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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: S6W-29138

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that decisions regarding funding for SUSTRANS’ Places for Everyone programme for 2024-25 will be made by Transport Scotland.

Transport Scotland has already provided £46.7 million of funding to Sustrans for Places for Everyone for 2024-25 which will deliver a range of active travel infrastructure this year. More broadly in 2024-25 more than £145 million has been provided for Active Travel.

The utmost importance is placed on balancing the Scottish Government’s budget each financial year. The Scottish Government and the whole of the public sector faces a financial position that is extremely challenging. It is always necessary to ensure resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively, and increased scrutiny and spending controls are in place across all expenditure. As with all programmes across Scottish Government, further funding for Places for Everyone will need to be considered in this context for 2024-25. This consideration is currently on-going and once concluded will enable further decisions to be made.

Question reference: S6W-29140

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when (a) ministers and (b) representatives of Transport Scotland last met (i) SUSTRANS and (ii) other relevant stakeholders to discuss the Neilston and Uplawmoor Link active travel project.

Sustrans are funded to manage and administer the Places for Everyone fund and meet with the applicants as appropriate. As Sustrans manage the fund on behalf of Transport Scotland neither Ministers nor Transport Scotland meet regularly to discuss specific projects that are funded through the programme. Transport Scotland does however receive regular updates through our oversight of the programme and management of the grant to Sustrans for the programme.

Question reference: S6W-29112

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that lessons from the implementation of the public sector equality duty are taken into account in the development of its proposed Human Rights Bill.

The 2024-25 Programme for Government set out the Scottish Government’s commitment to strengthening the implementation of human rights and advancing proposals around extended rights protection. This includes continuing to work to develop a new Human Rights Bill that will incorporate international treaties into Scots law.

Lessons from the implementation of the public sector equality duty and associated Scottish regulations will continue to shape development of the Human Rights Bill in the period ahead, including reflections on the alignment of existing and upcoming reporting requirements on listed public bodies and work on guidance, toolkits and wider capability and capacity building. The Scottish Government will do this through regular dialogue with duty bearers, sectoral groups of duty bearers, civil society and through close and regular communication between officials.

Question reference: S6O-03704

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its Pre-budget Fiscal Update on 3 September, what the potential impact will be of its "review and reprofile of recruitment" at Social Security Scotland on the agency’s provision of frontline services to clients.

Question reference: S6W-29115

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on establishing an advisory group of equalities experts to co-produce new regulations for the public sector equality duty, as committed to by the then Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees in response to a letter from 26 equalities organisations in April 2022.

Question reference: S6W-29111

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the review of the public sector equality duty, what progress has been made on the proposal to use regulation 11 of the Scottish specific duties to make more effective use of intersectional equality data in policy making and increasing consideration of equality data in policy making.

Question reference: S6W-29114

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with relevant stakeholders to discuss its ongoing review of the public sector equality duty.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with stakeholders to discuss the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). Over the past six months, we have met with various groups to ensure ongoing collaboration. This includes regular monthly meetings with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and frequent catch-up conversations. Director for Equalities, Inclusion and Human Rights, John Somers, also met with Head of EHRC Scotland, John Wilkes in June 2024.

Additionally, we have engaged with key stakeholders such as Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Zero Waste Scotland. We participated in a sectoral event with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and EHRC, and held discussions with the NDPB Equalities Forum, Communications Inclusion People, and Engender. These engagements are crucial in shaping our approach to equality and human rights across Scotland.

The Scottish Government has further engagement planned to continue our discussions on the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). In late autumn, we will be holding roundtable discussions with both duty bearers and equality advocacy groups. These sessions will focus on the 2025-2029 equality outcome setting process as part of the ongoing improvement of the PSED regime.

Question reference: S6W-29110

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revisit and expand the review of the public sector equality duty, in light of the letter to stakeholders on 4 October 2023 from the then Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees.

The Scottish Government is currently reviewing the effectiveness of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and is committed to improving its implementation through a phased approach, within the limits of devolved competence.

We are progressing key initiatives under the improvement regime of the PSED, including our approach to inclusive communications, pay gap reporting, and utilising ministerial powers under Regulation 11. Insights from commissioned international research are also being considered to inform our policies.

Our focus remains on effectively implementing and improving the current frameworks.

Question reference: S6O-03614

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its ongoing work with local authorities, Police Scotland and other partners to tackle the reported increasing antisocial behaviour in town centres.

Question reference: S6W-27878

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with the Department for Work and Pensions under the agency agreement for the delivery of Carer's Allowance in Scotland to identify the (a) number of carers affected by overpayment debt and (b) levels of debt accumulated.

The Scottish Government has urged the DWP to carefully consider people’s individual circumstances before any recovery of Carer’s Allowance overpayments from carers. Discussions are ongoing with the DWP as to potential arrangements for the recovery of any Carer’s Allowance overpayments for carers in Scotland that remain once case transfer is complete and the current Agency Agreement comes to an end.