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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: S5W-36249

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 22 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to community groups to ensure they are fully involved in their community's recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether it will provide a breakdown of any such support by the (a) type of support, (b) group supported and (c) area support is being provided.

The Scottish Government has provided a combined total of over £1 billion to support communities through the pandemic. This includes more than £550 million delivered through the Communities Funding Package. This investment has been allocated across councils, local services and directly to community and third sector organisations for a range of initiatives supporting those in need.

Investment for community groups and third sector organisations working locally in our communities has been delivered through a range of funds including the Third Sector Resilience Fund, Wellbeing Fund, Supporting Communities Fund and the Community and Third Sector Recovery Programme, which is being supported with a further £14 million in 2021-22. Details of these programmes and the type of support they delivered are available on the SCVO website at Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub – SCVO . Scottish Government worked with SCVO to develop the Coronavirus Third Sector Information Hub supporting community groups with a single point of access for information and guidance about the pandemic and the funding available.

Further information on the distribution of the investment delivered through the Community Funding Package is available on the Community Mapping tool at: Community Funding Mapping (arcgis.com)

This additional investment has been made over and above the existing programmes supporting community-led regeneration and support for the third sector including the Empowering Communities Programme and the new £30 million Third Sector Growth Fund, announced on 21 March. The Investing in Communities Fund, part of the Empowering Communities Programme has provided essential flexibility for organisations throughout the pandemic to meet the needs of their communities and will continue to support community groups as we emerge and recover. It enables communities to decide on their own terms how to address local challenges, supporting community engagement, participation and empowerment for example through Participatory Budgeting. The Third Sector Growth Fund will focus on those organisations with the potential to grow, contributing to jobs and making a positive contribution in our communities as we go into a period of recovery.

Our Place Based Investment Programme will build on the strong partnership approach of the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and the Town Centre Fund supported with £325 million over the next five years. This capital programme will be a key mechanism in tackling inequality and disadvantage and supporting renewal and recovery in our communities. The Programme, working with COSLA and Local Authorities, will contribute to delivering our joint ambitions for net zero, wellbeing and inclusive economic development, 20 Minute Neighbourhoods, town centres, the place principle, and community involvement and ownership.

On 18 March, the COSLA President and I issued a joint statement on progress with the Local Governance Review. The statement is accompanied by new Democracy Matters material. This outlines how ambitious new community decision-making arrangements, with potentially significant powers and resources, could work in practice.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/local-governance-review-joint-statement-2/

Question reference: S5W-36255

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it provides annually to help tackle drugs deaths in Dundee.

In 2020-2021 we have invested the following funding to drugs services and projects in Dundee:

£4,366,586 to NHS Tayside covering Dundee, Perth and Kinross and Angus to support the delivery of alcohol and drug services
£498,274 to Dundee City from the Programme for Government Local Improvement Fund
£256,859 to Dundee City from the Programme for Government to support the 6 priorities of the Drug Deaths Taskforce
£256,859 to Dundee based projects delivered by third-sector organisations through the Programme for Government challenge fund
£153,980 to Dundee Alcohol and Drug Partnership from the additional £5 million funding announced for this financial year by the First Minister
£130,764 to the University of Dundee from the Drugs Deaths Taskforce Research Fund

We have declared that a national mission is required to tackle drug-related death and have committed additional funding of £50 million per year over the next session of parliament.

Details of funding to NHS Boards can be found here - https://www.gov.scot/publications/alcohol-and-drug-partnerships-funding-allocations/

Details of Dundee’s additional Alcohol and Drug Partnership (ADP) allocation can be found here - Alcohol and drug partnerships: additional funding 2020-2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S5W-36244

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many primary school children in Dundee will be eligible for the phased introduction of free school meals to all primary school children by August 2022.

The latest published data, obtained from the Pupil Census 2020 Supplementary Statistics, shows that there were 10,330 children registered on the rolls of all primary schools across the Dundee City Council area.

All children who are registered on the rolls of local authority run or grant-maintained primary schools within the Dundee City Council area, and across all of Scotland, will automatically become entitled to receive universal free school meals once the proposed expansion of universal free school meals to include all primary school children is introduced.

Question reference: S4O-01264

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S4F-00804

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 June 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 June 2012

To ask the First Minister what impact the Scottish Government considers further reductions in the UK welfare budget will have on poverty in Scotland.

Question reference: S4F-00742

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 June 2012

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the figures from the National Records of Scotland showing that the population is at its highest ever level.

Question reference: S4O-01042

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to ensure that there is adequate transport infrastructure in place for visitors to the V&A at Dundee.

Question reference: S4F-00653

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 May 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2012

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to address the findings of the recent World Health Organization survey, Social determinants of health and well-being of young people: Health Behaviour in School-aged Children Study.

Question reference: S4O-00919

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2012

To ask the Scottish Executive what training is available for 16 to 19-year-olds in Dundee as part of the Opportunities for All programme.

Question reference: S4F-00387

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 January 2012
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2012

To ask the First Minister whether it remains the Scottish Government's position to hold a referendum on independence in the second half of the current parliamentary session.