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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-06634

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund have been successful since it was launched.

Question reference: S6W-06637

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the next round of applications will open for the Gypsy/Traveller Accommodation Fund.

Question reference: S6W-06628

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the development of a temporary accommodation standards framework.

Following our consultation in 2019, a short-life working group, chaired by Jim Hayton, was established in October 2021 and has met five times to date. So far, the working group has considered:

Amendments required to the existing advisory standards and how the new standards can be incorporated into a temporary accommodation standards framework.
What the processes are to ensure the framework is implemented by local authorities.
Whether legislative changes are needed to implement the framework.
What the timescales are for the framework implementation.
The support local authorities may require to fully implement the standards framework and to ensure compliance.
How the standards will be assessed.
How the standards framework can be monitored and regulated.
Whether sanctions are necessary and, if so, how they will be enforced.

The working group aims to produce a temporary accommodation standards framework later in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-06642

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out further analysis regarding its estimate of the 67,000 applications for the self-isolation support grant that are expected to be received in 2021/22 and, if so, whether its estimate has changed.

The Self-Isolation Support Grant (SISG) is designed to help workers who have to self-isolate for the required period to stop the onward spread of the virus. As a result, eligibility for the Grant aligns to the wider isolation policy. This means that forecasts are subject to a high degree of uncertainty because of the unpredictability of the virus and consequent human action.

The SISG is delivered by local authorities using local processes and systems. The differences between them mean that estimated application rates would be unreliable. Instead forecast award rates based on projected prevalence of the virus is used.

Our latest forecast of SISG awards for the 2021-22 financial year is between 90,000 and 110,000, with a central forecast of 100,000. The model will be updated soon with the latest available data; these figures may change as a result.

Question reference: S6W-06626

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Glasgow City Council received, from the £23.5 million allocated to homelessness prevention, in 2021-22.

Question reference: S6F-00918

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government anticipates meeting the interim targets set out in the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017.

Question reference: S6W-07025

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to reduce waiting times for audiologist tests to obtain NHS hearing aids.

Excessively long waiting lists are not acceptable and we offer our sympathies to all patients waiting for treatment. Pausing of non-urgent activity has taken place across the health system and has inevitably led to a build-up of patients waiting for treatment, and the emergence of Omicron is continuing to have an impact on existing significant pressure.

Remaining covid restrictions and infection prevention control measures mean that Audiologists are working on reduced capacity and a reduced numbers of patients have access to the services.

Additionally, all services have seen a surge in referrals since restrictions have started to ease and GPs have become more accessible. Waiting lists have grown as a result and services have to balance ensuring that patients receive good quality, efficient and effective treatment with reducing waiting times.

We published an NHS Recovery Plan in August 2021 which sets out our plans for health and social care, including audiology services, over the next 5 years.

Backed by over £1 billion of funding, the Plan will support an increase in inpatient, daycase, and outpatient activity to address the backlogs of care, which will be supported by the implementation of sustainable improvements and new models of care.

Question reference: S6W-06625

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 11 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote its Best Start Grant School Age Payment.

There are a number of actions in place to promote Best Start Grant School Age Payment. We are promoting this payment as part of the Five Family Payments campaign. This campaign focuses on the three Best Start Grant payments, Best Start Foods and Scottish Child Payment. It includes paid-for television and radio advertising that encourages parents and carers to access the support to which they are entitled.

We are also promoting the School Age Payment through tailored and targeted social media posts, as well as news stories and press releases. This includes interviews containing School Age Payment case studies which ran on TV last year when the new school year started. Through all of this activity, we have been highlighting the deadline for applications which is the 28 February 2022.

Using information from DWP and HMRC, Social Security Scotland writes directly to families who may be eligible, inviting them to apply for School Age Payments. This proactive approach to maximising benefit uptake is a first for Social Security Scotland.

Social Security Scotland has written to all nurseries and primary schools in the country, ahead of the application deadline, to raise awareness of the payment. Through their monthly stakeholder newsletter, Social Security Scotland continually promotes the School Age Payment.

Question reference: S6W-06620

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 11 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what training is being provided to staff working with VoiceAbility to ensure that they can provide support to people, dealing with Social Security Scotland, to participate in the decisions and processes that affect them.

My officials have worked closely with VoiceAbility, and continue to support them to develop comprehensive training packages for their advocates. This training will be delivered through VoiceAbility’s newly established training centre and Scottish headquarters in Glasgow.

Training provides all necessary information on Scottish benefits; the application and appeals process; and the Scottish Social Security Principles set out in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 and underpinned by Social Security Scotland’s Charter. In return, VoiceAbility Learning and Development leads have supported Social Security Scotland counterparts to develop training resources for client advisors – setting out the principles of advocacy, as well as the client journey following referral to the service.

Officials will continue to monitor the service as it develops to ensure that all training packages are relevant and up to date.

Question reference: S6W-06623

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 11 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs due to be created within VoiceAbility will be based in the new head office in Glasgow.

VoiceAbility has recruited 16 advocates to date and have a further 15 on reserve from the recruitment process. VoiceAbility will create up to 100 new roles in Scotland, and will continue to recruit as the demand for the service increases.

As highlighted in the response to S6W-06622 on 11 March 2022, there will be no staff permanently based at VoiceAbility’s Glasgow premises. Instead staff will be home-based in every NHS area – ensuring national coverage and reducing costs, whilst also being flexible and responsive to fluctuating demand.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers