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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-26394

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Natalie Don on 22 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its response to the scoping study on historic forced adoption.

Today marks the first anniversary of the Scottish Government’s national apology to those affected by historic forced adoption practices. I acknowledge the immense pain and suffering that adoptees, mothers and families have endured as a result of these unjust practices. Addressing the harms caused remains a priority for this Government.

The scoping study is one of the sources of evidence that the Scottish Government is using in determining how to best support those affected by historic forced adoption. It is being considered alongside other evidence, including the accompanying service delivery paper , the original consultation exercise held in 2022 and ongoing engagement with campaigners and people with lived experience.

To that end, we are establishing a series of lived experience sessions on historic forced adoption, to be facilitated by the Scottish Government’s Principal Psychological Adviser. The purpose of these sessions is to explore potential collaborative solutions to the issues raised in the scoping study. The sessions will inform the Scottish Government’s policy response and help to determine how we prioritise and sequence this work, alongside our consideration of wider matters such as potential legislative, financial and operational impacts. We anticipate that a particular focus for discussion will be the form of support that is needed to address the emotional and psychological impact of historic forced adoption for adoptees, mothers and families.

A key issue that has been highlighted as part of our engagement is around the challenges of accessing records. As such, both the National Records of Scotland and Scottish Court and Tribunals Service have updated the information that they provide online in order to assist people with the practical aspects of accessing records, as well as signposting to further support. Both organisations will continue to provide access and assistance to adoption records in line with current legislation. We are also exploring what more we can do to ensure people affected by historic forced adoption are able to easily access the right information and support when they need it.

Additionally, the Scottish Government continues to fund the charity, Health in Mind, to provide specialist support through peer support groups. Monthly peer support sessions are now being held for mothers and an adoptees group will begin shortly. The peer support groups are open for self-referrals from those affected and further details are available online at Health in Mind | Historic Adoption Peer Support (health-in-mind.org.uk) .

Question reference: S6O-03229

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what representations it can make to the UK Government regarding the potential amendment of its Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill to cover Scotland, to ensure that there is parity and equality for all sub-postmasters and sub-postmistresses who have been affected.

Question reference: S6O-03191

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the availability of ADHD medication supplies in Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-02905

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2024

To ask the First Minister, in light of International Women's Day on 8 March, what steps the Scottish Government is taking to tackle gender-based violence.

Question reference: S6W-25729

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 February 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Siobhian Brown on 23 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022.

To date, four out of six key measures provided for within the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 have been implemented, these are:

A prohibition on providing or making available fireworks or pyrotechnic articles to children;
A new statutory aggravation for courts sentencing offenders where fireworks were used to attack emergency workers;
New discretionary powers for local authorities to designate firework control zones; and
New offences of possession of pyrotechnics in public places and at designated venues and events.

After careful consideration and assessment of the significant financial pressures the Scottish Government is facing following the UK Government’s budget settlement, the Government has decided to extend the timeframe for delivery and implementation of the firework licensing requirement (Part 2 of the Act) to 2026. A pause to the implementation of restrictions to the days of supply and use of fireworks (within Part 3 of the Act), was outlined to the Criminal Justice Committee in March 2023. I am writing to the Convener of the Criminal Justice Committee to provide further details about this decision.

Question reference: S6O-03140

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage the uptake of foreign languages at primary and secondary schools.

Question reference: S6O-03099

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Pain Management Task Force.

Question reference: S6O-03085

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the project board that is being formed to oversee the consideration of future funding for violence against women services will next meet.

The Violence Against Women and Girls Sustainable Funding Project Board is currently being developed and I expect it to meet for the first time in March. It has been formed to take forward our commitment to develop a flexible and stable funding model that will ensure a focus on prevention and high quality, accessible, specialist violence against women and girls services.

‎ The Project Board, will be co-chaired by Scottish Government and CoSLA, and will include representatives of public sector and specialist stakeholders. The remit of the group will be agreed with the members and will include producing an accurate assessment of the current costs and spend of violence against women and girls, to help inform the development of a sustainable funding model.

Question reference: S6W-24896

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 January 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Shona Robison on 29 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the next major capital projects progress update.

Today, the Scottish Government has published its latest Major Capital Projects Progress Update associated with the Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) for 2021-22 to 2025-26, which sets out progress on the delivery of infrastructure projects with a value over £5 million which have agreed Outline Business Cases or equivalent. The update can be viewed via the following link: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835218976

The UK Government did not inflation-proof their Capital Budget which has resulted in nearly a 10% real-terms cut in our capital funding over the medium-term between 2023-24 and 2027-28. The decisions made by the UK Government to reduce our capital funding in real terms year on year, alongside the construction supply chain issues, labour shortages and high inflation means that we cannot deliver on all our capital projects within the funding available.

Further work is therefore underway to update the full pipeline of projects and programmes relating to the current IIP to ensure it is affordable and deliverable and provides best value for money. A refresh of the overall infrastructure pipeline is intended to be published alongside the Medium-Term Financial Strategy (MTFS) in May 2024.

As set out in the May 2023 MTFS, we plan to extend the current IIP period by one year, to 2026-27. This will ensure spending is aligned to the three missions for this Parliament and that it takes account of the fiscal and economic reality at the time. Work with stakeholders and colleagues is ongoing to develop the next IIP, which will be published in due course and in plenty of time to be adopted in 2027-28.

Question reference: S6O-03024

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its funding for humanitarian assistance in Gaza.