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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-02508

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 23 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the effectiveness of the so-called 20-metre rule that is used as part of the eligibility criteria for being awarded adult disability payment; whether it plans to remove the rule, and, if so, by what date, and what discussions it has had with the Department for Work and Pensions regarding this.

Our overriding commitment is to the safe and secure transfer of disability assistance from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) to Social Security Scotland, and this has been our priority throughout the development of our new social security system. It is essential that clients continue to receive the payments they rely on both in terms of disability benefit and the passported access this provides. To this end, the Adult Disability Payment criteria will remain largely the same as the existing Personal Independence Payment Framework during the case transfer process, but will be reviewed in due course. We also need to continue to safeguard against creating a system in which individuals paid by Social Security Scotland are subject to significantly different eligibility requirements from clients whose cases have not yet transferred to the Scottish system.

Changes we are making to the delivery of Adult Disability Payment, such as replacing assessments with person centred consultations, will improve the delivery and process of Adult Disability Payment and address many of the concerns raised by stakeholders, including on the 20 metre rule. In particular, the reliability criteria, which is applied to determine eligibility, will be enshrined more fully in legislation for Adult Disability Payment than it previously has been for Personal Independence Payment. This criteria requires a client to be able to carry out activities safely, repeatedly, in an acceptable manner and in a reasonable time, and these factors will be used to ensure that decisions will take full account of how the client experiences each activity – including moving around.

We have also committed to undertaking an independent review of Adult Disability Payment in 2023, one year after delivery has begun. The review will enable all of the eligibility criteria to be considered and will ensure that people in receipt of Adult Disability Payment will be able to provide their valuable feedback and experiences of the process so far. The DWP are aware of our commitment to review Adult Disability Payment.

Question reference: S6W-02376

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 23 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in the Scottish National Party election manifesto, what action it is taking to (a) double skills provision and (b) boost training apprenticeships and skills opportunities.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the development of skills to realise the full potential of our screen sector. As set out in the Programme for Government 2021-22, working with Screen Scotland through its partnership with the skills agencies, we will continue to increase skills provision across the sector, including through increasing training and apprenticeship placements. Work is already underway to deliver training targeted at areas of skills needs. This includes two programmes backed by £426,500 from the Scottish Government’s National Transition Training Fund, one which supported trainees learning new skills in production and a second offering training in animation, visual special effects and production accountancy.

Question reference: S6W-02504

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many specialist dementia beds have been available in each year since 2007, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-02405

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will spend on the media campaign to raise awareness of the new fire safety laws; how long it will run for, and what the estimated (a) total potential target audience and (b) reach of the campaign will be.

Question reference: S6W-02157

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason funding that it provided to support organisations responsible for building social housing, which have incurred additional costs due to the COVID-19 pandemic, has reportedly not been received by some organisations, in light of reports that sub-contractors of Cunninghame Housing Association have not received such funding.

The Scottish Government published guidance in August 2020 setting out the circumstances under which additional grant support requests would be considered for projects contractually awarded prior to the March 2020 lockdown and which were as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Additional grant support through this route from the Affordable Housing Supply Programme is discretionary and is dependent on the circumstances of the individual organisation, development and the contractual arrangements.

An assessment of applications can only conclude when all the appropriate evidence has been supplied to support the request for additional funding. In the case of a request for support in Dumfries and Galloway, the Scottish Government recently received sufficient evidence to determine the claim and the Housing Association has now been informed of the outcome of that assessment .

Question reference: S6W-02784

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what practical advice it has provided for the public on the installation of interlinked fire alarms, and whether it will provide an update on how people will be helped financially to install them.

To raise awareness of the new Fire and Smoke Alarm regulations coming into force in February 2022, the Scottish Government’s extensive marketing campaign began on 19 August with a TV advert supported by ongoing radio and digital coverage.

Information leaflets are also available in libraries throughout the country. The leaflet provides information about the types of alarms such as battery operated and mains wired which can be used and the necessary kite marks they must carry in order to meet the legislation requirements. A factsheet is also available on the Scottish Government website - https://www.gov.scot/publications/fire-and-smoke-alarms-in-scottish-homes/ . Our information leaflets - it explains that mains wired alarms should be installed by a qualified electrician and that battery operated alarms can be installed by the homeowner.

Home owners are responsible for the costs of on-going work needed to protect and preserve their own property, which includes the costs for the fire alarms to meet the new standard. We have provided £0.5 million additional funding for Care and Repair Scotland to provide help installing alarms for older and disabled homeowners on low incomes. We have also provided £1 million to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to provide alarms for owners who are considered most vulnerable to the risk of fire. Local authorities also have broad discretionary powers to provide advice and support to owners.

Following the marketing campaign, and as the fitting of the new alarms in people’s homes progresses ahead of the standard coming into force, the Scottish Government will be able to provide an update on assistance provided to homeowners.

The Scottish Government has engaged with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure that as many people as possible know about the new fire and smoke alarm regulations ahead of the February 2022 implementation date.

Question reference: S6W-02790

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on ensuring greater adherence to the legally-binding air quality limit values that apply in the EU.

Question reference: S6W-02602

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many social workers have been employed by each local authority in each year since 1999.

The information requested by Mr Briggs MSP is readily available on the SSSC website, and a detailed breakdown by local authority can be obtained directly from the official source.

Every year in August, the Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) publishes the ‘Scottish Social Service Sector: Report on 2020 Workforce Data’. This year's edition was the 10th set of official statistics. Official figures, therefore, only go back to 2011.

According to the most recent data, published in August this year, as of December 2020, there were 6,049 social workers employed in local authorities, the highest number recorded, representing a 1.5% increase since the previous year, 2019, or a 6% increase since 2011.

Question reference: S6O-00216

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has taken to address the consequences of the reduction of universal credit and any potential impact on child poverty.

Question reference: S6O-00212

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent funding announcement of £50 million for homeless services will be new money or funds previously allocated to existing budgets.