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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-04504

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it has provided to support a multidisciplinary approach to psychological support for people experiencing domestic violence.

The Scottish Government is investing significant levels of funding in frontline services to support survivors of domestic abuse. This includes funding of over £1 million (in 2019-22) to Scotland’s Domestic Abuse and Forced Marriage Helpline, which provides support and signposting to other services and is open 24/7. The Delivering Equally Safe Fund for 2021-23 will provide £19 million per annum to organisations providing support services and working to prevent gender-based violence. This includes approximately £100,000 of funding for SACRO’s Fearfree project, which supports male and LGBTI survivors of domestic violence; as well as over £500,000 of funding to ASSIST, a specialist independent domestic advocacy service that aims to ensure survivors of domestic abuse are safe, informed and supported throughout the court process.

The government’s Mental Health Transition & Recovery Plan includes specific action on the mental health impacts of domestic violence, abuse, and coercive control. We have also commissioned research from the Improvement Service to help us better understand and address the mental health and wellbeing needs of women and girls experiencing gender based violence and the report will be published this month. We will work with women and girls affected by all forms of gender based violence to determine next steps once we have considered the recommendations of the report.

Question reference: S6W-04503

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting people who have experienced domestic violence during the pandemic, when usual sources of support and services have been unavailable.

The Scottish Government recognises the effect that the Covid-19 pandemic has had on women looking to flee violence at home. That is why over the past 2 years we have invested an additional £10 million to allow rapid re-design of services and address backlogs, supporting organisations such as Scottish Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland. We have created a new Delivering Equally Safe Fund (£19 million per annum in 2021-23) and recently confirmed allocations to 121 projects from 112 organisations working to provide services and prevent gender-based violence. This includes support for women as well as services targeting male survivors such as the Respect Men’s Advice Line and SACRO’s FearFree project.

The Scottish Government and COSLA, in partnership with Public Health Scotland and the Improvement Service, developed supplementary guidance last year for local authorities and other key community planning partners. It ensures that a sustainable, joined-up approach to safeguarding the needs of women, children and young people experiencing domestic violence during the pandemic is embedded at a local strategic level. This is underpinned by our Equally Safe strategy.

Question reference: S6O-00542

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to creative industries in rural areas, including in relation to young people wishing to pursue a career in this sector.

Question reference: S6W-04084

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that (a) there are enough registered Green Deal installers in every part of Scotland and (b) small businesses and sole traders do not lose out when bidding for this work.

We support suppliers including Green Deal installers through our Sustainable Energy Supply Chain programme, administered by the Energy Saving Trust (EST). The programme has been running since 2013 and provides assistance and support for installers and other suppliers in Scotland to help them participate fully and effectively in the supply chain for energy efficiency and micro-generation measures and installations.

Over 100 events and training courses have taken place to date supporting over 4,000 individuals, many of whom work for small and micro-sized businesses. Support for Green Deal has included awareness raising events and targeted workshops to help suppliers become Green Deal approved.

The Sustainable Energy Supply Chain programme has also developed a procurement guide to help small and micro-sized businesses bid more effectively for public sector contracts. This was also supported by workshops and webinars across Scotland.

We are also working with industry to co-produce a new ‘Heat in Buildings Supply Chain Delivery Plan’ by Summer 2022 specifically focussed on strengthening the broad supply chains needed to deliver at the pace and scale we need.

Question reference: S6O-00384

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve ferry services to island communities.

Question reference: S6W-03552

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 3 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has, with the consent of the Treasury, authorised in law all 1995 officer transition members to have their closed 1995 scheme benefits calculated using (a) higher or (b) lower pensionable pay from connected CARE scheme service.

Under the National Health Service Pension Scheme (Transitional and Consequential Provisions) (Scotland) Regulations 2015, laid before the Scottish Parliament on 3 March 2015 with the consent of Her Majesty’s Treasury, members of the 1995 section of the NHS Superannuation Scheme (Scotland) who have connected service in the career average revalued earnings (CARE) scheme, will have their closed scheme benefits calculated on the best of their final three years’ pensionable pay, in line with the provisions of the 1995 section.

Question reference: S6O-00307

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is providing to NHS boards that are currently experiencing pressures ahead of winter.

Question reference: S6F-00287

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what steps are being taken to ensure that women who have endometriosis are diagnosed within a year.

Question reference: S6W-02268

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to close any railway ticket offices, and, if so, which ones.

This is an operational matter for ScotRail and any changes to ticket office provision should follow an appropriate consultation process.

It is worth noting that the last review of ScotRail ticket office opening hours took place around 30 years ago in 1991. Since then how and where people buy tickets has changed hugely, for example through the provision of smart and mobile phone ticketing which many passengers prefer.

Question reference: S6W-02267

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards delivering road equivalent tariff (RET) on the Scrabster-Stromness ferry route, and what the timeframe is for implementing this.