Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 40913 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-04346

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government by what date evidence of having had the COVID-19 booster vaccine will be included in people’s vaccination status.

Question reference: S6W-04338

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to include COVID-19 booster status on a person's vaccination record.

Question reference: S6W-04467

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances gamete storage can be provided by the NHS.

Gamete (egg and sperm) storage can be provided by the NHS with informed consent from patients (regulated by the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) and by law under the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Act 1990 (as amended)) under the following circumstances:

Storage of personal gametes for use in NHS Assisted Conception Treatment by couples that fulfil the access criteria.
Storage of gametes for patients who require fertility preservation treatment.
Storage of gametes donated altruistically by sperm or egg donors for use in NHS Assisted Conception Treatment.

Question reference: S6W-04297

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release on 29 October 2021 regarding a £41 million Winter Support Fund for low-income households, what the application process is for the £10 million of funding to help people who are struggling to pay fuel bills.

The £10 million Fuel Insecurity Fund will be made available to households struggling with their energy costs this winter through a range of third sector delivery partners, chiefly the Fuel Bank Foundation, Registered Social Landlords and Advice Direct Scotland, which will be delivering the Home Heating Support Fund. Application processes will be put in place by each delivery organisation and are expected to involve a mix of direct applications and referrals by trusted advice partners.

Question reference: S6W-04488

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have contracted COVID-19 whilst in a vaccination centre.

The information requested is not available. As with any other setting, it is not possible to infer whether a specific setting or an event indicates where the Covid19 transmission took place. This is because cases may have attended multiple settings or events within a short space of time.

Local NHS Boards are responsible for putting the appropriate public health measures in place at vaccination centres to help minimise the transmission of Covid19 including physical distancing and the use of face coverings.

Question reference: S6W-04318

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what is being done to ensure universal access to early learning and childcare as part of the roll-out of the 1,140 hours of funded provision.

As of August, all councils are offering 1140 hours of funded ELC to all eligible children, making high quality early learning and childcare available to families and saving parents up to £4,900 per year for each eligible child. Up to 130,000 children are expected to benefit this year as new children are enrolled.

This is a fantastic achievement that has been achieved in the face of the pandemic by Scottish Government, Local Government and our local delivery partners.

Data returned by local authorities in September 2021 indicates that 90,890 children were accessing funded ELC as of the end of August 2021. Of these, 88,122 children (97%) were accessing more than 600 hours, and 79,262 children (87%) were accessing 1140 hours funded ELC. Providers in the private and voluntary sectors and childminders provide 32% of all funded provision.

Scotland is the only part of the UK to offer the equivalent of 1140 hours to all eligible children regardless of their parents’ working status, putting children first. That includes all 3 and 4 year olds and around a quarter of 2 year olds.

The Scottish Government has been working with local authorities to promote the expanded entitlement, with the aim of helping parents to make informed choices about what works best for them and their children, and that provision reflects local needs.

Question reference: S6W-04296

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release on 29 October 2021 regarding a £41 million Winter Support Fund for low-income households, what eligibility criteria it has applied to the £10 million to help people who are struggling to pay fuel bills.

Support from the £10 million Fuel Insecurity Fund will be delivered by third sector partner organisations and will be available to households across Scotland who are at risk of self-disconnecting, or self-rationing their energy use this winter, regardless of tariff type or fuel type.

Through all of the projects supported by the Fuel Insecurity Fund, we will seek to ensure that those receiving help are not just provided with financial support but that they are also connected with wider advice and support on energy efficiency, income maximisation and how to reduce energy bills.

Question reference: S6W-04386

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 30 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has put in place to reduce poverty-related health inequalities.

We are committed to addressing the underlying causes of health inequalities; ending poverty, increasing fair access to employment, education and training, and improving our physical and social environments.

Community Link Workers continue to be at the forefront of our efforts to tackle poverty-related health inequalities. We are building on the funding we provide to community-led organisations and supporting the success of Community Link Workers by creating a network of 1,000 additional staff. We are embedding welfare rights and money advice services across 150 primary care settings throughout Scotland.

We provide £9 million to fund smoking-cessation services, which especially benefits people from deprived communities, and we are making Active Schools programmes free for young people. Our Alcohol Framework contains 20 actions to prevent and reduce alcohol-related harms and reduce the inequality gap. We fund the Healthy Living Programme in over 2,300 convenience stores, mainly in more deprived areas, which increases fruit and vegetable sales.

Progress in these areas, alongside our public health priorities, will help tackle the unfair and unjust health inequalities that exist across Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-00538

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports that the use of antidepressant medication among children has increased by more than 80% over the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6F-00531

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the report, Towards a Scotland that cares: a new National Outcome on Care for the National Performance Framework, by the University of the West of Scotland, which is supported by Oxfam Scotland, Carers Scotland, Scottish Care, the Scottish Women’s Budget Group and One Parent Families Scotland.