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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: S5W-03195

Asked by: Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 25 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of allowing universal credit recipients to match the frequency of their benefit payment with fluctuating (a) rates and (b) frequency that they receive in wages.

Universal Credit is reserved to the UK Government. The Scottish Government will use the limited powers we will receive over Universal Credit to make it fairer by ensuring that all eligible claimants have the choice of receiving their UC payments twice monthly instead of a single monthly payment. This will enable claimants to have some control over how often they are paid to suit their financial circumstances and budgeting needs.

Question reference: S5W-03197

Asked by: Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 25 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports disadvantaged young people in insecure employment who do not receive housing benefit or universal credit.

Question reference: S5W-03196

Asked by: Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding minimising the impact on disadvantaged young people in Scotland of losing access to universal credit and housing benefit.

Universal Credit is available for people 18 and over and includes a housing element which replaces Housing Benefit. The UK Government plans to end automatic entitlement to the housing element of Universal Credit for 18-21 year olds making new claims from April 2017. The Scottish Government continues to have discussions with the UK Government regarding this issue and Ministers have written on a number of occasions to raise concerns about the impact of this policy on young people in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-03194

Asked by: Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what impact (a) zero-hours contracts and (b) other similar employment arrangements have on the ability of disadvantaged young people to access housing benefit and universal credit.

Question reference: S5W-03518

Asked by: Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2016
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 7 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the actions that it is taking to deliver its target to meet 11% of non-electrical heat demand from renewable sources by 2020, as initially set in the Renewable Heat Action Plan and reaffirmed in the Heat Policy Statement, published in 2015.

I am pleased to announce I laid a report in Parliament today, which provides an update on the actions the Scottish Government is taking to help our renewable heat target is met. The report is now available on the Scottish Government web-site, at http://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781786525222.

This demonstrates significant progress towards meeting Scotland’s renewable heat target by 2020. During the 2015 calendar year, an estimated 5.3 – 5.6% of Scotland’s non-electrical heat demand was supplied from renewable sources, up from 3.8% in 2014. In addition, renewable heat capacity increased by 47% and renewable heat generation increased by 37%, when compared with 2014. While we continue to make positive progress, we recognise there is work to be done. That’s why we continue to develop new and existing avenues of support in this important area.

In addition, the Energy Saving Trust have published today the report Renewable Heat in Scotland 2015, which provides further details on these figures. The Energy Saving Trust report is now available by searching for “Renewable Heat in Scotland 2015” at http://www.energysavingtrust.org.uk/resources/reports.

Question reference: S5W-03136

Asked by: Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in establishing a taskforce on nuisance telephone calls, which was announced in June 2016.

Question reference: S5W-03126

Asked by: Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 September 2016
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve public transport links in the Robroyston area of Glasgow given the growth in new housing development.

The Scottish Government has approved an application for funding made to our Scottish Stations Fund (SSF) to support the construction of a new railway station at Robroyston. This is a significant landmark with Robroyston the first new station proposal to be awarded funding under the fund. The total contribution from the Scottish Government for this project is £7.129 million, representing 50% of the current total estimated capital construction costs for the new station. The remaining costs are to be met by the scheme promoters. Although the scheme promoters have yet to finalise the details of their delivery model for the project, the submitted bid envisaged completion of the station by March 2019.

Today`s announcement takes Robroyston railway station one significant step closer towards becoming a reality and forms part of our wider £5 billion investment programme to 2019 that is helping to ensure that as many people as possible have access to the rail network.

Question reference: S5W-02499

Asked by: Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards achieving its aim of creating a smoke-free prison service.

I have asked Colin McConnell, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

The National Tobacco Strategy Workstream has recommended that all Scottish prisons should be smoke-free within a timescale of up to 5 years.

The smoke-free policy will be comprehensive i.e. smoking will not be permitted indoors or outdoors in Scottish prisons.

SPS will be working closely with NHS Health Boards and Scottish Government as well as other partner agencies to develop comprehensive plans in preparation for the change.

Smoking cessation services in prisons are delivered by NHS Health Boards. NHS Boards do not currently have plans in place for implementation of smoke-free prisons. They will be key stakeholders in the partnership approach with Scottish Government and SPS. Health Boards will need sufficient time to model demands on cessation services and required resources (e.g. skilled smoking cessation staff and pharmacotherapy), agree budgets, and put funding in place to expand the service to meet demand. Recruitment and training may be required to meet demand.

Implementation of smoke-free prisons will be supported and monitored by a large scale study, which will play a vital role in helping SPS and NHS boards prepare to make changes.

A decision has still to be made on whether e-cigarettes will be allowed. This is being considered by a working group, which includes NHS specialists and leading academics from Scottish universities, to support an informed decision on e-cigarettes.

Question reference: S5O-00183

Asked by: Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on making it mandatory to train teachers about inclusive education.

Question reference: S5W-02637

Asked by: Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it will seek to protect the £4 billion worth of trade from Scotland to the US, in light of the recent comments by President Obama regarding Brexit.

Scotland’s vote in the EU referendum reflected Scotland’s international outlook and the importance of the single market to Scotland’s economy. In order to help stabilise and stimulate the Scottish economy we will step up delivery of our 2016-21 Trade and Investment Strategy, taking further action to boost exports, maintain and attract investment and actively demonstrate that Scotland is open for business.

We will also widen and deepen our business engagement to shape our response to the EU Referendum and wider trade and investment activity. This will ensure that the Scottish Government effectively represents the distinct needs and priorities of Scotland’s businesses and investors. In particular, we will listen to and engage with businesses through existing engagement structures, sector specific international trade summits and a dedicated Investor Forum for our critical inward investment community.

We will also be delivering a comprehensive programme of Scottish Development International led trade missions and events and working with others to enhance and complement that programme as well as providing an additional £200k to help businesses help each other through pilot Local Export Partnerships in 4-6 areas across Scotland.

We have also announced the establishment of a Ministerial Trade Board which will provide advice to Scottish Ministers on the most effective ways to boost Scotland’s exports in the context of the outcome of the EU Referendum.