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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: S6W-17088

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue was raised under each income tax band, and what proportion each amount represents of the total income tax take, broken down by each financial year since the introduction of the Scottish Rate of Income Tax to 2022-23.

Control over the rates and bands of non-savings non-dividends income tax has been devolved to the Scottish Parliament since 2017-18.

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publish Outturn statistics annually, showing the revenue raised from Scottish Income Tax for the tax year prior. These statistics show revenue raised from taxpayers at their highest marginal rate, that is, the Income Tax band that a taxpayer would pay their next pound of Income Tax into.

Outturn statistics from 2016-17 to 2020-21 are available on the UK Government website, with the most recently available publication being found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/scottish-income-tax-outturn-statistics-2020-to-2021/scottish-income-tax-outturn-statistics-2020-to-2021.

For figures relating to 2021-22 and 2022-23, the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) are responsible for forecasting Scottish Income Tax revenue. The SFC do not currently publish a breakdown of this forecast in terms of revenue raised by taxpayers at their highest marginal rate.

The next Outturn publication is expected to be in July 2023, and will outline the revenue raised by marginal rate by band for the tax year 2021-22. Figures for 2022-23 will be available in Summer 2024.

Question reference: S6W-17091

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much in (a) cash and (b) real terms, based on current prices, its policy of free university tuition has cost in each year since its introduction.

The following table shows the amount of tuition fees paid out by the Student Award Agency Scotland (SAAS) in cash and real terms (in 2021-22 prices) since 2007-08.

In addition to providing free tuition through SAAS, the Scottish Government also provides a block teaching grant to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) to support universities provide free tuition. Information on the teaching grant, including the allocation amount for AY 2022-23, can be found on SFC’s website.

Table 1: Amount of tuition fees paid out by SAAS in cash and real terms (2021-22 prices), 2007-08 to 2021-22
Year	Cash terms - million	Real terms (2021-22 prices) - million
2007-08	£136.3	£179.1
2008-09	£152.8	£193.9
2009-10	£171.9	£215.2
2010-11	£176.6	£217.5
2011-12	£176.8	£213.9
2012-13	£173.8	£206.7
2013-14	£177.9	£207.3
2014-15	£181.6	£209.3
2015-16	£183.3	£209.6
2016-17	£184.4	£206.6
2017-18	£186.2	£205.2
2018-19	£186.9	£202.4
2019-20	£186.1	£196.4
2020-21	£192.9	£191.5
2021-22	£188.5	£188.5

Source: SG analysis of SAAS and HM Treasury data

Notes: Real terms figures are presented in 2021-22 prices, based on HM Treasury's GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP March 2023 (Quarterly National Accounts) series, published 3 April 2023.

Question reference: S6W-17092

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the average real terms spending, based on current prices, was for a Scotland-domiciled student attending a Scottish university and in receipt of a (a) bursary and (b) grant, in each year since 2007.

The following table reflects the various bursaries and grants that existed since 2007. The types of bursaries and grants that were available each year varied and some replaced others. The bursaries and grants available to students depended on their circumstances as well as the type of course they were studying.

Table 1: Average Bursary and Grant spend in cash and real terms (2021-22 prices), 2007-08 to 2021-22
Year	Average Bursary		Average Grant
Year	Cash terms	Real terms (2021-22 prices)	Cash terms	Real terms (2021-22 prices)
2007-08	£3,255	£4,279	£2,295	£3,018
2008-09	£3,041	£3,859	£2,180	£2,766
2009-10	£2,028	£2,539	£2,157	£2,701
2010-11	£2,867	£3,531	£1,799	£2,216
2011-12	£2,713	£3,283	£2,395	£2,898
2012-13	£2,476	£2,945	£1,927	£2,292
2013-14	£2,084	£2,429	£2,027	£2,362
2014-15	£2,150	£2,478	£1,994	£2,298
2015-16	£2,239	£2,560	£2,048	£2,342
2016-17	£2,327	£2,607	£2,049	£2,295
2017-18	£2,369	£2,611	£2,361	£2,602
2018-19	£2,424	£2,624	£2,444	£2,646
2019-20	£2,903	£3,064	£2,553	£2,695
2020-21	£3,468	£3,444	£2,653	£2,635
2021-22	£3,657	£3,657	£2,609	£2,609

Source: SG analysis of SAAS and HM Treasury data;
‎ Notes:

1. Bursary includes: Young Student Bursary, Independent Student Bursary, Young Student Outside of Scotland Bursary, Student Outside of Scotland Bursary, Nursing and Midwifery Student Bursary (NMSB), and Scottish Government Health Department Bursary.
‎ 2. Grant includes: Dependents Grant, Lone Parent Grant, Lone Parent Childcare Grant, Disabled Students Allowance, and Undergraduate and Postgraduate Standard Maintenance Allowance.
‎ Bursaries such as NMSB were only available to a specific cohort of students.

3. SAAS have advised that there are data record issues in years up to and including 2012-13, therefore average bursary and grant values from 2007-08 to 2012-13 arelikely to be less accurate than more recent years.
‎ 4. Real terms figures are presented in 2021-22prices, based on HM Treasury's GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP March 2023 (Quarterly National Accounts) series, published 3 April 2023.

