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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-22266

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Paul McLennan on 16 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the domestic abuse fund that will provide financial support to women to leave an abusive partner.

I am pleased to announce that a £500,000 pilot fund will be made available this month to support women to leave an abusive partner.

Supporting victim/survivors of domestic abuse is a priority for the Scottish Government and financial uncertainty should not be a barrier to women leaving a relationship with an abusive partner. We are piloting a fund to leave in the 5 local authority areas where there are highest number of presentations to local authorities for homelessness assistance by women due to domestic abuse. These are Glasgow, South Lanarkshire, Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire and Fife.

The Fund to Leave will help to reduce the financial burden of leaving an abusive partner by helping to pay for the essentials women and children need, including rent and clothing.

Question reference: S6O-02588

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is helping to provide capacity for community groups to buy any neglected land in their local communities.

Question reference: S6O-02578

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the roll-out of the Scottish Education Exchange Programme initial test and learn project this year.

Question reference: S6O-02546

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the winter flu and COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Question reference: S6W-19903

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the latest known levels for the starting salary for a police officer in Scotland, and on how this compares to the levels in (a) England and (b) Wales.

Currently in Scotland a new constable will start on a salary of £28,074. In England and Wales the lowest starting salary for a Constable is currently £23,556.

You will wish to note that police pay negotiations are ongoing for 2023-24, therefore salaries for police officers in Scotland will be revised on the conclusion of those negotiations. You should also be aware that the UKG’s decision to accept PRRB’s recommendations in E&W, indicates that salary levels there are also likely to change.

More information on Police Officer salaries in Scotland can be found on the Police Scotland website using the following link: Pay and Grading Structure - Police Scotland .

Question reference: S6W-19396

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenni Minto on 22 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the contribution of healthcare chaplains during the COVID-19 pandemic, when new guidance on spiritual care will be published.

I would like to recognise and acknowledge the vital role of spiritual care in supporting individuals throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

The World Health Organisation states that "Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity” and the Scottish Government affirms this statement. The ethos of spiritual care affirms that people are not merely physical bodies requiring mechanical fixing.

The Scottish Government is committed to the delivery of the highest quality of care which takes into consideration what matters most to an individual (including personal values and deeply held beliefs) – as part of this we recognise and affirm that spiritual care is a core part of person-centred care.

As part of our commitment to these aims, we have today published a national framework which will support both health and social care providers to consider, and build on the many opportunities and excellent practice which currently exist in the provision and delivery of spiritual care across Scotland and enhance Scotland’s reputation as world leaders in the development and delivery of spiritual care. The framework is available on the Scottish Government website: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805258858

Question reference: S6O-02444

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to assist local authorities with the recruitment of teachers.

Question reference: S6W-18631

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Siobhian Brown on 31 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what proposals the Scottish Law Commission has for future law reform projects.

I have agreed with the Scottish Law Commission its Eleventh Programme of Law Reform, which covers the work to be undertaken by the Commission for the five year period from 2023 until the end of 2027. The Programme was presented to Parliament today and is also being published today. The Programme is also available online from the Scottish Law Commission website.

The projects which will be undertaken under the Eleventh Programme have been selected following consultation by the Commission. The Programme includes existing projects which began under the Tenth Programme, including work on homicide, damages for personal injury, heritable securities, aspects of family law, and aspects of leases. The Commission is undertaking work on tenement law: compulsory owners’ associations which was a reference from the Scottish Ministers. A joint project with the Law Commission for England and Wales on surrogacy also continues. In addition, the Commission expects to undertake new projects on execution of documents, limitation, executry law, and consolidation work on nature conservation legislation.

I welcome this Programme, which represents a varied and relevant set of proposals, and look forward to receiving reports from the Commission in due course. We continue to work with the Commission over ways of taking forward the proposals in these reports, and note the introduction of a number of bills taking forward proposals from the Commission.

The Scottish Law Commission has a general remit to keep the law of Scotland under review for the purpose of promoting reform and development of the law. In addition to the Programme of Law Reform agreed with Ministers, the Commission also receives from Ministers references on specific issues and provides other advice on specific areas of the law.

Question reference: S6F-02169

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2023

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the role of social media in encouraging violence towards pupils and teachers in schools.

Question reference: S6W-18160

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angela Constance on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the progress of the implementation of the recommendations from the Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing.

I am pleased to announce the publication of the Scottish Government’s fifth Thematic Progress Report on implementation progress following Dame Elish Angiolini’s Final Report.

It shows that 58 of the non-legislative recommendations are now complete leaving only 10 still in progress. A further 2 recommendations will be kept under review and 2 are being progressed in other areas of Scottish Government. This marks the transition of focus from the non-legislative work to those recommendations that require legislation to implement.

These improvements are laying foundations to deliver further transformative change ensuring there are robust, clear and transparent mechanisms in place for investigating complaints or other issues of concern in relation to policing in Scotland.

I commend Police Scotland, the Scottish Police Authority, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland for their dedication to this important work.

The report can be accessed here: http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781805257912