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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6T-01914

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its pledge to provide a free bike to every school-age child who cannot afford one.

Question reference: S6W-26322

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 9 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how often it reviews statistical collection and publishing cycles in order to deliver joined-up policy making.

Scottish Government statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The Code of Practice states that statistics producers should routinely review the relevance and usefulness of statistics, including the timeliness of the statistics and data.

The Code of Practice also requires statistics producers to maintain and refresh their understanding of the use and potential use of statistics, and that they regularly engage with users. This is to ensure that statistics support the public good, which includes the development and evaluation of public policy.

The application of the Code of Practice in Scottish Government is overseen by the Chief Statistician, with decisions about particular collections and publications made on a case-by-case by the responsible statisticians.

Question reference: S6W-26325

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects about care experienced young people's school (a) attendance, (b) achievement, (c) attainment and (d) positive destinations; how any such data is analysed, and when it will next be reviewed.

Data on education outcomes of care experienced young people is collected and published as part of the annual Education Outcomes of Looked After Children (EOLAC) Official Statistics publication. This covers pupils in publicly funded mainstream schools in the 32 local authorities, and one grant aided school. For the latest EOLAC 2021-22 publication, information was linked from:

Looked After Children statistics, 2008-09 - 2021/22
School Leaver Initial destination data
School Leaver Follow-up Destination data
Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) Levels data

Information on the methodology used to match looked after children’s data is available in the background notes of the EOLAC 2021-22 publication. The latest education outcomes for looked after children statistics include analysis for:

All children looked after within the year
Children looked after for the full year
Children looked after for part of the year
Children who had been looked after at some point for any duration since age 5, and since age 12. These statistics were published for the first time in the 2021-22 publication as Experimental Statistics.

The experimental statistics will be reviewed before the next iteration of the statistics, planned for publication in August 2024.

Data on (b) achievement , (c) attainment and (d) positive destinations is collected annually. Further information on the types of analysis breakdowns provided for these education outcomes can be found in the supporting Tables document of the 2021-22 publication. Data on (a) attendance is collected every second year, and was last published in 2020-21. Further information on the types of analysis breakdowns provided for attendance can be found in the supporting Tables document of the 2020-21 publication. Information on the groups each of these education outcomes is analysed for can be found in the respective section of the publication report, as per the hyperlinks provided above.

Question reference: S6W-26330

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many young offenders currently being held in a young offenders institution are (a) 16 and (b) 17 years old.

Question reference: S6W-25926

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many members of staff were employed by Disclosure Scotland in each year since 2012.

Question reference: S6W-25927

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much Disclosure Scotland has spent on employing temporary staff in each year since 2012.

Question reference: S6W-25925

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many staffing vacancies are currently unfilled within Disclosure Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-03237

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comments made by the National Autistic Society Scotland that some autistic pupils in Scotland have to “fail” in mainstream education before receiving the support that they need.

Question reference: S6W-25773

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 13 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that children and young people who have experienced trauma or adverse childhood experiences are provided with appropriate support and guidance during the disclosure process.

I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

Disclosure Scotland has reviewed its letters, in connection with the consideration for listing (barring) process, to ensure they are written in Plain English and easier to understand. We have removed much of the ‘legal jargon’ where possible (not just for those who have experienced childhood trauma but for all individuals). We have also recently reviewed our letters which set out the reasons for listing to ensure these are easier to understand, again with less legal reference where possible. During the formal consideration process if we identify a potential vulnerability (which is not restricted to a history of care experience), Disclosure Scotland will reach out to relevant professionals, such as a social worker, to ensure we are communicating with the individual in the most appropriate and supportive way.

New processes for review applications under the Disclosure (Scotland) Act 2020 are due to be implemented in April 2025. Disclosure Scotland is engaging with Who Cares? Scotland, Children and Young People's Centre for Justice and Clan Childlaw about the effect on people who had justice-experience in childhood.

Question reference: S6W-25760

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 13 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to prevent the misuse or mishandling of disclosure information that could potentially harm children and young people.

I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:

Higher level disclosures, those that can include the most sensitive information, can only be provided to organisations registered with Disclosure Scotland. Such organisations can register with Disclosure Scotland because they are legally entitled to request higher level disclosures. There are offences contained in disclosure legislation to prevent against disclosures being requested or used where there is no legal entitlement to do so.

Disclosure Scotland's Code of Practice is published by Scottish Ministers and details the legal obligations that organisations registered with Disclosure Scotland must comply with. This includes provision of information when registering with Disclosure Scotland to ensure that the person receiving disclosure information is suitable to do so and requirements on handling disclosure information.

Disclosure Scotland can carry out assurance and audit checks in relation to organisations registered to receive disclosure information and regularly do outreach to support organisations in meeting their responsibilities around handling disclosure information.

Year	Staff headcount
2012	290
2013	315
2014	336
2015	341
2016	494
2017	609
2018	413
2019	447
2020	474
2021	468
2022	465
2023	456
As of 29 February 2024	457

Year	Temp staff cost (£000)
2012	1,942
2013	2,371
2014	2,407
2015	3,029
2016	5,423
2017	8,029
2018	16,605
2019	15,149
2020	14,701
2021	9,470
2022	7,702
2023	9,175