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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6F-02164

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports of world-leading dementia expert, Craig Ritchie, leaving the NHS and his comments referring to problems with infrastructure and blockages in the system.

Question reference: S6W-17471

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether its Programme for Government 2021-22 commitment to increase the number of employee-owned businesses to 500 by 2030 relates to businesses operating in Scotland, or businesses based in Scotland.

Research has shown that employee-owned businesses and other inclusive ownership models are fairer, more inclusive places to work and as a result enjoy greater financial and social resilience.

The Scottish Government’s commitment to increase the number of employee owned businesses seeks to widen the benefits of employee ownership to as many businesses and as many employee-owners as possible across Scotland. For this reason the number relates to businesses operating in and based in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-17470

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made towards meeting its Programme for Government 2021-22 commitment to increase the number of employee-owned businesses to 500 by 2030, and what funding is being provided to increase this number.

The latest census on employee owned businesses was undertaken in March 2022. At that time there were 146 Scottish-registered employee-owned businesses and worker co-operatives and 49 non-Scottish registered employee-owned businesses.

Co-Operative Development Scotland, funded through Scottish Enterprise, continues to work to raise awareness of the value of co-operative and employee ownership models and provides specialist advice and support to businesses making the transition to employee ownership.

Question reference: S6W-17469

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when updated figures will be available on the number of employee-owned businesses that are (a) based and (b) operating in Scotland.

Figures on employee owned businesses in Scotland are collated every two years in a census exercise commissioned by Co-operative Development Scotland and published shortly thereafter. The last census was undertaken in February and March 2022

At that time there were 146 Scottish-registered employee-owned businesses and worker co-operatives and 49 non-Scottish registered employee-owned businesses. The census revealed that the Scottish registered EOB's and worker co-operatives have a combined turnover of £691m and employ 5,350 people.

Question reference: S6W-16684

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been provided with any evaluation reports of the specialist domestic abuse courts in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and, if so, whether it will publish these.

An independent Evaluation of the Pilot Domestic Abuse Court in Glasgow was undertaken by Reid Howie Associates and published on the Scottish Government’s website at the time. It is available; at; https://web.archive.org/web/20130205035916/http:/www.scotland.gov.uk/Resource/Doc/173485/0048418.pdf

The report is also referred to in a letter from the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service which was published on the Criminal Justice Committee’s page on Scottish Parliament’s Website at Criminal Justice Committee Evidence Session 8 December 2021 Further Evidence | Scottish Parliament Website

There is no evaluation report for Edinburgh.

Question reference: S6W-16685

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to roll out domestic abuse courts across Scotland.

The Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008, which was passed unanimously by this Parliament, provides that it is the responsibility of the Lord President as Head of the independent judiciary and of Sheriffs Principal, to ensure the efficient disposal of business through Scotland’s courts, including sheriff courts.

Where the Lord President, in consultation with the relevant Sheriff Principal, considers that it is appropriate to establish a specialism in domestic abuse cases in a particular sheriffdom, they are able to do so.

There is no requirement for the involvement or approval of the Scottish Ministers or the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-16683

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has evaluated the outcomes of the specialist domestic abuse courts in Glasgow and Edinburgh, and, if not, whether it has any plans to do so.

Question reference: S6W-16692

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in developing plans to deliver free breakfasts for all (a) primary and (b) special school children.

The Scottish Government is committed to funding the expansion of free school meals to all pupils in primary and special schools, as well as introducing free year round breakfast and lunch provision to support eligible children and young people outside of the school term.

Currently, all primary school pupils in primaries one to five, all children in special schools, and eligible pupils in Primary 6 through to S6 can benefit from free school lunches in Scotland – the most generous provision anywhere in the UK, saving parents £400 per eligible child per year.

We have also provided £21.75m of funding for free school meal alternatives to eligible families during the school holidays. This is administered by local authorities as a cash payment directly to families.

There is a currently a mixed delivery of breakfast provision across Scotland with a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. We have begun work with local authorities and key stakeholders to better understand and map that provision. That process is ongoing and will feed into future plans as they develop.

In addition, we have committed to building a system of school age childcare, providing care before and after school and in the holidays, which will be funded for those on lowest incomes. As we design a system of school age childcare, we will integrate food and childcare provision wherever possible recognising the benefit to children and families of coordinating food, childcare and activities.

Question reference: S6O-02166

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the recommendations of the independent review into women in entrepreneurship in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02141

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the Scottish Law Commission regarding its review of the law on homicide, in relation to culpable homicide.