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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: S6O-01618

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Carbon Neutral Islands project.

Question reference: S6O-01635

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Age Scotland's report, Keeping the Doors Open.

Question reference: S6O-01633

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports local authorities to ensure that the provision of local services meets the needs of local communities.

Question reference: S6W-11883

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 23 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what funding decisions require to be taken prior to the implementation date of the proposed change that will enable parents to access automatic deferral funding for early learning and childcare for four-year-olds.

Funding decisions relating to Early Learning and Childcare (ELC), which includes implementation of the legislative commitment on deferrals, will be taken through the usual Scottish Government Budget process for 2023-24.

The ELC Finance Working Group, a joint Scottish Government/COSLA group which includes representation from SOLACE, CIPFA Directors of Finance and ADES Resources, plays an important role in informing funding decisions relating to the 1140 programme and deferrals policy.

Question reference: S6W-12106

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 23 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the repatriation of funding from the Dick Bequest, which was reportedly gained through slavery in Jamaica and is used to fund educational projects in Aberdeenshire.

The Scottish Government does not have the legal power to direct charitable activity. That is a decision for the charity’s trustees, taking advice as appropriate, including from OSCR, and accordingly the Scottish Government is unable to intervene in this matter.

This government is clear that we must never ignore or seek to hide the difficult aspects of our country’s history and we acknowledge Scotland's complex past, including our involvement in the slave trade.

The working group, “Empire, Slavery and Scotland’s Museums: Addressing our Colonial Legacy” has made recommendations about how best to manage, present and protect elements of our contested or hidden heritage. We are carefully considering our response to these recommendations and will be meeting with its members and Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) to discuss the best ways to take this work forward. As an initial step the Scottish Government has provided £68,000 to MGS, as the museums development body in Scotland, so they can begin to support the sector to address these recommendations.

The Race Equality and Anti-Racism in Education Programme is considering how to embed anti-racism in education, including curriculum reform to ensure our historic past is accurately reflected.

Question reference: S6W-11889

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 23 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10940 by Clare Haughey on 22 September 2022, whether it has any plans to provide support for parents who cannot access online platforms, such as Parent Club, to access information and advice regarding parent and child rights in relation to the school starting age, and whether it will have a role in providing any other support for parents to help them understand their legal rights to access automatic deferral funding for early learning and childcare for four-year-olds.

Question reference: S6W-12120

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 23 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the impact of the Deposit Return Scheme on delivery of the Carbon Neutral Islands Project.

Question reference: S6W-12013

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the reported reduction of the budget for COVID-19 measures by £116 million, as part of the reprioritisation of spending within Health and Social Care as announced in the emergency budget review on 2 November 2022, what consideration it gave to any impact on equality and fairness resulting from potentially exposing clinically-vulnerable patients to the disease who may be at a greater risk of infection.

The Scottish Government recognised the unprecedented nature of the changes required in the Emergency Budget Review and also published analysis of the equality and fairness impacts of the most substantive in-year adjustments. Given the exceptional circumstances and time constraints under which the Review was undertaken, the summary evidence was necessarily presented at a high level and focused on the most substantial changes.

In the case of the £116m reduction in Covid-related spending, this covers a range of actions on vaccinations, test and protect, PPE and additional capacity to drive down additional costs. It is important to note that the spending reduction is a consequence of reduced prevalence and hospitalisation rates resulted in evidence-based easing of infection prevention and control measures.

However, the impact on inequalities continues to be a focus, and includes measures to ensure uptake rates and activity aimed at reducing vaccine inequalities are not negatively affected.

We will continue to develop equality evidence, as well as mitigations wherever possible for negative impacts, including building on the evidence on inequalities in relation to COVID vaccination, testing and surveillance, for example as set out in the equality impact assessment for the Coronavirus (COVID-19): Strategic Framework update (February 2022).

Question reference: S6W-12012

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what COVID-19 mitigation measures will continue in health and social care settings until the end of the current financial year, and what the estimated cost is of these.

Health and Social care settings are expected to follow the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual when caring for individuals who have been diagnosed with or suspected of having COVID-19.

Guidance on infection control measures across health and social care settings is determined by, and kept under constant review in light of, new and emerging evidence. While reduced prevalence of the virus and hospitalisation rates has resulted in an easing of the previous infection and prevention control (IPC) measures, and a consequent reduction in costs, various mitigations remain in place.

These includeongoing symptomatic testing for staff working in face-to-face roles with patients and service users in health and social care settings and extended use of face masks and face coverings in hospitals, primary care and wider community healthcare. As well as ongoing support measures including the Social Care Staff Support Fund (supporting staff whilst they self-isolate), financial support arrangements relating to testing in care homes and staff vaccinations, and PPE Hubs remaining available in case of emergency PPE being required and for unpaid carers and personal assistants.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with NHS Boards and Integration Authorities to manage Covid expenditure within the 2022-23 budget and is considering the on-going cost of measures as part of the 2023-24 budget process.

Question reference: S6W-12006

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that the detection and management of the psychological consequences of stroke are seen as a priority by NHS boards.

The Scottish Stroke Improvement Programme (SSIP) Lead conducts an annual review process on behalf of the Scottish Government, meeting all NHS boards to appraise their provision of stroke services and create a local action plan to improve performance where needed. Annual reviews of NHS boards’ stroke services will now include a requirement to demonstrate adequate provision of psychological support, including detection and treatment of the psychological consequences of stroke and evidence of a clear referral pathway for accessing psychological services.