- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what Disclosure Scotland's total spend on external consultants and contractors has been in the last three years.
Answer
I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:
| | Spend on IT contractors £'000 |
2024-25 | 9,303 |
2023-24 | 8,396 |
2022-23 | 8,295 |
Disclosure Scotland had no consulting fees in the last three years.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering any direct interventions or policy initiatives to supplement council-led youth work, particularly in any areas where local authorities are under-resourced.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41191 on 7 November 2025. 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.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the children’s services workforce is currently employed through temporary or agency contracts.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for local authorities. The member may wish to contact local authorities directly for this information.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many social worker vacancies currently exist within children and families services across Scotland.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government have asked the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) to run twice-yearly surveys to collect data on practising social workers and vacancy rates in local authorities. The most recent report may be found here: Social worker filled posts and vacancies six-monthly survey at December 2024 | Scottish Social Services Workforce Data.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints Disclosure Scotland has received regarding delays in issuing Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) certificates in the last year.
Answer
I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows:
From October 2024 to October 2025, Disclosure Scotland received 74 complaints regarding applications delays.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how many referrals to social work have been made due to parental poverty or housing conditions since May 2021.
Answer
The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. This is a matter for local authorities. The member may wish to contact local authorities directly for this information.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the proportion of early learning and childcare facilities that have no access to an outdoor play space.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information on the proportion of early learning and childcare facilities that have no access to an outdoor play space.
The Care Inspectorate assesses settings’ access to outdoor play space at the initial registration stage and on an ongoing basis through their inspection and scrutiny work. The space-to-grow-and-thrive.pdf design guidance for early learning and school age childcare settings outlines that children should have access to suitable and safe outdoor space adjacent to and that is part of the premises-based environment. However, some settings will operate a dispersed or satellite model where they will access an outdoor environment in the nearby community. The Care Inspectorate evaluates these models through their inspection process.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with local authorities to develop a coordinated national strategy for youth work that aligns with its broader priorities and ensures equitable service provision.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41194 on 7 November 2025. 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/questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports local authorities in measuring and reporting on the impact of youth work on young people’s economic wellbeing.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41190 on 7 November 2025. 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.
- Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 October 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 November 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted any research on the potential correlation between youth work participation and improved health outcomes for young people in Scotland.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-41186 on 7 November 2025. 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.