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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-29519

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with the UK Government regarding the potential interaction of grants made from the Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund and the Universal Credit taper rate.

We have made and will continue to make representations to the UK Government about the impact of COVID-19 in Scotland and the gaps in existing schemes.

The Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund (NSEHF) scheme is specifically aimed at those who have been unable to access other forms of business support or working age benefits such as Universal Credit.

Scottish Government notified DWP officials of the Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund prior to its launch on 30th April 2020.

Applicants are required to make a declaration that includes acknowledgement that they may be required to declare receipt of a NSEHF grant for tax purposes or if applying for Universal Credit and other forms of support in the future.

It should be noted that the newly self-employed are still able to apply to the Newly Self Employed Hardship Funding if they have applied for, but not received, Universal Credit.

Question reference: S5O-04434

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how blended learning will take account of families with more than one child.

Question reference: S5W-29643

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to re-model its estimates of how many children the Scottish Child Payment will remove from poverty, and what the (a) coverage and (b) targeting will be of the payment.

At this stage, the impact of COVID-19 on poverty, including coverage and targeting, of Scottish Child Payment by 2023-24 is highly speculative. We will look to prepare our models’ functionality in the context of COVID-19 to enable us to produce poverty analysis of the pandemic itself and Scottish Child Payment.

We now expect there to be more eligible children than previously estimated due to the increase in numbers applying for qualifying benefits, such as Universal Credit. The Scottish Government has prioritised the delivery of the Scottish Child Payment for under 6s in recognition of the impact that COVID-19 has had on low income families and guarantees that all those who are eligible and apply will receive their entitlement.

Question reference: S5W-29487

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the British Association of Removers regarding its document, Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on moving home.

The Scottish Government had to engage very quickly with stakeholders to prepare the Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on moving home , published on 31 March 2020. The British Association of Removers were not directly involved. However, we are working with a wide range of stakeholders through our Home Moves in Scotland Working Group, including the British Association of Removers, to prepare for the anticipated relaxation of restrictions on home moves in phase 2 of Scotland’s route map through and out of the crisis .

Question reference: S5W-29545

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have been recruited to Social Security Scotland since the COVID-19 outbreak was declared a pandemic on 11 March 2020, and how this compares with the recruitment forecasts that had set before that date.

All new and most live recruitment campaigns for staff joining the Scottish Government were paused when the lockdown measures were introduced. However, Social Security Scotland has been able to start 202 directly employed staff into key operational roles the period 11 March 2020 to 31 May 2020.

Resourcing plans are designed to align to business need and flex with changing circumstances. Social Security Scotland’s recruitment activity in the period has met the current requirement and the Agency is working with Scottish Government People Directorate in relation to future planning.

Question reference: S5W-29465

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 5 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 120 Funeral Support Payments that were rejected in March 2020 were denied (a) after lockdown and (b) due to failure to provide paperwork within a sufficient timescale.

Question reference: S5W-29476

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 5 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to safeguard (a) vulnerable and (b) autistic and other neurodivergent people from abuse and exploitation (i) during and (ii) following the COVID-19 lockdown.

To safeguard vulnerable people during the Covid-19 lockdown guidance for Chief Officers and Adult Protection Committees on adult support and protection has been published https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-adult-support-and-protection-guidance/ ). The Coronavirus (COVID19) Adult support and Protection Guidance provides additional guidance to the Adult Support and Protection Code of Practice in relation to the current COVID-19 outbreak and its aim is to support local decisions and the development of local guidance around safe, effective and proportionate adult support and protection activity at this time.

Our ‘Clear Your Head’ campaign https://clearyourhead.scot/ highlights the practical things people can do to help them feel better whilst continuing to stay at home, acknowledging these are worrying and uncertain times for many. Along with a range of tips on how to stay positive, the campaign website clearyourhead.scot signposts sources of help and advice including NHS Inform, and helplines including NHS24, Breathing Space, SAMH and the Samaritans.

In regard to autistic people, we know that the restrictions will have had an impact on our mental health and wellbeing, but being autistic may make it really difficult to adapt to the changes to routine, and increase levels of anxiety. That is why the Scottish Government has provided an additional £200,000 of support for Scottish Autism and the National Autistic Society.

The funding for the National Autistic Society will enable that organisation to turn many of its face to face services – for example the social groups it runs – into online services. This will help autistic people and parents and carers to keep in touch – enabling people who are facing similar challenges to support each other, even if they cannot meet each other.

The funding for Scottish Autism is for their Autism Helpline. The helpline is already a trusted source of advice and support for people who need it. Our funding will increase its capacity to help people, at a time when there is a high demand for its services.

During this time we have all been asked to stay at home but unfortunately for many people suffering domestic abuse, home is not a safe haven. Support is available 24/7 on Scotland’s Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0800 027 1234. We have also developed a COVID-19 domestic abuse emergency response to maintain delivery of vital services.

We have also provided support to third sector organisations, including an additional £1.5 million provided to Scottish Women’s Aid and Rape Crisis Scotland. In partnership with People First we have produced a Domestic Abuse Easy read guide, including what coercive and controlling behaviour is and where people can get help. These documents will be on the safer Scotland website soon.

Question reference: S5W-29480

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it will update its document, Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on moving home.

The Scottish Government published guidance on moving home during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) outbreak on 31 March and this guidance is still in force: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-moving-home/ .

A relaxation of restrictions on home moves is anticipated in phase 2 of the recovery plan, as set out in Scotland’s route map through and out of the crisis , published on 21 May. Supplementary guidance on how the first two phases of Scottish Government's route map apply to the housing market and home moves was published on 28 May: https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-guidance-on-moving-home-supplementary/ .

The Scottish Government will issue revised guidance to replace Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance on moving home before phase 2 begins.

Question reference: S5W-29273

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Fair Start Scotland programme will be extended into 2021-22, and whether all (a) lots and (b) prime contractors will continue to deliver the service in the same form.

Question reference: S5W-29117

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter to all MSPs from the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, Europe and Constitutional Affairs of 7 April 2020 establishing a process for Members to raise urgent COVID-19 issues direct with Ministers, how many items of correspondence from MSPs and MPs have been received to date in this regard; how many have been answered through (a) private office and (b) COVID-19 priority mailboxes since then, also broken down by ministerial portfolio, and what the average time taken to respond was by portfolio.

The urgent MSP mailbox was established on 7 th April as a means of separating the most pressing of MSP queries about the pandemic from the very significant volumes of general COVID related correspondence received by the Scottish Government and by so doing attempting to shorten the standard 21 working days target for response where possible. To date, there have been over 200 items of correspondence from MSPs and it is estimated that 60% of completed cases have been answered by the COVID-19 priority mailboxes and 40% by portfolio Ministers. The majority of inquiries were received in the first month of operation. Answering many of them required input from a number of different portfolios though the majority related to Economic and Health issues. We estimate that the average number of working days it took to respond to a question that was correctly defined as urgent was seven, although some cases were further investigatory work was required took longer.