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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-30149

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 8 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to bring forward Falkirk Growth Deal projects, in light of reports of the Grangemouth refinery closure.

Project development and delivery are led by Falkirk Council and other local partners. Officials are in regular communication with both the UK Government and Falkirk Council regarding the signing of the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal. Partners are currently preparing business cases for all projects and officials are working to support this process to enable project delivery to commence. This crucial project development work has been ongoing ahead of the formal signing. Partners have identified the Deal projects which are sufficiently developed to commence and have prioritised those accordingly within the 10 year delivery programme of the Growth Deal.

Question reference: S6W-30150

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 8 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with (a) the UK Government and (b) Falkirk Council regarding the final sign-off of the Falkirk Growth Deal.

Officials are in regular contact with both the UK Government and Falkirk Council regarding the signing of the Falkirk and Grangemouth Growth Deal. Discussion continues at pace to align Ministers and Falkirk Council to secure a date for the signing to bring the Deal into delivery. Signing was previously scheduled before the General Election but had to be postponed during that process. Project development is led by Falkirk Council and other local partners and this has continued ahead of the formal signing, ensuring this delay does not adversely impact Deal progress.

Question reference: S6O-03821

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in reforming the female custodial estate.

Question reference: S6W-29844

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in addition to the £144.5 million that has already been announced, what further financial support it will provide to local authorities to maintain teacher numbers.

The Scottish Government has provided record funding of over £14 billion to local councils this year – a real-terms increase of 2.5% compared with the previous year. This includes £145.5 million to maintain teacher numbers and £242 million to support previous teacher pay deals.

We have also made available £29 million to support the 2024-25 teachers’ pay deal.

We value the teaching profession which is why Scotland has the most teachers per pupil and the highest paid classroom teachers in the UK.

Question reference: S6W-29847

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding its announcement of £22 billion of potential budget reductions and any impact that this will have on Barnett consequential funding.

The First Minister and I met the Chancellor of the Exchequer on 28 August, following the Chancellor’s statement on 29 July that outlined a £22 billion shortfall in the UK public finances.

I will be having further discussions with the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, along with the devolved finance ministers from Wales and Northern Ireland, at a meeting of the Finance: Interministerial Standing Committee (F:ISC) on 3 October.

Under the Barnett formula, increases or decreases in funding for UK Departments drive the funding available to the Scottish Budget. We expect that consequentials for this financial year will be not be formally confirmed until the completion of the supplementary estimates process in early 2025, with an update expected as part of the UK Budget on 30 October.

Question reference: S6W-29849

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Childhood Cancer Awareness Month, whether it is considering providing (a) further financial support and (b) other resources for research into (i) neuroblastoma and (ii) other cancers that affect children.

The Scottish Government’s ten year Cancer Strategy published in 2023 sets out the Scottish Government’s approach to improving patient pathways from cancer prevention and diagnosis through to treatment and post-treatment care, and this includes our ambitions for flourishing research and innovation. The Scottish Government is also the only UK-nation to have a dedicated strategy to support children and young people with cancer, delivered through the Managed Service Network for Children and Young People with Cancer. This network will continue to contribute to national and international research projects which aim to maximise cure for those with the highest risk disease and minimise treatment burden for those who are already curable.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) supports cancer research in Scotland including on cancers affecting children through investments in NHS Research Scotland infrastructure including Cancer and Paediatric Research Networks and in Paediatric and Adult Experimental Cancer Medicine Centres that support the delivery of clinical studies and trials. In addition, CSO supports funding opportunities for cancer research through access to National Institute for Health & Care Research programmes. CSO also recently established a collaboration with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission to co-fund a neuro-oncology fellowship in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-29846

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 25 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on mitigating any UK Government (a) reductions and (b) changes to benefit entitlements in each of the last three years.

In the last three complete financial years (2021-22 to 2023-24), we have invested almost £250 million mitigating the impacts of UK Government policy such as the bedroom tax and benefit cap, and shortfalls in Local Housing Allowance rates through Discretionary Housing Payments. These policies have a direct impact on households in Scotland by reducing the level of social security support they receive.

This year alone, almost £134m will be spent through activities such as our Discretionary Housing Payments and the Scottish Welfare Fund. The Scottish Welfare Fund provides crisis support and helps eligible people to establish independent living, and shortfalls in the UK social security system have contributed to an increased demand on the fund.

In 2024-25, we are also investing £457 million in the Scottish Child Payment, giving support to the families of over 325,000 under 16s who currently receive it. However, its impacts are reduced by UK Government welfare policies, such as the two-child limit and benefit cap, and by the inadequacy of Universal Credit.

Table 1 below provides a breakdown of Discretionary Housing Payment funding for each activity in the last three years, including this financial year.

Table 1: Discretionary Housing Payments budget (2021/22 – present)

	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25	Total
Bedroom tax	£71.00m	£68.10m	£69.70m	£74.84m	£283.64m
Benefit cap*			£6.15m	£7.75m	£13.90m
Other DHPs**	£10.90m	£16.00m	£7.90m	£7.90m	£42.70m
Admin funding***	£1.20m	£1.70m	£2.20m	£2.20m	£7.30m
	£83.10m	£85.80m	£85.95m	£92.69m	£347.54m

*Prior to 2023/24, benefit cap funding was included in the DHP “other” funding stream.

**The DHP “other” funding stream includes funding for claimants affected by reductions in Local Housing Allowance and other housing related costs at the discretion of local authorities.

***Please note: admin funding is paid to LAs on top of their DHP budget to cover the costs associated with administrating the DHP scheme.

Question reference: S6W-29841

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the co-design of the code of practice provided for through the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024; when the co-design is expected to start, and what level of consultation and stakeholder engagement there will be on the code of practice.

The Circular Economy Act does not provide a timescale for the completion of the new Household Recycling Code of Practice. However, the Scottish Government’s draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map sets out the aim to complete the co-design process by March 2026.

The first stage of co-design engagement took place on 24 September 2024, with a workshop with local authorities to develop the methodology. The co-design methodology will enable engagement with local authorities, the waste sector, businesses, civil society, citizens and other stakeholders.

Question reference: S6W-29840

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024, whether it is considering including the recycling of recyclable PET or PP plastic plant pots in household kerbside recycling in its code of practice.

The new Household Recycling Code of Practice will be co-designed with local authorities and other stakeholders to deliver modernised and more consistent waste and recycling services across Scotland.

The co-design process will provide opportunities to consider collection of a range of new items and materials, which may include PET and/or PP plastic plant pots. Our approach to determining changes to the Code of Practice will be evidence-led and take account of different local circumstances and needs.

Question reference: S6W-29842

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 25 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it (a) has had and (b) plans to have with the UK Government regarding further support for pensioners in Scotland, in light of the impact of the UK Government's decision to make the Winter Fuel Payment means tested.

Following the publication of the UK Government’s equality analysis on the impact introducing means-tested Winter Fuel Payments, the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice wrote to the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions on 20 September urging the UK government to reinstate Winter Fuel Payment for all pensioners. The Cabinet Secretary also called for reform of the UK energy markets to address the root causes of fuel poverty in Scotland, such as high fuel prices.

This followed the previous letter to the Secretary of State on 14 August, in which the Cabinet Secretary urged the UK Government to undertake a benefits uptake campaign for Pension Credit and to move forward with plans for a social energy tariff.