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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: S5W-08751

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 27 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to employers to make reasonable adjustments to support their employees to recover from mental health problems.

The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Centre for Healthy Working Lives, part of NHS Health Scotland, to provide information and advice on workplace health and wellbeing. The Centre, and the network of advisers in territorial NHS Boards, offer free and confidential advice on a wide range of issues relating to health, safety in the workplace. This includes promoting wellbeing in the workplace, managing sickness absence and supporting employees to return to work.

Health Working Lives runs training courses for employers on managing and promoting good mental health in the workplace.

Question reference: S5O-00922

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish a new anti-bullying strategy for schools.

Question reference: S5W-08739

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 25 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what role links workers play in helping people to find employability support in their local community.

Links Workers connect people to non-medical sources of support or resources in the community which are likely to help with the health problems they are experiencing.

Link workers draw on a wide range of services to increase social skills, confidence and employability and help people move forward in their lives. These include services focused on training, volunteering and life skills, in-work support (for people currently employed and experiencing problems), further education and
self-employment.

Question reference: S5W-08355

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 25 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that no members of boards, advisory groups or other bodies for which it has appointment responsibilities is an employee or representative of a company or organisation that has admitted the practice of blacklisting, unless they have subsequently taken adequate "self-cleaning" measures.

Any practice which seeks to suppress or censor the legitimate expression of opinion, or prevents individuals from exercising rights to freedom of association or privacy is unacceptable in a modern democratic society. The Scottish Government condemns any form of blacklisting. Blacklisting is also likely to be unlawful under various provisions of anti-discrimination legislation.

The Scottish public has high expectations of those who serve on the Boards of Public Bodies and the way in which they conduct themselves in undertaking their duties. As a Board member, it is their personal responsibility to ensure that they meet these expectations by ensuring that their conduct is above reproach.

The appointing minister will take steps to confirm that the applicant is a fit and proper person for the position to which they are to be appointed.

Question reference: S5O-00899

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next meet representatives of the tourism sector.

Question reference: S5W-08354

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 19 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that it only procures goods and services from organisations that pay at least the living wage.

The Scottish Government considers the payment of the Living Wage to be a significant indicator of an employer's commitment to fair work practices and that the payment of the Living Wage is one of the clearest ways that an employer can demonstrate that it takes a positive approach to its workforce. As a Government we are, and encourage others to be, a Living Wage Accredited Employer.

We issued statutory guidance Addressing Fair Work Practices, including the Living Wage, in Procurement in October 2015. We have regard to this guidance as early as possible in all procurement processes to ensure that where relevant and proportionate we include a question on fair work practices and evaluate bidders' responses along with other relevant criteria.

Question reference: S5O-00867

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote technologies that help tackle climate change.

As set out in the draft Climate Change Plan, the Scottish Government is committed to working with business leaders and others to co-design policies and proposals which maximise commercial, export and job opportunities. For example, our Scottish Energy Efficiency Programme will support thousands of jobs across Scotland, creating a substantial Scottish market and supply chain for energy efficiency and renewable heat services and technologies and related expertise which is transferable to international markets.

Question reference: S5W-08795

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-08058

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06985 by Paul Wheelhouse on 13 March 2017, what (a) financial and (b) other support was (i) offered and (ii) provided to Greggs plc from (A) Scottish Development International, (B) Scottish Enterprise and (C) other public bodies to assist the company with its plans for a centre of excellence at the Clydesmill bakery in Cambuslang.

Question reference: S5W-08056

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-06985 by Paul Wheelhouse on 13 March 2017, what (a) financial and (b) other support was offered by (i) Scottish Development International, (ii) Scottish Enterprise and (iii) other public bodies to help prevent the closure of the Greggs bakery in Loanhead.

Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Development International provided information on the types of public sector support, including financial support, SE Account Management, and Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service engagement, that could potentially be made available both to safeguard jobs at the Loanhead bakery and to assist with the development of a Centre of Excellence at Cambuslang. Whilst Greggs welcomed the information provided, they did not ultimately take this forward despite attempts to engage with the company to progress the offer of support in the second half of 2016.

However, I note that building work has commenced on upgrading Clydesmill to a Centre of Excellence for sweet bakes production and will be complete within the next few months. The upgrading process will take up to two years based on a phased approach as different bakeries begin making the other products made at Clydesmill.