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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: S5W-15464

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent each year on measures to mitigate the impact on Scotland of the UK Government's welfare reforms.

The Scottish Government continues to protect the most vulnerable and those on low incomes by mitigating the worst impacts of the UK Government’s welfare cuts.

We have increased our spending on welfare mitigation measures by over £20 million in each of the last two years. In 2018-19 we expect to spend £128m, this is up from £102.8m in 2017-18 and £81.4m in 2016-17.

Using public funds to make up shortfalls caused by UK Government welfare reforms to which the Scottish Government is firmly opposed is unsustainable. In the long term, only full devolution of social security will allow us to build a system that meets Scotland’s needs and supports our long-term ambitions.

Question reference: S5O-01968

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 April 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it is involving stakeholders with the development and implementation of its Planning Bill.

Question reference: S5O-01883

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports social landlords in providing affordable housing that is allocated according to need.

Question reference: S5O-01854

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of its national Play Strategy.

Question reference: S5O-01748

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 31 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish social security system will allow people who have difficulty communicating to receive information and express themselves in ways that best meet their needs.

We will achieve this by supporting the member’s amendment to the Social Security (Scotland) Bill to place a duty on Ministers to have regard to the importance of communicating in an inclusive way. The amendment goes to the heart of our ambitions to take a rights based approach and to place the needs of individuals at the centre of this new public service.

I look forward to discussing it in more detail at Committee when the Stage 2 process begins tomorrow.

Question reference: S5O-01697

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how the proposals in its draft strategy to tackle loneliness and social isolation could help promote the third sector.

Question reference: S5O-01668

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what role it considers pharmacies should play in supporting the health of the communities that they serve.

Question reference: S5W-13503

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress it has made toward the commitment to listen to 1,000 care-experienced people by the end of the parliamentary session.

Question reference: S5W-13504

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 19 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its proposed consultation on possible changes to the electoral system.

I am pleased to announce the publication today of our Consultation on Electoral Reform.

The 2016-2017 Programme for Government included a commitment to take forward a consultation exercise to find out what electoral reforms Scottish citizens would like to see taken forward in future legislation. The Digital Strategy for Scotland (published in March 2017) also included a commitment to trial electronic voting solutions to increase democratic participation.

The Scottish Government’s consultation paper, published today, is the first step towards these reforms and includes a number of suggestions as to how the newly-devolved electoral powers could be used. The Scottish Government will use the results of this consultation process to develop policy proposals that will be taken forward in future electoral legislation.

Question reference: S5W-13093

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 12 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Homelessness Task Force.