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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-22197

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to announce the long-term formal governance structure to replace the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board, which disbanded in March 2023.

Following the planned conclusion of two previous governance structures, the Perinatal and Infant Mental Health Programme Board and the Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Joint Delivery Board, the Scottish Government and COSLA have agreed to progress this work through a new combined strategic board. This new strategic board will retain a strong focus on perinatal and infant needs and ensure that there is good integration with provision for older children, young adults and families. Embedding an equity led approach is also a key part of this work. We are currently working with key partners to agree membership.

The first meeting of the new strategic board is planned for later this year. Further information will be available on the Scottish Government website in due course.

Question reference: S6W-22177

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that payments for the Winter Heating Payment for 2023-24 will be made.

I refer the member to my letter of 6 November 2023 to the Social Justice and Social Security Committee. Subject to the necessary client data being provided by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on the dates and to the quality standards agreed, Social Security Scotland will begin processing Winter Heating Payments from mid-December. Payments will be made in batches and those clients receiving payment in the initial batches can expect to receive their Winter Heating Payment before the end of December. We anticipate that the vast majority of payments to the remaining clients will be made by the end of January 2024.

Question reference: S6W-22242

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what specific forms of consultation will be used during the independent review of Adult Disability Payment.

Question reference: S6W-22187

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by age group of the number of women in Scotland with endometriosis.

Question reference: S6W-22017

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the reported recommendation that Higher Education widening access targets should take regional context and under-represented areas into account.

We fully recognise that we have more to do, and all institutions have to work hard to ensure students from deprived areas receive opportunities to achieve their potential.

The Scottish Government is engaging with the sector to develop a consistent and robust set of measures to actively identify students who would benefit from our Widening Access policy.

We have established an Access Data Short-life Working Group to consider proposals and to investigate other widening access measures and data sources alongside existing SIMD measures. The group is due to report its findings to Ministers this autumn.

Question reference: S6W-22186

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its most recent estimate is of the cost to the Scottish economy of endometriosis in (a) treatment, (b) healthcare costs and (c) loss of work.

Question reference: S6W-22185

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its most recent estimate is of the number of women in Scotland with endometriosis.

Question reference: S6W-22184

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many women currently waiting for a diagnosis of endometriosis have been waiting more than (a) one year, (b) five years and (c) 10 years.

Question reference: S6O-02711

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress on reducing teachers’ class contact time.

I have commissioned an external research exercise to consider how best to progress the commitment to reduce class contact time by 90 minutes per week. Any reduction in class contact time will, additionally, require the agreement of the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers.

The research exercise will inform decisions on education workforce planning for future years, bringing together a range of factors, including current teacher numbers and pupil teacher ratios. The research is due to report by the end of December.

Question reference: S6O-02741

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a delivery plan for improvements to the A75 and A77 trunk roads.