Table 1: Average Bursary and Grant spend in cash and real terms (2021-22 prices), 2007-08 to 2021-22
Year	Average Bursary		Average Grant
Year	Cash terms	Real terms (2021-22 prices)	Cash terms	Real terms (2021-22 prices)
2007-08	£3,255	£4,279	£2,295	£3,018
2008-09	£3,041	£3,859	£2,180	£2,766
2009-10	£2,028	£2,539	£2,157	£2,701
2010-11	£2,867	£3,531	£1,799	£2,216
2011-12	£2,713	£3,283	£2,395	£2,898
2012-13	£2,476	£2,945	£1,927	£2,292
2013-14	£2,084	£2,429	£2,027	£2,362
2014-15	£2,150	£2,478	£1,994	£2,298
2015-16	£2,239	£2,560	£2,048	£2,342
2016-17	£2,327	£2,607	£2,049	£2,295
2017-18	£2,369	£2,611	£2,361	£2,602
2018-19	£2,424	£2,624	£2,444	£2,646
2019-20	£2,903	£3,064	£2,553	£2,695
2020-21	£3,468	£3,444	£2,653	£2,635
2021-22	£3,657	£3,657	£2,609	£2,609

Question reference: S6W-17279

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many people and (b) what percentage of the population it estimates will be in the over 65 age category in each year from 2023 to 2050.

The latest population projections data for Scotland is available on the Office for National Statistics website . This includes various breakdowns, including by age group and single year of age. For ease, see the following table for the data requested on the projected population aged 65 and over up to mid-2050:

Year	All ages	Population aged 65 and over	Percentage of population aged 65 and over
Mid-2023	5,489,769	1,107,470	20.2%
Mid-2024	5,496,877	1,127,637	20.5%
Mid-2025	5,503,484	1,147,579	20.9%
Mid-2026	5,509,360	1,169,102	21.2%
Mid-2027	5,514,526	1,191,700	21.6%
Mid-2028	5,518,937	1,215,309	22.0%
Mid-2029	5,522,526	1,238,261	22.4%
Mid-2030	5,525,221	1,261,192	22.8%
Mid-2031	5,527,133	1,280,837	23.2%
Mid-2032	5,528,207	1,300,159	23.5%
Mid-2033	5,528,447	1,318,279	23.8%
Mid-2034	5,527,868	1,334,311	24.1%
Mid-2035	5,526,606	1,346,860	24.4%
Mid-2036	5,524,773	1,359,699	24.6%
Mid-2037	5,522,508	1,369,348	24.8%
Mid-2038	5,519,943	1,374,596	24.9%
Mid-2039	5,517,081	1,375,690	24.9%
Mid-2040	5,513,969	1,375,327	24.9%
Mid-2041	5,510,584	1,374,342	24.9%
Mid-2042	5,506,932	1,370,115	24.9%
Mid-2043	5,503,019	1,366,775	24.8%
Mid-2044	5,498,874	1,367,703	24.9%
Mid-2045	5,494,411	1,371,034	25.0%
Mid-2046	5,489,501	1,375,623	25.1%
Mid-2047	5,484,097	1,380,687	25.2%
Mid-2048	5,478,126	1,384,825	25.3%
Mid-2049	5,471,545	1,388,349	25.4%
Mid-2050	5,464,337	1,393,950	25.5%

Question reference: S6W-17296

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the social care staff vacancy rate is in the (a) public, (b) private and (c) third sector.

Question reference: S6W-17295

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 4 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the social care staff vacancy rate is in each local authority area across Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02211

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure the long-term sustainability of general practice.

Question reference: S6W-17284

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of how many social care staff are required to meet demand.

There are more than 1,200 social care providers across Scotland, with local authorities responsible for providing or commissioning services. Local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships will wish to ensure that, in providing a range of services, their workforce planning arrangements take full account of the need to have safe and sustainable numbers of staff.

The latest figures published by Public Health Scotland show that, on 17 April, the total number of hours of social care support yet to be provided was 38,324.

Question reference: S6W-17288

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what data is available to help potential users of social care services to understand waiting times for service provision.

Information on Social Care Eligibility and Waiting times is collected and published by the Scottish Government. This is publicly available via the following link: Social Care Eligibility Criteria And Waiting Times, Scotland, 2020-21 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Many Local Authorities have reported difficulty in providing the information asked for in this data collection, which has had a significant impact on the robustness of the information available for analysis. We have been working with Public Health Scotland (PHS) to consider the future of this data and are developing plans to capture waiting times data within existing Social Care collections returned to PHS, aiming to make it more straightforward for partnerships to provide data, and in turn resulting in more complete and consistent data in the future.

Question reference: S6W-17297

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the level of any unmet need for social care is in each local authority area across Scotland.

Information published by Public Health Scotland ( Social care – Demand for Care at Home services ) provides the number of people waiting for a social care assessment, as well as the number of people who have been assessed and are waiting for a package of care. These figures, however, represent only a subset of unmet need.

Scottish Government analysts are considering options for increasing our understanding of the nature and level of unmet need in adult social care, and will continue to engage with external partners to develop appropriate approaches and deliver new insights over the coming months.