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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-18878

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions it has aligned with EU legislation, since 1 January 2021, by means other than the Scottish Ministers’ "keeping pace" power under the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021.

The Scottish Government is committed to aligning with EU law where that is possible and where it will have a meaningful impact on the outcomes we share with the EU.

In doing so we acknowledge that alignment in all cases is not possible. Consideration of alignment with EU law is part of the policy development process and varies depending upon the relevance of EU law to Scotland regarding the matter in question, the extent of the devolved settlement and UK Government decisions which might have a constraining effect on Ministers ability to take effective action.

The Scottish Government’s policy statement on the approach to EU alignment, approved by parliament on 8 June 2022, sets this out in detail, acknowledging that a broad section of EU legislation is now not applicable in Scotland since the UK’s departure from the EU.

It is therefore not possible for the Scottish Government to provide a definitive answer to the question asked, although officials are working with their parliamentary counterparts to significantly expand the information provided to parliament regarding the commitment to align with the EU.

Question reference: S6W-18877

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 22 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions the Scottish Ministers have used their "keeping pace" power, under the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021, to align with EU (a) directives, (b) regulations and (c) tertiary legislation, since 1 January 2021.

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-15749, S6W-15748 and S6W-15747 on 15 March 2023. Since this question was last answered, the ‘keeping pace’ power has not been used further by Scottish Ministers. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-18727

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 13 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14445 by Neil Gray on 7 February 2023, whether it will provide an updated table, including data for (a) 2007-08, (b) 2008-09 and (c) 2022-23.

According to data acquired directly from the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), in March 2023 Aberdeen City Council closed 6 libraries, Cornhill, Cults, Northfield, Ferryhill, Woodside and Kamhill. No other Scottish Libraries have permanently closed in the last 3 reporting years.

The Scottish Government do not hold information on numbers of libraries dating back to 2007-8. The earliest information on library numbers that SLIC are able to acquire from Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountability (CIPFA) begins from 2009-10.

Question reference: S6O-02351

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to prevent recent cuts to bus services in Renfrewshire.

Question reference: S6W-17962

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 25 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what recent steps it has taken to support public libraries.

The Scottish Government supports the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) with annual funding of £665,000. SLIC provides leadership and advice to Scottish Ministers, local authorities, and the wider libraries sector.

This includes £450,000 for the Public Library Improvement Fund (PLIF) and is on top of the Scottish Government’s general revenue funding to local authorities. PLIF, which has been awarded annually since 2006, is administered by SLIC on behalf of the Scottish Government, and supports creative, sustainable and innovative public library projects throughout Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-16022

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to address the reported crisis of staff recruitment and retention in the social care sector.

There are more than 1,200 social care providers across Scotland, with local authorities responsible for providing or commissioning services. Local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships will wish to ensure that, in providing a range of services, their workforce planning arrangements take full account of the need to have safe and sustainable numbers of staff.

To increase awareness of the careers available in the sector, the latest iteration of our Adult Social Care Recruitment Campaign launched on 25 January. It has an increased media presence to reach a broader audience than previous campaigns.

We have also been working with DWP to hold social care job fairs throughout Scotland, with the next phase of events expected to be delivered in the coming weeks.

We have provided funding to NHS Education for Scotland to lead the delivery of a programme of work to support social care providers to increase workforce capacity through international recruitment. The aim of the programme is to support social care providers to navigate the UK immigration system more easily, and to alleviate some of the administrative burden of the international recruitment process. Expressions of interest will be welcomed from all providers in Scotland, regardless of size or location of their organisation, who feel they could support an international worker to integrate into their community through working in the social care sector. This programme is due to launch in the coming weeks.

In addition we have re-established the Campaign Advisory Group to work on a longer term recruitment strategy to increase capacity across the social care sector.

Question reference: S6W-16763

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, following the announcement in August 2022 that the next ScotRail fares increase would be postponed by two months to March 2023, when it expects to announce the new fare prices.

The Scottish Government took the decision last year to freeze ScotRail fares as part of a suite of measures to tackle the ongoing cost of living crisis. More broadly the Scottish Government has committed to pilot the removal of ScotRail peak fares on all ScotRail routes from October this year.

This initiative will operate over a six-month period, following which the Scottish Government will carefully consider its impact and the long-term sustainability of such a proposition.

The Scottish Government is considering future fare options whilst taking account of the extremely challenging fiscal climate facing both rail passengers and funders and I expect to provide an update on this in due course.

Question reference: S6O-02149

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with West College Scotland, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-16021

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations of the Feeley Review of Adult Social Care that "priority is given to the establishing of the sector level body as a means to take forward the Fair Work recommendations in partnership" and "that body should also take the lead in creating national sector level collective bargaining of terms and conditions".

The Scottish Government have fully accepted the findings of the Feeley Review and we are working in partnership with stakeholders to implement its key recommendations. The Scottish Government are not waiting for the National Care Service to be established before we take action and we have continued to progress a number of key projects to take forward and improve Fair Work principles, including providing an additional £100m to increase the minimum rate of pay for adult social care workers to £10.90 per hour. Work is already underway to develop pay and bargaining arrangements ahead of the introduction of the NCS.

Through the National Care Service (NCS), The Scottish Government is going to continue to take forward its commitments to Fair Work for the social care sector, and to improve pay and conditions for workers, including through of national sectoral bargaining.

Question reference: S6W-16020

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position regarding uprating the pay of social care workers to at least £15 per hour, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

From April 2023, adult social care workers delivering direct care in commissioned services will see their pay increase to a minimum of £10.90 per hour; in line with the Real Living Wage rate for the 2023-24 Financial Year. This represents a 14.7% increase for these workers in the last two years.

To increase the minimum pay rate for these workers from £10.90 per hour to £15 per hour could cost up to an additional £1.1bn. To increase pay to £15 per hour for all social care workers could cost up to an additional £1.7bn. There have never been greater pressures on public finances and the Scottish Government have continued to call on the UK Government to provide additional funding, including to take into account inflation. However, in the absence of this, we are having to make difficult choices.