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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: S6F-01433

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2022

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to curb the reported sharp rise in e-cigarette use amongst teenagers.

Question reference: S6W-11040

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 29 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it can support innovative projects, such as the Recovery and Wellbeing Village under development at Hamilton Accies Football Club; what its position is on whether it regards community-centred and co-produced initiatives like the Accies village model as benefitting local families, and whether it considers that the Accies village model could be replicated at other Scottish football clubs.

I am aware of the Recovery and Wellbeing village project being developed by Blue Triangle in Partnership with Hamilton Accies and local partners. Officials recently met with colleagues from the project to discuss these developments further. The Scottish Government acknowledge that there is no one size fits all approach to rehabilitation, it is for this reason I support the development of treatment and recovery services with varying models of care, including those of a residential nature and those in community settings such as this initiative. Officials will continue to engage with the project team going forward and I look forward to receiving detailed feedback for further consideration.

Question reference: S6O-01383

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the cost of living crisis is impacting its Covid Recovery Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-09611

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the consideration of recommendations received from the Review Body on Doctors' and Dentists' Remuneration (DDRB) for the 2022-23 pay offer.

Question reference: S6O-01304

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports from Salmon Scotland that bureaucracy as a result of Brexit is costing the industry £3 million per annum to export to the EU and is threatening Scotland’s competitiveness.

Question reference: S6W-08886

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 14 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve commissioning and procurement in the social care sector in advance of establishing a National Care Service, and what assurances it will provide that its plans for a National Care Service will incentivise providers to (a) focus on providing the highest quality of care and (b) prioritise enhanced pay and conditions for social care staff.

We are helping public bodies and providers engage in the new and changing responsibilities ahead of establishing a National Care Service (NCS). In December 2021, Scottish Procurement Policy Note (SPPN 7/2021) advised Integration Joint Boards and public bodies to review their Strategic Commissioning plans, social care procurements and contracts to identify opportunities to align with ethical commissioning and procurement principles. We fund the Coalition of Care and Support Providers in Scotland to help organisations wishing to improve in this area. The NCS will ensure enhanced pay and conditions for workers through the introduction of national pay bargaining for this sector.

Question reference: S6F-01208

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2022

To ask the First Minister, in light of reported findings from the children’s charity, Aberlour, that over £1 million is owed in school meal debt, whether it will provide an update on its plans to expand universal free school meal provision in order to support families struggling with the cost of living crisis.

Question reference: S6W-08435

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of Living Wage employers.

Through the Scottish Government-funded Living Wage Employer Accreditation scheme over 85 percent of workers receive at least the real Living Wage in Scotland. We are taking a range of action to further increase this number, including:

Funding for Poverty Alliance to deliver Living Wage and Living Hours Accreditation and Making Living Wage Place recognition.
?Building on over £2.4bn worth of public sector funding between April 2019 and March 2021, including £619.8 million worth of contracts, through Fair Work First we are applying real Living Wage criteria to encourage employers to pay workers fairly.
From October 2021, we are mandating payment of the real Living Wage in Scottish Government contracts wherever relevant and proportionate.
Through the Bute House Agreement, by summer 2022, we will make it a requirement for public sector grant recipients to pay at least the real Living Wage to all employees, within the limits on devolved competence.
Our funding agreement with COSLA to deliver Early Learning and Childcare expansion allows local authorities to pay sustainable rates that enables private and third sector services to pay at least the real Living Wage to staff delivering funded provision.
We have led the way in increasing the minimum hourly rates of pay for the adult social care workforce among the four UK nations. In April 2022, the minimum hourly rate for those providing direct adult social care increased to £10.50 per hour - up from £10.02 which was introduced in December.
Our Retail Strategy commits to delivering a Fair Work Agreement that retailers can sign up to and demonstrate their commitment to improve fair work, helping to reduce in-work poverty.

Question reference: S6O-01122

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-08475

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is committed to supporting adult learners.

I am pleased to announce that Scotland’s first Adult Learning Strategy has been published today, and can be found online here: www.gov.scot/isbn/9781802018301

The strategy has bold and ambitious actions to remove barriers to learning, enabling more adults across Scotland to begin and continue their learning journeys. It outlines important steps required to create more accessible learning opportunities for our adult learners, particularly those experiencing disadvantage and furthest from learning.

The publication of the strategy deepens collaboration with adult learners to address and tackle the inequalities that many face. Our aim is to ensure that learners are at the centre of the strategy’s delivery as we work with them to realise their ambitions and aspirations.