Chamber and committees

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: S5F-04450

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 October 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-31911

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 5 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the provisions in the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Act 2020, whether students who are seeking to cancel their student accommodation contracts prematurely are required to provide their accommodation provider with documentation that proves that their course has fully moved online before they can expect to be released from their contract.

The Coronavirus (Scotland)(No.2) Act 2020 introduced notice to leave periods for students residing in halls of residence and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). The Act states that a tenant may, for a reason relating to coronavirus, bring to an end a student residential tenancy. The Act does not state that a student is required to provide accommodation providers with documentation proving that their course has moved fully online.

Question reference: S5F-04401

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-31647

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on discussions with the licensed trade sector regarding the development of more nuanced guidance for music in restaurants and hospitality settings.

Question reference: S5W-31649

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 14 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is no scope for applicants to the Advance Payments Scheme, for people who experienced abuse in care in Scotland before December 2004, to appeal their eligibility based on personal circumstances if they are under 68 years old or do not have a terminal illness.

The purpose of the Advance Payment scheme is to provide acknowledgment and redress for those who may not live long enough to apply to the statutory redress scheme. For this reason the eligibility criteria is limited to those who are 68 or over or who have a terminal illness. We understand that this means that some survivors are prioritised over others. However we believe this is the right thing to do rather than have no redress payments made ahead of the introduction of the statutory scheme, which is the case in other countries. The Government’s proposals for a statutory redress scheme do not base eligibility on either age or health status, and if the Bill is approved will permit wider applications.

Question reference: S5W-31648

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 14 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the cut-off age for the Advanced Payments Scheme for people who experienced abuse in care in Scotland before December 2004 is set at 68 and does not instead follow the age of state pension entitlement.

A review of the Advance Payments Scheme was published in December 2019 and concluded that the age threshold for eligibility to the Scheme should be reduced from age 70 and over to age 68 and over. This reduction was considered consistent with the purpose of the scheme and allows more survivors who may not live long enough to apply to the statutory redress scheme to receive recognition and acknowledgment sooner. We want to ensure that eligible survivors have a positive experience when applying for an Advance Payment and our focus remains on providing a sensitive, timely and trauma-informed service to the most elderly and ill applicants. The original age set at 70 followed the recommendations of the Interaction Action Plan Review Group. There has never been a link between the age threshold for Advance Payments and state pension entitlement.

Question reference: S5F-04355

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 September 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-04330

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-04301

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 August 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-04261

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 August 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.