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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-16564

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has invested in public swimming pool facilities in each year since 2016, also broken down by local authority area.

The Scottish Government places great importance on leisure facilities and believes everyone should have access to these services.

We understand the challenging financial circumstances of operating and maintaining leisure facilities faced by local authorities, largely due to the cost of living crisis.

For its part, the Scottish Government has increased the resources available to Local Government by over £793 million in 2023-24, a real terms increase of £376m or 3%. However, it is for locally elected representatives to make local decisions on how best to deliver services to their local communities.

In addition sportscotland, our national agency for sport, works in partnerships with Scottish Governing Bodies of sport (SGBs), local authorities, leisure trusts, sports clubs and community organisations, schools, colleges and universities to provide opportunities for all to participate in sport. Since 2016, sportscotland has invested £621,200 into swimming pool facilities, via its National Lottery-funded Sport Facilities Fund programme. An annual breakdown is provided below.

2021-22 Aberdeen City - £100,000

2020-21 Argyll & Bute - £200,000

2018-19 Scottish Borders - £70,000

2017-18 Aberdeen City - £200,000

2016-17 Highland - £51,200.

Question reference: S6W-16976

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people who received Scottish Child Payment, and whose child met the age conditions, received Best Start Grant (a) Early Learning and (b) School Age Payment, following automatic checks by Social Security Scotland.

Social Security Scotland routinely releases information on Scottish Child Payment and Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods including applications received, application outcomes, and payments. These are currently available on Social Security Scotland’s statistics webpage: https://www.socialsecurity.gov.scot/about/statistics/social-security-scotland-statistics-publications

As part of data improvement, development is currently underway to include the number of Best Start Grant (a) Early Learning and (b) School Age payments made automatically to clients in receipt of Scottish Child Payment in future editions of the Best Start Grant and Best Start Foods statistics publication.

Question reference: S6W-16918

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to mark Reusable Nappy Week 2023.

Whilst the Scottish Government have no official plans to mark “Reuseable Nappy Week 2023”, we promote and raise awareness of reusable nappies by including a voucher for 1 waterproof nappy wrap, with 5 stay dry nappy pads inside Scotland’s Baby Box.

As well as helping families to start using reusable nappies free of charge, the voucher also signposts families to the Scottish Government ParentClub website which highlights the benefits of using reusable nappies and provides helpful advice and tips on nappy use.

Question reference: S6W-16622

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider conducting an inquiry into any recorded incidents of assault against on-duty Scottish Ambulance Service workers; whether it would consider introducing preventative measures based on the findings of any such inquiry, and whether it will consider providing additional support for any ambulance workers who have experienced assault and harm at work.

The Scottish Government does not plan to conduct an inquiry into recorded incidents of assault against on-duty Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) workers. SAS has assured the Scottish Government that they have a range of measures in place to help protect staff, including training and risk assessments. We will continue to work closely with SAS to monitor the safety and wellbeing of their staff.

NHSScotland has joined the multi-agency Your Safety Matters (YSM) initiative, led by Police Scotland. YSM aims to minimise incidents of violence and aggression in workplaces, through campaigns, sharing resources and good practice.

Abuse towards NHS staff is unacceptable, and the courts have extensive powers to deal robustly with those who carry out such appalling behaviour on emergency workers.

Question reference: S6W-16421

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's election pledge to hold an anti-poverty summit, whether it will provide details of the proposed (a) date and (b) invitees of the summit.

The First Minister will convene an anti-poverty summit on 3 May 2023 to help guide future action to tackle poverty and inequality in Scotland.

Those invited include experts, anti-poverty campaigners, people with lived experience, representatives from the third sector, local government and business, as well as cross-party representatives of the Scottish Parliament.

The names of guests who have accepted an invitation to attend events hosted by Scottish Ministers are routinely published. This information will be made available in due course at: www.gov.scot/collections/ministerial-engagements-travel-and-gifts/ .

Question reference: S6W-15640

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing an equal right of appeal in the planning system.

Question reference: S6W-16929

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that planning authorities are able to recover financial contributions from developers in a timely and efficient manner.

Subject to the tests in Circular 3/2012 being met, planning obligations entered into under Section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 can be used to secure contributions from those carrying out development. Planning obligations are enforceable, including against successors in title where an obligation is registered in the Land Register of Scotland or the General Register of Sasines.

Question reference: S6O-02150

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on what progress has been made on its commitment to pilot access to universal free school meals in secondary schools.

Question reference: S6W-16972

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Community Safety last met with the Fire Brigades Union, and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S6W-16970

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has appropriate levels of resources to respond to every incident in a safe and timely manner.

The Scottish Government has continued the commitment to support SFRS service delivery and reform with a further uplift of £10m resource for 2023-24. In recognition of the pay and inflationary pressures faced by SFRS, we have provided SFRS with additional budget cover of up to £4.4m on top of the allocation set in the 2023-24 budget announcement.

The Scottish Government’s Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland 2022 sets out that SFRS should ensure that the capability of its assets and staff, combined with technological improvements, enable it to respond to incidents with the right resources at the right time across communities in Scotland. The deployment of the appropriate level of resources to deal with an incident is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.