and Community Safety and I will be meeting with Ofcom in August to discuss their strategy for online safety in Scotland.

In addition, the Scottish Government has recently published guidance for schools on the issue of mobile phones in schools, which supports education authorities and schools in their consideration of limiting access to mobile phones in schools. This approach will reduce distraction and support increased engagement in learning.