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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-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-07905

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to legislate to ensure that no contracts will be awarded to companies that do not apply union-negotiated rates of pay, as part of its National Care Service proposals.

We are engaging with trade unions on the future operation of the National Care Service (NCS). The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 and supporting statutory guidance, already establishes an approach for fair work practices to be considered in public procurement and this includes fair rates of pay and worker representation.

Scottish Ministers are still considering the wealth of information provided through the recent NCS public consultation. In that consultation we sought views on a remit for the NCS to develop and manage a National Commissioning and Procurement Structure of Standards and Processes for ethical commissioning and procuring of social care services and supports. We will develop the approach to national and local level ethical commissioning and procurement with partners, stakeholders and those who deliver and receive care.

Question reference: S6W-07663

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescales are for the National Conversation about ScotRail, and how it will engage with (a) trade unions and (b) the public on this.

Question reference: S6W-07922

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 how many NHS staff are captured by the abatement of pension rules that is currently in place.

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 .

Question reference: S6W-07651

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to review the impacts of Road Equivalent Tariff on the Islands of the Clyde.

Question reference: S6W-07688

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making to meet the commitments it has made to support families, carers and children to learn BSL.

As part of the British Sign Language (BSL) National Plan 2017 – 2023, the Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC) approach is being embedded, with a D/deaf or Deafblind child and their family offered the right information and support at the right time to engage with BSL. The Scottish Government remains committed to providing additional funding to enable local authorities to offer free British Sign Language tuition for deaf children from the age of five, delivery of which will contribute to Action 13 and 14 in the National Plan. Work is underway to scope how best to deliver this commitment.

The Scottish Government published the BSL Progress Report on 27 October 2021, outlining progress made towards implementing the BSL National Plan. All updates relating to the British Sign Language National Plan 2017 – 2023 can be found in this report. For example, the Scottish Book Trust produced and published two BSL stories on their BookBug website and app. This work also generated BSL glossaries, which allows families, carers and children to learn BSL in their own homes.

Question reference: S6W-07612

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether ScotRail will be subject to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 from 1 April 2022 when it moves into public ownership; what steps are being taken to ensure that historic emails and files held by Abellio ScotRail Limited are not destroyed or lost when the Abellio franchise expires, and what policies and practices will be in place to ensure that ScotRail operates in an open and transparent manner.

From 1 April 2022 ScotRail Trains Limited has been subject to the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002. On the ScotRail website, the page Information Requests | ScotRail , provides details of how to submit a request for information that is not included within the ScotRail Trains Limited publication scheme.

The Abellio ScotRail Franchise Agreement governs what data is retained and transferred when the Franchise expired and this has been followed by Abellio.

ScotRail Trains Limited has adopted the Model Publication Scheme developed and approved by the Scottish Information Commissioner without amendment and has produced a guide to the information that they publish within the classes in the scheme available through their website and other channels.

Question reference: S6W-07556

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it (a) can take and (b) is taking to ensure that the Consul General of China does not have any undue influence over local or national politics in Scotland.

Safeguarding our democracy is of upmost importance to the Scottish Government. This includes being an open, accessible and transparent government. Public officials, including Ministers, MSPs and councillors, are subject to Code of Conducts which provide a clear set of principles and standards for their behaviour, including how to avoid undue interference from external actors. We believe the public should have trust in those they elect.

Question reference: S6W-07659

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 March 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to Transport Scotland's evidence to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 15 March 2022, on what rolling stock leases the Scottish Government has secured savings, and of what amount.