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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: S5O-03179

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Electoral Commission regarding encouraging EU citizens living in Scotland to register to vote in the forthcoming European Parliament elections.

Question reference: S5W-22481

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Christina McKelvie on 3 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of its older people’s framework.

Today the Scottish Government published A Fairer Scotland for Older People – A Framework for Action:www.gov.scot/isbn/9781787815438

This Framework identifies the issues that older people have told us are key to ensuring they are healthy, happy and secure in older age. It brings together the action that the Government is taking to tackle the barriers people face as they age in areas as diverse as health and housing, but importantly it highlights the positive contribution our older people bring to wider society and the economy, by the valuable roles they undertake including unpaid caring, volunteering and by continuing in employment.

The Older People’s Strategic Action Forum, which I chair, have been instrumental in informing and progressing the direction for this framework. I thank them for helping us to develop this work and combat the negative perceptions held about older people.

Question reference: S5O-03111

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the DWP regarding progress with changing the state pension age for women in Scotland born in the 1950s.

Question reference: S5W-21978

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 8 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of its Gender Pay Gap Action Plan.

Later today, the Scottish Government will publish A Fairer Scotland for Women: Gender Pay Gap Action Plan.

Our action plan outlines the cross Government approach and sets out the steps we will take in partnership with our stakeholders, to tackle the causes of the gender pay gap in Scotland. It is part of our approach to delivering Fair Work and builds on many existing Scottish Government strategies.

We have developed the actions with a Working Group with representatives from Close the Gap, the STUC, Engender, Equate, and academia. It allows us to ensure that gender issues are considered within policy design and services that advance women’s equality, particularly in relation to tackling poverty, promoting access to and progression within good jobs, and supporting business growth.

Actions within the plan for addressing gender stereotyping, sexual harassment and labour market inequalities include:

improving the collection of data to help inform policy development;
working with enterprise and skills agencies and employers, for example, through Letters of Guidance, procurement and financial levers;
promoting gender equality within early years and child care, schools, colleges, universities, employability programmes and social security support;
encouraging employers in the public, private and third sectors to tackle the causes of the gender pay gap in their own organisations;
expanding the Workplace Equality Fund;
funding £5m three year women returners programme; and
funding a feasibility study for a ‘Centre for Flexible Work’ for Scotland.

The Gender Pay Gap Action Plan can be viewed at www.gov.scot/publications/fairer-scotland-women-gender-pay-gap-action-plan/ .

Question reference: S5O-02998

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-21767

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 February 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jeane Freeman on 22 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether Health Protection Scotland has concluded its investigation into the water contamination issue at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and Royal Hospital for Children in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, which was originally identified on 29 January 2018.

Health Protection Scotland has now completed its investigation at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital regarding the water contamination issue and, following the commitment made to Parliament last year, I am now making the report available: www.gov.scot/publications/qe-university-hospital-royal-hospital-children-water-incident/

The report makes a number of important recommendations for NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, as well as all NHS boards, Health Protection Scotland and Health Facilities Scotland. It is vital that these recommendations are addressed. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde continue to take the necessary actions and I will continue to seek regular updates on these actions to ensure full accountability of the board. I will also ensure that work is taken forward on the wider recommendations to ensure key lessons can be learned NHS Scotland-wide to prevent similar issues arising in the future.

This report will be provided to the independent review into the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital. As I have previously stated to Parliament, it is vital that we all understand what the issues are, why they have arisen, and that the recommendations will be taken forward. Learning needs to be applied across NHS Scotland to ensure our healthcare facilities – existing and future – are fit for purpose and support the delivery of world class health care.

Question reference: S5W-21407

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the 2019 Celtic Connections festival.

The most recent Celtic Connections Economic Impact Assessment, was carried out by EKOS Limited for Glasgow Life and published in June 2016. The report showed the following results:

Celtic Connections 2016 generated expenditure of £5,537,195 from visitors from the Glasgow area and £1,732,247 from visitors from the rest of Scotland.
Once all organiser costs have been taken into account, the calculation of economic impact has identified that the festival has a benefit of £4,002,532 across Scotland. (This is made up of £3,899,433 from the Glasgow area and £1,031,099 from across the rest of Scotland).
The festival is estimated to have generated over a hundred full-time equivalent jobs for one year across Scotland in 2016 (79.6 jobs in Glasgow and 24.8 jobs across the rest of Scotland).

Question reference: S5W-21411

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to the Celtic Connections festival.

Celtic Connections received £100,000 of funding from the Scottish Government Festivals EXPO fund in 2019, to support a series of concerts entitled ‘ Above the Surface ’ which featured music from a new generation of musicians.

Celtic Connections has also received £550,000K of Regular Funded Organisations (RFO) funding from Creative Scotland for 2018-2021 equating to £183,334, and £4.5k towards this year's Gaelic and Scots Showcase in 2019.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials attended a number of events at Celtic Connections this year. I attended the opening reception and concert and performances that featured as part of the 'Above the Surface' series of concerts. The Deputy First Minister also supported the Showcase Scotland element of the programme by attending the Creative Scotland Gaelic Showcase. All Ministerial activity is published quarterly in detail.

Question reference: S5O-02836

Asked by: Sandra White, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis the culture secretary has carried out regarding the impact of Brexit on the arts and creative sector in Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-02791

Current Status: Withdrawn