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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-01033

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the actions set out in its Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan will support low-income families in Stirling.

Question reference: S6O-01045

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of its international offices.

Question reference: S6W-07827

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the technology neutral stance of Home Energy Scotland takes account of research that reportedly suggests that homeowner decision making can be delayed and often aborted in relation to renewable products where the buyer has insufficient understanding of the product and there is a lack of unbiased information support to aid the decision-making process.

Home Energy Scotland exists to provide homeowners with impartial and bespoke information about their home energy and renewables options to encourage action to reduce energy use, fuel bills and carbon emissions and increase comfort. The advice services are designed to address well-known barriers to action including costs, lack of confidence and information about options and installers, and potential disruption.

It is important that homeowners are given impartial information about all of their options, including for example, replacement of existing fossil fuel heating systems, to ensure they are as informed as possible and make the right choice for them. Home Energy Scotland also has a role to encourage the uptake of low and zero emission heating systems to meet climate change targets and this is one of the reasons as to why the specialist renewables support services exist. In this regard, Home Energy Scotland does not have a technology neutral stance with regards to which heating systems it is actively raising awareness of.

Within Home Energy Scotland there are specialist renewables advisors with training on home renewables systems, home energy efficiency and solutions for historic buildings. These specialists provide an in-depth service to Scottish homeowners, including on-site visits to assess their home and talk through recommendations in person. Reports and fact sheets are issued to homeowners explaining how best to improve the energy efficiency of their home and which renewables systems may be suitable, alongside fuel bill and carbon saving estimates.

Homeowners are given bespoke information on the next steps to take and other support services accessed via Home Energy Scotland. This includes, for example, how to find renewables installers, where they can read customer reviews of installers, and the Green Homes Network, where they can find case studies of other homeowners who have already made improvements to their home. Members on this network are also willing to speak directly to other homeowners, or host them for a visit, to further share their experiences. Homeowners are also given information about the various financial support routes which are open to them including the Scottish Government’s Home Energy Scotland loan and cashback that helps homeowners with the costs of home energy improvements and renewables systems.

Question reference: S6W-07858

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) value and (b) duration has been of each contract that it has signed with Strathesk Resolutions, in relation to mediation services between trade unions and employers in the public sector, since 2007.

Question reference: S6W-07951

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a formal requirement in planning (a) policy and (b) guidance that all applications for listed building consent to a planning authority should include supporting evidence from (i) an accredited specialist conservation architect or conservation architect registered on the Royal Institute of British Architects Conservation Register, and (ii) structural and/or civil engineers registered on the Conservation Accreditation Register for Engineers, administered by the Institution of Civil Engineers.

Listed building consent applications are made to and dealt with by the relevant local planning authority, unless a specific direction is issued for the decision to be made directly by Ministers. In order to add a formal requirement for any specific supporting evidence for listed building consent applications supplied by any of the institutions the member mentions, legislative change would be required. The Scottish Government has no plans for any such legislative change at present, and welcomes any suggestions from our local planning authorities to improve our processes, or any advice from the member of the specific benefits this would bring.

Question reference: S6W-07967

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to fund and develop preventative healthcare models within the NHS.

The Scottish Government's approach to healthcare has for a number years prioritised a preventative approach, recognising the wide range of benefits this can provide. This has been supported by broader initiatives that take a whole-system approach, for example through Scotland's world-leading approach to ill-health prevention policies on reducing smoking and alcohol consumption.

A preventative approach will underpin the National Care Service (NCS), which the Scottish Government is committed to introducing by the end of this Parliament to end the postcode lottery of care provision, ensuring quality, fairness and consistency of provision that meets individuals’ needs, regardless of where they live in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises that change cannot wait until the NCS is in place, and we have established a number of programmes across the Health and Social Care portfolio which will further embed a preventative approach. The Preventative and Proactive Care programme will help develop preventative healthcare models, and will support the delivery of many of the recommendations made in the Independent Review of Adult Social Care, which highlighted the need for a greater preventative approach. A range of pathfinders are being considered to test potential models in various settings.

The Place and Wellbeing Programme has a primary focus on preventative local action in partnership with communities and how we – as the system – can support that. This will bolster local cross-sector partnerships with evidence, data, intelligence and the right policy context and funding so they can together address the root causes of health inequalities in their area. We are also working to better integrate community-led Third Sector provision of health improvement activity within local health and social delivery across Scotland. This will make it easier for individuals to reach preventative and early intervention support in their community.

A fundamental shift in how the NHS and the NCS contribute to community wealth will widen access to fair work in the sector with accelerated routes into these jobs for those furthest from the job market. Alongside actions to enable partnership working and local leadership, the Scottish Government will support health and social care providers to be active anchor institutions and build wealth in their community. This will mitigate against some of the drivers of poor health and health inequalities, such as unemployment.

Question reference: S6W-07712

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that universities in Scotland adopt the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition of antisemitism.

Question reference: S6W-07702

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding reimbursing disabled people for care that they paid for but did not receive during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Scottish Government has provided funding to Integration Authorities for reasonable additional costs due to Covid-19 through Local Mobilisation Plans. This included any loss of income due to social care charges. The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) produced an advice note for Local Authorities and Integration Authorities to advise flexibility should be applied in relation to charging. Charging-for-Social-Care-Support-during-COVID-19.pdf (cosla.gov.uk) .

Question reference: S6W-07925

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the mileage rate is for (a) NHS staff and (b) social care staff in the public sector.

Question reference: S6W-07924

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase the mileage allowance for (a) NHS and (b) social care workers who are required to visit patients and clients using their own vehicles.

Allowances for fuel that are paid to social care workers are a matter for individual employers and are not set by the Scottish Government. We are, however, actively engaged with our partners, including local government, to understand what impact the increase in fuel prices is having across Scotland, and how social care providers can support their staff to ensure they can continue to deliver the invaluable support they provide. In NHS Scotland, Employers and Staff Side representatives have recently agreed a temporary 5p increase to standard mileage rates. This agreement is set out in DL(2022)11 .