Chamber and committees

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: S6O-02675

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy, following its statement of intent on 28 September.

Question reference: S6W-21819

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support universities with any accommodation shortages.

The Scottish Government has no role in the provision of student accommodation, whether in purpose built student accommodation (PBSA) and university and college halls of residence or the private rented. However, we are determined to improve accessibility, affordability and standards in student accommodation.

Our Review of PBSA, which considered a number of issues including supply and affordability, has now concluded and the recommendations formulated by the Review Steering Group have been submitted to Ministers for consideration.

Question reference: S6W-21815

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support and guidance it provides to universities on preventing cyberattacks.

Although cyber security matters are reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is determined to do whatever it can within its powers to build Scotland’s cyber resilience and to reduce the impact of cyber incidents.

The Scottish Government works with a range of national partners including Police Scotland, the National Cyber Security Centre, Cyber and Fraud Centre Scotland (formerly known as ‘Scottish Business Resilience Centre’), the Digital Office, ScotlandIS, SCVO, Education Scotland and Skills Development Scotland – as part of the CyberScotland Partnership. This partnership aims to manage cyber risks through improving critical security controls across our public, third and private sectors, raising awareness and developing cyber security skills across schools, colleges, universities and the workplace.

Question reference: S6W-21781

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it gathers data on the number of students accessing mental health services at colleges and universities.

Question reference: S6W-21805

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18146 by Graeme Dey on 6 June 2023, when it expects to receive formal responses from all partners in the collective bargaining progress in relation to the recommendations of the lessons learned report.

Question reference: S6W-21835

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its working groups are currently under the remit of its Education and Skills portfolio.

The following working groups sit under the remit of the Education and Skills portfolio:

National Response to Improving Mathematics in Scotland Short Life Working Group

National Response to Improving Literacy in Scotland Short Life Working Group

NIF Statutory Guidance Working group

National Transitions to Adulthood Strategy External Strategic Working Group

Scottish Government Cross-policy Working Group on Transitions

Improvement and Regulation Working Group

Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group

Short Life Working Group on Data Sharing in Relation to Student Sexual Misconduct

Access Data Short-Life Working Group

Short Life Working Group on the Scope of the Accreditation and Regulation Function for the New Qualifications Body

Short Life Working Group on Economic and Social Opportunities for Gaelic

Question reference: S6W-21857

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of any recent discussions with key partners in the social care sector regarding (a) the introduction of a power for ministers to regulate secure transport, (b) the role of the Care Inspectorate in the registration, regulation and inspection of secure transport provision and (c) formal reporting and monitoring requirements for incidents that occur during secure transport journeys.

As outlined in my letter of 6 September secure transport is a complex and long-standing issue. Initial discussions have taken place with key partners to consider the registration, regulation and inspection of secure transport provision, most recently on 2 October. Those discussions are on-going and I hope to be able to update Parliament further during the forthcoming stages of consideration of the Children (Care and Justice) Bill.

Question reference: S6W-21778

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19943 by Jenny Gilruth on 10 August 2023, for what reason there has been a reduction in the number of teacher bursaries awarded compared with 2018.

The reduction in the number of bursaries awarded in 2022-23 compared with 2018 is the result of a decrease in the number of applications received and as a result, less were approved. Information on the number of applications received and bursaries awarded is available in the Skills Development Scotland 2022-23 evaluation report. https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/50367/stem-bursary-evaluation-report-2022-23.pdf .

Question reference: S6W-21790

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to using some of the funding allocated to the Young Person's Guarantee to promote or fund increases in young people's earnings to the National Living Wage.

The Scottish Government announced the launch of the Young Person’s Guarantee in November 2020, with the aim of protecting young people against the immediate economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Guarantee aimed to ensure every young person between 16 and 24 had the opportunity of a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training or volunteering. Between November 2020 and March 2023 we invested over £175m in additional support from Covid-related funding.

We have now mainstreamed this work across Government and, through our championing of the payment of the real Living Wage (which has a higher hourly rate than the National Living Wage), we continue to promote increases in young people’s earnings.

Question reference: S6W-21772

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has provided in grant funding to the Association for Real Change (ARC) Scotland in each of the last 10 years.

The Scottish Government has provided a total of £4,367,590.00 of grant funding to the Association for Real Change (ARC) Scotland between 1 April 2013-30 September 2023 to support a number of areas of their work. This is broken down per financial year as follows:

Year	Total Funding
2013-14	£263,257.00
2014-15	£421,746.00
2015-16	£460,127.00
2016-17	£464,389.00
2017-18	£408,079.50
2018-19	£345,842.50
2019-20	£361,191.00
2020-21	£429,351.00
2021-22	£456,045.00
2022-23	£507,671.00
2023-24	£249,891.00
TOTAL	£4,367,590.00