- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 12 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Equality and Human Rights Commission Working Forward campaign, Working Forward, which aims to make workplaces the best that they can be for pregnant women and new parents.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to the development of an inclusive labour market and the principles behind the Working Forward campaign.
Following the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) pregnancy and maternity report in 2016, a Ministerial working group, which I chair and whose membership includes the EHRC and representation from the private sector, was established in December 2016 to challenge pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace. Papers from this Group can be found at http://www.employabilityinscotland.com/key-clients/women-and-work/pregnancy-and-maternity-discrimination-working-group/ .
The Scottish Business Pledge promotes a range of fair work business practices including supportive pregnancy and maternity policies. Pregnancy and maternity advice is available on the Scottish Business Pledge website. In response to the EHRC campaign the Scottish Government has included the Working Forward Pledge information within the Pledge guidance.
The Scottish Government, its agencies and partners including members of the working group continue to signpost and promote inclusive workplace guidance to businesses.
We have also recently launched the £500,000 Workplace Equality Fund which will deliver employer led innovative solutions to overcome workforce inequality, including those faced by faced by women.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 12 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with increasing the participation of people (a) from minority ethnic backgrounds and (b) who self-identify as disabled in the modern apprenticeship programme.
Answer
The Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland are committed to equality of opportunity within Modern Apprenticeships. The Equalities Action Plan for Modern Apprenticeships: Year 1 update published in July 2017 outlines Skills Development Scotland’s work with partners and employers on a national and regional basis. The focus is to deliver interventions that will result in increased numbers of minority ethnic, disabled and care experienced young people in apprenticeships as well as addressing the gender imbalance in apprenticeship frameworks where it exists.
Skills Development Scotland published the 2016-17 Modern Apprenticeship Quarter 4 statistics in June 2017. This showed that 1.7% of Modern Apprenticeship starts self – identified as being from a minority ethnic group, which was slightly higher than reported in 2015-16.
The most recent 2017-18 Modern Apprentice quarterly statistics (Q3) published on 13 February 2018 show as at 29 December 2017, a total of 354 Modern Apprenticeship starts self-identified as being from a Mixed or Multiple; Asian; African; Caribbean or Black; or Other ethnic group. This represents 2% of all Modern Apprenticeship starts where ethnicity is known.
Going forwards a particular area of focus is on addressing employability skills issues for some groups. The BEMIS “MAs for All” project is an example of one of our national projects to raise awareness of apprenticeship opportunities and career pathways in ethnic minority communities. Now in its first year, it aims to leave a legacy of connections between community groups and contracted providers.
Regarding disability the 2016-17 Modern Apprenticeship Quarter 4 statistics reported that 8.6% of all Modern Apprenticeship starts self - identified having an impairment, health condition or learning difficulty. This was 4.7 % higher than those who self - identified as disabled in 2015-16.
The most recent 2017-18 Modern Apprentice quarterly statistics (Q3) published on 13 February 2018 show as at 29 December 2017, there were 1,946 Modern Apprenticeship starts who self-identified as having an impairment, health condition or learning difficulty which equated to 10.9% of all known Modern Apprenticeship starts.
Significant improvements have been made in relation to disability representation. This relates to both improvements in reporting, due to the support that Skills Development Scotland has given to providers, as well as the implementation of the actions outlined in the Modern Apprenticeship Equalities Action Plan.
Additionally in April 2017 we introduced enhanced contribution rates providing young disabled people and those with experience of care with the highest level of Modern Apprenticeship funding for their chosen Frameworks up to the age of 29.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2018
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Current Status:
Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to research from the Equality and Human Rights Commission that was published on 19 February 2018, which suggests that some employers hold discriminatory attitudes toward working mothers and maternity rights.
Answer
The Scottish Government remains committed to tackling pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace. A Ministerial working group, which I chair and whose membership includes the EHRC and representation from the private sector, has already been established to deliver a cross government approach to challenge pregnancy and maternity discrimination in the workplace.
The Working Group is considering the findings of the EHRC research as they develop their working plan for the year ahead.
The Scottish Government continues to promote the advice, prepared by organisations represented on the Working Group, to employers to ensure best practice on the recruitment, retention, and support of pregnant employees and working mothers.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 March 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it plans to make sanitary products freely available in the Parliament for staff and visitors.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2018
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2018
To ask the Scottish Government how schools support children and young people who are affected by alcohol harm.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2018
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 22 February 2018
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator is aware of multiple allegations of abusive behaviour and misconduct in the third sector.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 22 February 2018
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-09274 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 1 June 2017, how much it has spent on the services of John Sturrock, and whether he is still engaged in providing advice or services.
Answer
John Sturrock has been instrumental in helping both sides in the College Lecturers dispute reach agreement. The Scottish Government is always mindful of the public purse when engaging any contractor on a commercial basis.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2018
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 18 January 2018
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the Campaign for Freedom of Information in Scotland's campaign, Get it Minuted.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 18 January 2018
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 9 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10912 by Mark McDonald on 22 September 2017 and, in light of reported increased awareness of period poverty, whether it will include sanitary products in the baby box.
Answer
This highlighted that mothers were satisfied with inclusion of maternity towels in the box. However, we did not receive any requests from mothers for the inclusion of further sanitary products in Scotland’s Baby Box. As such, there are no plans at this stage to add sanitary products, however, we will continue to keep the contents of Scotland’s Baby Box under review - consulting with health care experts and, more importantly, listening to the views of parents, as the scheme evolves.
Our immediate priority on sanitary products remains with the delivery of our Programme for Government commitment to provide free access in schools, colleges and universities. We will consider further action in light of the findings of our Aberdeen pilot which will conclude in March.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2017
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 9 January 2018
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the key findings of the Citizens Advice Scotland annual report on burial and cremation charges, and what discussions it is having with COSLA and local authorities regarding the widening costs.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes the report from Citizen’s Advice Scotland (CAS), which highlights that funeral costs have increased significantly in recent years. We are working closely with a range of stakeholders including CAS, funeral directors and the Third Sector as part of our work to tackle funeral poverty in Scotland. Our recently published Funeral Costs Plan commits the Scottish Government to 10 key actions to tackle funeral poverty during this Parliamentary term, including the publication of statutory guidance on funeral costs by December 2018.
While recognising that each local authority is responsible for setting its own charges, the Scottish Government expects that the guidance will explore a range of factors contributing to variability of costs and charging for burial and cremation across Scotland. We are already working with local authorities and COSLA to better understand these issues and will continue to work closely with them in the drafting and publication of the guidance.
