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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-30204

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 10 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives it is currently pursuing to protect capercaillie, and what assessment it has made of the impact of any such initiatives.

Question reference: S6W-30206

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 10 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Gamekeepers Association regarding initiatives that can be taken to protect capercaillie.

Question reference: S6W-29299

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with (a) Social Work Scotland and (b) chief social work officers, and whether community social work was discussed.

Scottish Government officials meet with Social Work Scotland and Chief Social Work Officers regularly to discuss a range of social work issues. Specifically, Chief Social Work Officer Network meetings are held every fortnight, coordinated by the Scottish Government and Social Work Scotland.

Whilst community social work has not been a specific agenda item on the meetings this year, many of the discussions keep abreast of issues underpinning community social work.

Question reference: S6W-29298

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) what the benefits are of community social work and (b) whether a transition to such a model across Scotland would benefit families in the most deprived areas.

A] The Scottish Government believes that the community social work model remains an important approach and undoubtedly, in the right circumstances, offers a targeted early response to tackle a wide range of issues which may in some circumstances lead to crisis.

B] The Scottish government recognises that, as part of range of approaches, the community based social work model holds an important place in responding to the needs of deprived communities with the main strength being the proactive and accessible nature of the approach.

Question reference: S6W-29296

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on community social work, and whether it has considered piloting this approach across Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises that the community social work approach may provide assistance for people experiencing a range of circumstances. We know that children, young people and families benefit when they can access the support they need when and where they need it. Communities across Scotland are currently supported through national initiatives including Getting it Right for Every Child (GIRFEC), the Promise, and UNCRC legislation. Multi-agency community support hubs - which include social work - exemplify the ways in which national and local partners are working with their communities to provide effective whole family support in a place-based way that works for people.

We will continue to invest to provide a template for future change and improvement, however there are currently no plans to pilot the community social work approach across Scotland. We also acknowledge the role of local authorities in understanding and responding to the needs of people in local communities through the provision of services which promote people’s wellbeing.

Question reference: S6W-29295

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers community social work as integral to supporting and empowering families to provide a stable and nurturing environment for children and young people, as part of its priority to eradicate child poverty.

The Scottish Government recognises that social work has the greatest impact where practitioners are embedded in communities. This enables them to recognise and understand the challenges people in communities face on a day to day basis, including the existence of child poverty.

Social work has evolved to respond to both the existing and emerging needs of people and their communities, including demographic and societal changes. The Scottish Government understands that, as part of a range of approaches in which social work supports people, the community social work model holds an important place, especially in relation to responding to child poverty and other complex issues which people experience.

Question reference: S6W-29297

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the findings of the community social work pilot approach undertaken by Fife Council, and whether it is considering providing additional resources to local authorities to pilot this approach.

Question reference: S6O-03769

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on upgrading the infrastructure of ports.

Question reference: S6W-29381

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27609 by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on when it plans to publish the findings from the second phase of the Local Governance Review's community engagement process, Democracy Matters.

Question reference: S6W-29380

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which community has been selected in Fife for additional investment in early years childcare, as outlined in the 2023-24 Programme for Government, and whether this has yet commenced.

Fife Council have been working with the Levenmouth community since January 2024 and are now finalising their plans for their childcare ‘early adopter community’ projects in line with the First Minister’s announcement in May of £16 million investment over two years in six local authorities.

As part of the early adopter community work it is important for local authorities to be able to target communities which have an identified need for improved childcare services, and where increased delivery could support plans to tackle poverty. Fife identified Levenmouth as an area where there is a good opportunity to engage local people in co-designing high quality early learning and school age childcare services that meet local needs, with a strong focus on tackling poverty. This acknowledges the need for more accessible and affordable childcare services in the community to support employment, and builds on some existing local childcare provision and infrastructure options.

This is part of a wider package of work with the local authority and communities. This will help Scottish Government and our local partners to understand what it takes to deliver local childcare systems that support families with children from the early years to the end of primary school, and the difference this can make in eradicating child poverty.

A key focus of the Early Adopter Communities (EAC) approach is to learn more about what works to deliver childcare solutions for children and their families in targeted communities. It should be noted that for families with younger children tests of change will be more limited, given the initial focus is on gathering insight about user needs and the local childcare system for younger children.