Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 194 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-21916

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in closing the attainment gap in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.

Progress is being made. At a national level the poverty-related attainment gap remains narrower than it was pre-pandemic for National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers. We’ve seen good progress in primary school literacy and numeracy, with the latest data showing the biggest reduction in the gap on record and a record low gap in positive destinations for school leavers 9 months after leaving school.

The Scottish Government gathers a range of data via the National Improvement Framework, which includes 11 key measures of particular relevance to the attainment gap in both the Broad General Education and Senior Phase – with two new key measures added on School Attendance and Initial Positive Destinations. A detailed breakdown of attainment and the poverty-related attainment gap can be found on the Scottish Government website - Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence levels: 2021/22 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) and Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver Destinations, No. 5: 2023 Edition - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

At a local level, the publication of the Scottish Attainment Challenge: Framework for Recovery and Accelerating Progress includes a requirement for all local authorities to set locally identified stretch aims for progress in raising attainment and closing the poverty related attainment gap. The national aggregation of all 32 local authority 2022/23 stretch aims for progress closing the gap is available to access here:- Scottish Attainment Challenge - local stretch aims: 2022 to 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Collectively, the core stretch aims set by local authorities showed a great deal of ambition for both recovery and accelerating progress. Further, we have now received all local authorities’ stretch aims for progress for 2025-26 and are reviewing these ahead of publication later in the year.

Local Authorities and schools in Mid Scotland and Fife are able to access ongoing advice and guidance from Education Scotland's Attainment Advisor team who help to share best practice and provide guidance on effective planning, implementation and evaluation of interventions helping to maximise improved outcomes for children and young people in schools and local authorities.

Question reference: S6O-02643

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of its Stroke Improvement Plan.

Question reference: S6W-21674

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 29 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Parental Transition Fund aimed at tackling any financial barriers that parents face in entering the labour market.

Question reference: S6W-21673

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 29 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated towards the Parental Transition Fund.

The response to question S6W-21286, answered on 13 September 2023, notes that as a result of the devolved settlement and the Scottish Government’s powers, along with the interaction with reserved tax and benefits, it is not possible to deliver the Parental Transition Fund as originally envisaged.

As set out in the Medium-Term Financial Strategy, the current financial situation facing the Scottish Government is amongst the most challenging since devolution. Tough and decisive action must be taken to ensure the sustainability of public finance, whilst also strengthening the immediate support available for households impacted by the cost of living crisis. On this basis, the £5 million made available for the Parental Transition Fund in 2023-24 has been reallocated to help meet the previously announced increased investment in the Fuel Insecurity Fund to address the need for immediate help with fuel costs and to support the Scottish Government’s path to balance.

Question reference: S6W-21132

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 27 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, following the First Minster's statement on the Programme for Government 2023-24, when the planned expansion of childcare for families with two-year-olds will be implemented.

In the Programme for Government we committed to begin work to phase in an expanded national offer for more families with two-year-olds, focusing on those who will benefit most. We already offer 1140 hours of high quality, funded early learning and childcare to around a quarter of families with two year olds who experience the most disadvantage.

We now have the highest number of two year olds ever accessing the existing funded 1140 offer and following years of work with the UK Government we now have new data sharing agreements in place which mean that, for the first time, local authorities are able to access much better information to allow them to identify and contact eligible families.

We will continue to work closely with local authorities and providers to maximise uptake of the existing offer as we develop plans to phase in the expansion.

Over the next year we will also work with local authorities and our partners in the sector to develop plans to expand access to around 40% of families in Scotland over time.

Further detail, including on the additional investment required to deliver the childcare expansion over this Parliament, will be set out at the Scottish Budget for 2024-25 later this year.

Question reference: S6W-21131

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 27 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, following the First Minister's statement on the Programme for Government 2023-24, when the trial of increased access to childcare from nine months old through to the end of primary school will begin.

In the Programme for Government, we committed to developing the local infrastructure and services needed to provide childcare to families with children from the age of nine months to the end of primary school in ‘early adopter communities’ in six local authority areas.

We are already delivering innovative school age childcare services to priority families through our early adopter work in four local authorities – Glasgow, Clackmannanshire, Dundee and Inverclyde . Over the next year we will expand delivery in those existing areas and add two additional areas – Fife and Shetland. We will also broaden the scope of the early adopter communities – to test innovative models of delivery to provide childcare for families with children from the age of nine months to the end of primary school. This builds on what we have already learned from the early delivery of funded school age childcare for priority families.

The investment announced will enable us to begin to create and test, for the first time, what an all-age childcare system will look like for Scotland. We are taking a person-centred and place-based approach to designing this system – that means involving children, parents and providers in co-designing services to meet their needs.

Question reference: S6W-21133

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 27 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its Programme for Government 2023-24, when the testing of "a new digital service to help parents and carers find, access and pay for childcare that best suits their needs" will begin.

Insights gathered to date indicate that families find it difficult to navigate the childcare system. In response we have been considering what a digital service to simplify that process might look like.

In the next year we will begin to co-design and prototype a digital service which helps parents and carers to access and manage their childcare needs - within the six early adopter communities - to understand how it can best support them. This work will align with the design and development of an all-age childcare offer within those early adopter communities, targeted at families who need it most.

Question reference: S6W-21105

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 27 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's statement on the Programme for Government 2023-24, which "six early adopter council areas" will be given funding to increase access to childcare from nine months old through to the end of primary school.

In the Programme for Government 2023-24 we committed to developing the local infrastructure and services needed to provide childcare to families with children from the age of nine months to the end of primary school in ‘early adopter communities’ in six local authority areas.
‎
We are already funding four early adopter communities - in Glasgow, Clackmannanshire, Dundee and Inverclyde - and have added two new early adopter communities in Fife and Shetland as noted in the Programme for Government.

Question reference: S6W-21104

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 22 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils from deprived areas in the Mid Scotland and Fife region have been accepted into university since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-21134

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, following the First Minister's statement on the Programme for Government 2023-24, when the minimum pay of £12 per hour for the private, voluntary and independent (PVI) sector will be implemented.

In Programme for Government we committed to providing the necessary funding to enable childcare workers delivering funded Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) in the Private, Voluntary and Independent (PVI) sector to be paid at least £12 per hour from April 2024. That includes childminders.

A communication issued to the sector on 6 September setting out more details on the commitment. This confirmed that the Scottish Government will work with COSLA and local authorities to support the implementation of this commitment and will set out further details in the coming months.

It is anticipated that payment to support delivery of this commitment will be provided through the sustainable rate setting process, as is currently the case for the ELC real Living Wage commitment.