Seòmar agus comataidhean

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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 387 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-29569

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding the impact in Scotland, to reports of an expected loss of 12,000 British Airways jobs, 40% wage reductions for employees kept on, and the pressuring of workers to sign new right-waiving contracts, in light of BA’s conglomerate company, ING, receiving multi-million pound support packages from the UK and Spanish governments.

Any need for job losses is disappointing. We fully recognise the impact that the Covid-19 situation is continuing to have on the aviation sector and anticipate it being at least five years before services are restored to pre-Covid-19 levels. While employment legislation is reserved to the UK Government, we continue to promote our Fair Work policy to improve workers’ rights and protections.

We are monitoring developments and stand ready to assist any Scottish based staff affected. I have written to Alex Cruz, Chief Executive of British Airways, to encourage him to work with us to support those staff facing redundancy. We will provide support through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, PACE. Through providing skills development and employability support, PACE aims to minimise the time individuals affected by redundancy are out of work.

We are working with Scotland’s airports to re-establish connectivity to support business and the inbound tourism market, focusing first on the most important routes serving key markets.

Question reference: S5O-04391

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on rural communities, what its response is to people travelling cross-border to holiday in Scotland’s beauty spots during the lockdown period.

Question reference: S5O-04322

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 6 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local government regarding advice for small businesses on how to cope with expected shortfalls in turnover due to COVID-19 and the impact of insurance companies not willing to pay out on policies that cover such risks.

We have announced a suite of measures aimed at limiting the impact of COVID-19 on the business community and we are working with Scotland's 32 Councils, COSLA and business representative organisations to swiftly implement these to eligible businesses.

On 17 March, the UK Government agreed with the insurance industry that government advice for the public to avoid pubs, theatres, etc. (rather than ordering businesses to close) would be sufficient for businesses with appropriate cover to make a claim, as long as all other terms and conditions of the policy are met.

The business interruption insurance position is unchanged. Businesses which have taken out cover for notifiable diseases may be able to claim if they meet the terms and conditions of their policy.

The findbusinesssupport.gov.scot website is the best way for business to find the information they need in relation to Covid-19 (24/7). There is also a separate HMRC helpline on tax issues at 0800 015 9559.

This is a fast-moving situation and we are working hard to expand the information available on the website so that businesses can get the answers they need.

Question reference: S5O-04215

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Treasury ministers regarding the impact of the UK Budget on Scotland's finances.

Question reference: S5W-27517

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the Case Note Review referred to in the health secretary’s recent ministerial statement on the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital will commence.

The Case Note Review will begin before the end of February. We will notify families that will be affected by the Review by the end of this week, and the first set of case reviews will be completed before the end of February.

This independent review of individual cases of potential infection is associated with the escalation of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to Stage 4 of the Scottish Government’s NHS performance framework. It will cover the period from the opening of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital and the Royal Hospital for Children to the end of 2019, and focus on those who have used the paediatric haemato-oncology service. This work will be vital in determining the number and nature of cases, providing assurance around care and identifying improvement actions. It is also an important element in improving communications and engagement with families and affected patients.

As this review covers a significant time period and a number of cases and complexities, a segmented approach will be taken. The first group of reviews will concentrate on patients who received care in 2017, which is appropriate given the long period of worry and distress that these families have experienced.

Question reference: S5O-04165

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether its work to improve financial support for students who are estranged from parents or guardians will also cover students who are estranged from one parent, rather than both.

Question reference: S5O-04095

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to encourage representation from countries in the global south when Scotland hosts COP26.

Question reference: S5W-27130

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jeane Freeman on 24 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the performance of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

In November 2019 we moved NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to stage 4 of the NHS Board Performance Framework specifically for on-going issues related to infection prevention, management and control at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital (QEUH) and the Royal Hospital for Children (RHC), and the associated communication and public engagement issues. This decision put support arrangements in place, and had the requirement for a transformation plan to correct these issues – all of which is being overseen by a Performance Oversight Board established under the Chair of the Chief Nursing Officer (CNO). In addition, I asked Professor Marion Bain, the former medical director of NHS National Services Scotland, to take over responsibility for infection prevention and control within NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to begin to restore public confidence in the service.

On-going monitoring of performance in the Board since November has highlighted further issues with the Board’s performance across a number of key areas, including their performance on scheduled and unscheduled care, primary care out of hours, and the need to strengthen management capability and capacity.

I have decided that urgent action is required to address these issues while protecting the on-going work overseen by the CNO. Today I have asked DG Health and Social Care to write to the Chief Executive to inform her of my decision to move the whole of NHS GG&C to Stage 4 on the Escalation Framework, with immediate effect.

This will involve both an increased level of support but also scrutiny and intervention, primarily through the introduction of Calum Campbell, Chief Executive of NHS Lanarkshire, in the role of Turnaround Director placed in NHS GG&C to directly manage operational delivery. I will also establish a Performance Oversight Group chaired by NHS Scotland’s Chief Performance Officer, with a focus on recovery planning. The aim of this intervention is to move the board to an improved position on performance and other issues as quickly as is practicable.

Question reference: S5O-04070

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many children will be eligible for the Scottish Child Payment when it goes live.

Question reference: S5O-03950

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 19 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports low-income families with young children.

The Scottish Government has taken significant steps to reduce poverty and tackle inequality, particularly where it affects families with young children.

The Tackling Child Poverty Action Plan Report, published in June, showed that 48 of the 58 actions we have committed to are already in progress or being delivered.

In 2018-19 we invested over £1.4 billion to provide a wide range of support including Free School Meals, School Clothing Grants and increased funding to tackle food insecurity during the school holidays. That investment also includes Best Start Grant Payments replacing and surpassing previous UK Government benefit provision.