Chamber and committees

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: S6W-27563

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly not released the 2024 Strengthening Communities Programme funding to Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS).

Within the context of the challenging budget position for 2024-25, achieving a balanced budget requires difficult decisions and robust spending control. Discussions are ongoing to work through priorities and finalise funding allocations within budget lines, including the Strengthening Communities Programme (SCP). Funding is being released as decisions are taken so ensuring that activity can proceed in agreed areas as soon as possible whilst this review continues.

However, in response to ongoing discussions with Development Trusts Association Scotland (DTAS) and other SCP partners, the release of funds to support April salaries costs is being processed for the community organisations supported by DTAS. Officials are in regular communication with DTAS and the other SCP delivery partners on this issue.

Question reference: S6W-27564

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide assurances that Strengthening Communities Programme funding will be released without any further delay.

Question reference: S6W-27562

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide funding to the Strengthening Communities Programme beyond 31 March 2025.

Question reference: S6W-27637

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing a target for the number of people accessing the teaching bursary scheme.

Question reference: S6W-27635

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have used the teaching bursary scheme to facilitate career changes into teacher training since its extension in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-27728

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether any monies received from Low Emission Zone (LEZ) fines in Glasgow are to be used on project works within the LEZ, or whether they can be spent citywide.

Glasgow City Council administers and enforces their LEZ and as such receives all penalty charge notice payments. The spending of any monies received from penalty charges in respect of a LEZ scheme is a matter for the local authority. These funds can only be used for the purposes of facilitating the achievement of the scheme’s objectives and thus support air quality/climate change emission reduction measures or supporting the operational cost of the scheme.

Question reference: S6W-27729

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any restrictions on what any monies received from Low Emission Zone fines can be spent on, and, if so, what these are.

Any monies received from penalty charges in respect of a LEZ scheme can be applied by a local authority only for the purposes of facilitating the achievement of the scheme’s objectives, and thus support at least air quality and/or climate change emission reduction activities, and/or the operational running costs of the scheme. The specifics of how these monies are spent is a matter for the local authority.

Question reference: S6W-27749

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 29 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on implementing the recommendations of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) Scotland's Housing and Disabled People inquiry.

The Scottish Government responded to the recommendations of the 2018 EHRC report on Housing and Disabled People at that time. In that response, we set out the actions being taken forward to increase access for disabled people to accessible and adapted housing.

In 2019 we issued statutory guidance to local authorities requiring tenure neutral wheelchair-accessible housing targets must be included within Local Housing Strategies. There has been good progress on this and from information collated from 2024-2029 Strategic Housing Investment Plans, 30 of the 32 local authorities have in place wheelchair housing targets for the delivery of affordable homes.

Then in 2020, the Relevant Adjustments to Common Parts (Disabled Persons) (Scotland) Regulations came in to force. These regulations make it easier for disabled people to make adaptations to the common areas of their property.

The Scottish Government is also increasing the supply and choice of accessible homes. Since 2007, we have supported delivery of 128,285 affordable homes, over 90,500 of which were for social rent.

We publish annual out-turn reports which set out the form, locations and types of social and other affordable housing we have delivered including specific annexes that cover accessible housing.

Wherever possible, all affordable homes are built to Housing for Varying Needs accessibility standards. In 2022-23, 98% of new build homes delivered by housing associations and councils, where information was returned on Housing for Varying Needs, met that standard.

During the second half of 2023, we consulted on proposals to enhance the accessibility, adaptability and usability of Scotland’s homes. The consultation closed on 21 December and the responses to the consultation are being analysed and a report will be published in due course.

We are also progressing a review of the current housing adaptations system which will make recommendations on how best to improve and streamline the system.

Question reference: S6F-03176

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s position is on whether teacher numbers should be maintained, in light of the reported concerns of many parents, pupils and school staff in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-27512

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its Programme for Government 2021-22 commitment, whether it still plans to recruit 3,500 teachers and 500 classroom assistants, over and above the 1,400 teachers recruited during the COVID-19 pandemic, in the current parliamentary session.

We remain committed to sustained investment to strengthen provision of education in Scotland and we are offering local authorities £145.5m in this year’s budget to protect teacher numbers.

The commitment to increase the number of classroom assistants has already been exceeded, with 725 additional staff recruited in 2022-23 alone. In addition, since 2019 the number of teachers in Scottish schools has increased by 1,786 from 52,247 to 54,033.

We will continue to work with local authorities to deliver our shared education commitments, with the approach we are able to take being dependent on the resources we have available and ensuring we deliver value for money, during an era where budgets continue to be under pressure as a result of UK Government austerity measures.