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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: S6W-21780

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it gathers data on the length of time that pupils wait to access school counselling services, and, if so, what the average waiting time for access to school counselling services has been in each local authority in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Individual local authorities may gather this data.

The Scottish Government commissions six-monthly reports from local authorities on school counselling services which asks for number of young people accessing counselling, broken down by gender and year groups. The reports also seek information on outcomes, inward and outward referrals as well as the issues young people are presenting with.

Within the reporting form there is a free text box where authorities are encouraged to share additional information, such as information on waiting times if they have that data available. Although some authorities have reported that services are at capacity, no concerns have been raised about young people’s needs not being met.

Question reference: S6W-22144

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for the funding that it provided to Clydebank Women’s Aid in 2022.

The Scottish Government has not provided direct funding to Clydebank Women’s Aid. However, in 2021 the Scottish Government awarded £2,250,000 of funding, over a three year period, to Scottish Women’s Aid through the 100 Days (Covid emergency) funding. The funding was provided to frontline services for women and girls affected by gender-based violence, to deal with additional pressures that occurred during the pandemic. Scottish Women’s Aid divided the funding amongst local Women’s Aid organisations including Clydebank Women’s Aid.

The main objectives of the 100 days (Covid emergency) funding are to fund additional staff to respond to an increase in demand from victims of abuse for support services; improvements to organisations’ IT and digital resources; and additional training to allow services to be augmented so that more people can quickly and easily access help.

Question reference: S6W-21177

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates would have been raised by a social responsibility levy in each year since the introduction of minimum unit pricing, and whether it plans to introduce a social responsibility levy.

While the Scottish Government keeps legislation under review, we have no current plans to introduce a social responsibility levy.

There are no available estimates on the amount of funds that could be raised on the section 14 provision contained within The Alcohol etc. (Scotland) Act 2010, as this provision has not been enacted.

Scottish Ministers would be required to consult on the draft regulations relating to the social responsibility levy if this provision was to be enacted in the future.

Question reference: S6W-21868

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has concluded whether any further staff pay increases in the education sector (a) will be funded via additional money delivered to local authorities by the Scottish Government, (b) will be taken from existing wider local authority budgets or (c) can be paid for using Scottish Government education funds that have ring-fenced and specified targeted uses, and what discussions the Scottish Ministers have had with COSLA on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-21846

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it maintains a central list of any businesses and other organisations that are prohibited from engaging with Scottish public bodies due to human rights concerns, such as the use of forced labour.

Question reference: S6W-21822

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what long-term planning it is carrying out with local authorities on the stability and sufficiency of the teaching workforce.

The Teacher Workforce Planning Advisory Group (TWPAG) considerations are based on an annual statistical model which estimates the number of ITE students required to achieve particular pupil teacher ratios. TWPAG includes representatives from local authority employers, as well as university providers of ITE, teacher unions and the General Teaching Council for Scotland.

TWPAG’s considerations are based on annual statistical model which estimates the number of ITE students required to maintain pupil teacher ratios. This model is based on a number of inputs including projections about the number of pupils in the system, churn in teacher numbers (for example recruitment, maternity leave, retirements, returners,) and the retention rates of ITE students.

To ensure effective and evidence-informed longer-term teacher workforce planning, the Scottish Government has commissioned an external analysis and research exercise that will bring together a range of factors including current teacher numbers, pupil teacher ratios and the projected decline in the number of school-aged children. This analysis will inform decisions on education workforce planning for future years.

Question reference: S6W-22173

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government at which stations Scottish Fire and Rescue Service high reach appliances will be located.

Question reference: S6W-22169

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Fire and Rescue Service high reach appliances have been in operation in each of the last five years.

In the last five years, SFRS have had a total of 26 High Reach Appliances in their fleet.

From 4 September this year, as part of the SFRS operational strategy and after careful consideration and scrutiny of Incident Recording System (IRS) data, this number will drop to 16. This is part of a number of operational changes the SFRS have undertaken last month.

The operation of high reach appliances and their commission is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

Question reference: S6W-22171

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a list of all Scottish Fire and Rescue Service stations that are planned to be closed in the next year.

Question reference: S6W-22172

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Fire and Rescue Service appliances currently in use are more than (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 20 years old.