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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-29296

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on community social work, and whether it has considered piloting this approach across Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises that the community social work approach may provide assistance for people experiencing a range of circumstances. We know that children, young people and families benefit when they can access the support they need when and where they need it. Communities across Scotland are currently supported through national initiatives including Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), the Promise, and UNCRC legislation. Multi-agency community support hubs - which include social work - exemplify the ways in which national and local partners are working with their communities to provide effective whole family support in a place-based way that works for people.

We will continue to invest to provide a template for future change and improvement, however there are currently no plans to pilot the community social work approach across Scotland. We also acknowledge the role of local authorities in understanding and responding to the needs of people in local communities through the provision of services which promote people’s wellbeing.

Question reference: S6O-03769

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on upgrading the infrastructure of ports.

Question reference: S6W-29381

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27609 by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on when it plans to publish the findings from the second phase of the Local Governance Review's community engagement process, Democracy Matters.

Question reference: S6W-29380

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which community has been selected in Fife for additional investment in early years childcare, as outlined in the 2023-24 Programme for Government, and whether this has yet commenced.

Fife Council have been working with the Levenmouth community since January 2024 and are now finalising their plans for their childcare ‘early adopter community’ projects in line with the First Minister’s announcement in May of £16 million investment over two years in six local authorities.

As part of the early adopter community work it is important for local authorities to be able to target communities which have an identified need for improved childcare services, and where increased delivery could support plans to tackle poverty. Fife identified Levenmouth as an area where there is a good opportunity to engage local people in co-designing high quality early learning and school age childcare services that meet local needs, with a strong focus on tackling poverty. This acknowledges the need for more accessible and affordable childcare services in the community to support employment, and builds on some existing local childcare provision and infrastructure options.

This is part of a wider package of work with the local authority and communities. This will help Scottish Government and our local partners to understand what it takes to deliver local childcare systems that support families with children from the early years to the end of primary school, and the difference this can make in eradicating child poverty.

A key focus of the Early Adopter Communities (EAC) approach is to learn more about what works to deliver childcare solutions for children and their families in targeted communities. It should be noted that for families with younger children tests of change will be more limited, given the initial focus is on gathering insight about user needs and the local childcare system for younger children.

Question reference: S6O-03706

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Fife Council regarding the impact of its housing adaptation policy.

Question reference: S6W-29009

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the announcement of Hospital at Home Funding on 8 August 2024, how much funding NHS Fife originally applied for, and how the distribution of funding was decided that resulted in NHS Fife receiving £18,100.56, in light of it being the third largest NHS board area.

Question reference: S6W-28373

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it is promoting the Young Carer Grant to those that are eligible for the payment, and whether it has consulted with (a) young carers and (b) other stakeholders on recent public campaigns.

Since launching in October 2019, 12,305 Young Carer Grant payments worth £4.0 million have been made to young carers in Scotland.

Social Security Scotland promotes Young Carer Grant in a targeted way, including by working in partnership with local carers centres in each local authority, encouraging young carers to apply. Social Security Scotland have also delivered multiple marketing campaigns across digital channels that young people engage with most - including a joint campaign with Young Scot.

When designing marketing campaigns, Social Security Scotland carry out primary research with eligible people. A series of focus groups and interviews with young carers has ensured the campaigns resonate with and reach those eligible for the payment.

Social Security Scotland also attends the Scottish Young Carers Festival, organised by the Carers Trust, to promote Young Carer Grant, talk to young carers about their experiences and encourage them to apply. To mark this year’s Young Carer Action Day, Social Security Scotland re-ran their digital Young Carer Grant campaign, including sharing a stakeholder toolkit with carer organisations, and worked with STV and a young carer on a broadcast feature.

This latest campaign activity helped drive the highest number of applications in a month since the payment launched - with 790 applications received from young carers in March alone this year. In the last financial year, over 3,700 young people received Young Carer Grant payments worth £1.4 million, almost 60% more than the year before.

Question reference: S6W-28375

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many young people it estimates are eligible for the Young Carer Grant in (a) Fife and (b) the Cowdenbeath constituency.

Social Security Scotland publishes official statistics for the number of payments for Young Carer Grant by Local Authority but not at constituency level. In the financial year 2023-24, Social Security Scotland made 280 payments totalling £99,217 to clients in the Fife Local Authority.

The Scottish Government published estimates of take-up rates for a number of devolved benefits in November 2023. Take-up rates are estimates of the number of people who are eligible for a benefit that receive it. The latest estimated take-up rate for Young Carer Grant in Scotland for 2022-23 is 75%. This figure is for Scotland nationally.

The latest take-up rate estimates and further detail on the methodology can be found at: Take-Up Rate Estimates - Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: November 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The latest statistics published for Young Carer Grant can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Young Carer Grant: high level statistics to 31 March 2024 .

Question reference: S6W-28374

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, based on the most recent data available, what the uptake is for the Young Carer Grant in (a) Fife and (b) the Cowdenbeath constituency.

The latest estimated take-up rate for Young Carer Grant in Scotland in 2022-23 is 75%. Social Security Scotland routinely publish Official Statistics on the number of carers receiving a payment for Young Career Grant. Whilst these statistics include information by local authority area, we do not currently include information by Scottish Parliament constituency.

The latest statistics show that, as of 31 March 2024, 875 Young Carer Grant payments with a total value of £285,143 had been issued to clients living in the Fife local authority since its launch in October 2019. Of these, 280 payments with a total value of £99,217 were made in the 2023-24 financial year.

The latest statistics publication for this benefit can be found at: Social Security Scotland - Young Carer Grant: high level statistics to 31 March 2024 and estimated take-up rates are available at: Analysis of Take-Up Rate Estimates - Take-up rates of Scottish benefits: November 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Question reference: S6O-03617

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Developing the Young Workforce programme in the Cowdenbeath constituency.