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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

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Question reference: S6W-19070

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 29 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-16048 by Siobhian Brown on 5 April 2023 and S6F-02208 by Humza Yousaf on 8 June 2023, whether it will provide an updated list of stakeholders that it has consulted regarding potentially raising the legal age of marriage to 18, in line with the recommendation of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and which Scottish Ministers are undertaking related meetings.

Since my response to S6W-16048 was issued, my officials have met with representatives from the following organisations:

The Church of Scotland

The Free Church of Scotland

Sikhs in Scotland

The United Free Church of Scotland

We have additionally received written views on the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership from the Equality Network.

Invitations to meet have been issued to representatives of all the other organisations that my response to S6W-16048 indicates we planned to meet.

I am meeting Pauline Latham MP after the summer recess. Ms Latham promoted the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Minimum Age) Bill in the Westminster Parliament. That Bill once passed and implemented led to an increase in the minimum age of marriage in England and Wales from 16 to 18.

The member is welcome to write to me with details of any other interested groups who want to be involved.

Question reference: S6W-19071

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 29 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it has undertaken of the appropriateness of the legal age of 16 for marriage, in light of reported concerns regarding forced marriage and coercion.

We recognise that points have been made around the minimum age of marriage and civil partnership and whether young people need more protection.

This is why we have been meeting with interested stakeholders.

There are a range of views here. Increasing the minimum age can be argued to increase safeguards for young people, but such a change can also be seen as removing their right to marry or to enter a civil partnership. Additionally, given the range of rights that people acquire when they reach 16, we need to consider carefully whether broader implications would arise from a change to the minimum age of marriage.

The number of registered marriages in Scotland involving 16- and 17-year-olds is very low. However, we are also aware that there are some concerns regarding unregistered marriage ceremonies and about children and young people being taken abroad to be married.

The forced marriage offence in England and Wales has recently been extended, so that it is an offence there in all circumstances to do anything intended to cause a child to marry before they turn 18. No form of coercion requires to be used and the offence applies where the marriage is to take place outside England and Wales, and regardless of whether the marriage would have legal effect.

We would need to assess if this approach would be right for Scotland. Introducing a similar measure here might have the adverse impact of driving forced marriages even further underground. Forcing someone into marriage is already a criminal offence in Scotland and applies to any religious or civil ceremony of marriage whether or not legally binding. This offence will extend later this year to include forced civil partnerships.

The Scottish Government will continue to listen to stakeholders and the wider debate, as we actively consider our next steps. This will help ensure that we properly assess the potential impacts of changes and, if we take forward a full public consultation, that this includes robust evidence.

Question reference: S6O-02437

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any meetings that it has had with stakeholders regarding the legal age of marriage.

Question reference: S6O-02422

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is promoting and encouraging an increase in employee-owned and co-operative models of businesses as part of the shift to a wellbeing economy.

Question reference: S6O-02386

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on track to meet its target of halving the child obesity rate by 2030.

Question reference: S6W-18407

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how the New Deal for Business Group will (a) engage with and (b) represent the views of Scotland’s creative industries.

The New Deal for Business Group will include business leaders, along with representatives from organisations including the Scottish Retail Consortium, Scottish Tourism Alliance and Fraser of Allander Institute. The membership for the New Deal Business Group has been finalised and agreed by the First Minister.

The New Deal for Business Group has met twice (17 May and 1 June) with representation across a range of business sectors, sizes and locations in both the Group’s membership and members and contributors to the five subgroup’s led by Scottish Government and Business. We have encouraged the business leads to reach out to their networks to ensure as wide a reach as possible and have recently published a mailbox ( NewDealBusinessGroup@gov.scot ) to facilitate contributions from across Scotland’s business community.

Through Creative Scotland we will raise awareness with the creative industries of this facility. The Group is due to report its recommendations to the First Minister at the end of June. After that time, we will review membership aligned with those recommendations.

Question reference: S6F-02208

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the position set out by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child, in its Concluding Observations on the combined sixth and seventh reports of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, regarding the legal minimum age of marriage in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-18408

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 1 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Creative Industries Leadership Group last met, and when it next plans to meet.

Question reference: S6W-17954

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what independent assessment will take place of the Wellbeing Economy Monitor.

On 4 April I held the first meeting of a group of experts in wellbeing economy, which includes the Carnegie UK Trust, Wellbeing Economy Alliance, and other stakeholders. I have committed to working further with this group as we transition to a Wellbeing Economy. The assessment of the performance measures in the Wellbeing Economy Monitor is currently undertaken by officials, with a clear methodology in terms of measuring change. Given my engagement with the expert group, I am happy to seek their continued views on measuring and reporting. Any updated process should also take account of the conclusions of the ongoing review of Scotland’s National Outcomes to ensure continued alignment. That review is due to conclude in 2024.

Question reference: S6O-02301

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the continuation of the independent contractor model in general practice.