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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-25653

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what working groups within the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning it has formed to take forward the activities for each goal of the Taskforce.

The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education & Learning developed a set of ambitions in order to help inform its work, including consideration of the optimum way in which to deliver these ambitions, including through the establishment of working groups. Since then, discussion and work has been ongoing to refine the workplan, to ensure that it is able to enact the type of long term, complex, systemic change that is needed. I am committed to continuing and accelerating such work to ensure that girls and young women have a gender equal experience of education and learning.

Question reference: S6W-25658

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work it has done with relevant bodies to support them in the development of resources that contribute to a gender-competent, gender-equal curriculum.

Education Scotland’s Improving Gender Balance and Equalities (IGBE) programme aims to establish interventions to effect long term cultural change with a particular focus on challenging gender stereotypes, and addressing the impacts of unconscious bias to encourage greater gender balance across occupations. The IGBE Programme works with school clusters to explore and assess interventions to address gender imbalances in participation, curricular preferences and learner pathways at every stage (3-18 years). The Programme is supported by £300,000 of Scottish Government funding in the current financial year.

Question reference: S6W-25657

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks, which provide interactive feedback loops and testing assumptions threaded throughout all work, with regards to the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning.

The Gender Equality Taskforce in Education & Learning developed a set of ambitions in order to help inform its work, including the development of monitoring and evaluation frameworks. Since then, discussion and work has been ongoing to refine the workplan, to ensure that it is able to enact the type of long term, complex, systemic change that is needed. I am committed to continuing and accelerating such work to ensure that girls and young women have a gender equal experience of education and learning.

Question reference: S6W-25590

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent joint letter from 16 business representative organisations expressing that they were "dismayed" at the 2024-25 Budget decision to consider the introduction of a non-business rates public health supplement on grocery retailers and what the proposals might mean for wider devolved tax policy in relation to commerce.

The announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement for large retailers in advance of the next Budget.

In line with the New Deal for Business the Scottish Government is committed to engaging early retail representatives and other relevant stakeholders to ensure that any impact of any proposals on business is fully understood. Exploratory discussions with business organisations have already started and will continue alongside engagement with other relevant stakeholders.

Question reference: S6W-25589

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it is considering allowing each local authority to set its own surtax rate, or whether any surtax rate would be determined by the Scottish Ministers on a Scotland-wide basis.

Question reference: S6W-25591

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the public statement by the trade union, Usdaw, of 5 February 2024, expressing significant concern regarding the 2024-25 Budget decision to consider the introduction of a non-business rates public health supplement on grocery retailers and the potential unintended consequences, including for shop workers' incomes and for retailers’ spend on training budgets.

Question reference: S6O-03059

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether, as part of the implementation of the recommendations of the City Centre Recovery Taskforce report, the role of larger retail stores in city centres is being considered.

Question reference: S6W-24639

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 30 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will (a) appoint and (b) announce the chair of the independent review of Adult Disability Payment.

As confirmed to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee on 26 January 2024, Edel Harris OBE has been appointed as Chair of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment, following the conclusion of an open competition recruitment campaign in December 2023.

This appointment marks the beginning of the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment, which delivers on a 2023-2024 Programme for Government commitment.

Question reference: S6W-24244

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that nicotine pouches are not consumed by under-18s, and what assessment it has made of any health implications of the sale of these products to minors.

The recent 4-nation consultation on Creating a Smokefree Generation and Tackling Youth Vaping included suggested action on ‘other nicotine consumer products’ including nicotine pouches. The consultation also provided an assessment of the current evidence on nicotine pouches. The Scottish Government is currently working as part of a 4 nations approach on analysing the consultation response and considering next steps following the consultation.

Question reference: S6O-02963

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what impact its Budget will have on city centre recovery and small businesses.