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: S6W-20587

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 24 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided directly, as well as to each local authority, to cover the costs relating to the promotion of the new right, from August 2023, to early learning and childcare funding where entry to primary school is deferred.

In 2023-24, we will be investing around £1 billion through local government in funding 1140 hours of Early Learning and Childcare (ELC).

We have carried out detailed analysis of the cost of delivering 1140 and worked with COSLA and local government through the ELC Finance Working Group to understand what a sustainable settlement would look like.
The settlement takes account of changes to the eligible population and also makes significant allowance for high rates of inflation in costs, as well as reflecting increased pay costs and creating capacity to deliver policy priorities including deferrals.

Question reference: S6W-20561

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates its student mental health plan will be published by the beginning of the 2023-24 academic year.

Question reference: S6W-20540

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its evaluation of the four delivery model pilots for school swimming.

Question reference: S6W-20524

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many teachers act as a young carers champion.

Question reference: S6W-20156

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recommendations it has made for Access for All funding regarding accessibility improvements at Glasgow railway stations, in each of the last five years.

Rail accessibility remains a matter reserved to the UK Government. For the current Rail Regulatory Control Period 6 (2019-2024) the Scottish Government nominated the following stations for the Department for Transport’s Access for All Programme:-

Anderston, Anniesland, Croy, Dumfries, Johnstone, Port Glasgow, Uddingston, Springburn, Shettleston, Falkirk High, Falkirk Grahamston, and Inverurie.

Following the nominations, the UK Department for Transport Access for All Programme and mid-Tier Programmes for this Control Period provided funding for access improvements at Anderston, Anniesland, Croy, Dumfries, Johnstone, Port Glasgow and Uddingston. The UK Government has chosen not to provide funding for Springburn, Shettleston, Falkirk High, Falkirk Grahamston, and Inverurie stations.

Step free access has already been delivered at Anderston, Croy, and Johnstone with the remaining stations where the UK Government accepted the Scottish Government’s nominations due to be completed by the end of the rail funding period in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-20154

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address waiting times for child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) assessments.

The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting all Boards to achieve the standard that 90% of patients start treatment within 18 weeks of referral. We allocated nearly £40m additional funding in 2021-22 to NHS Boards to improve CAMHS, which included £4.25m specifically for clearing backlogs. In 2022-23 we allocated a further £36.7m via the Mental Health Outcomes Framework to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and psychological services for all.

We recognise that performance varies across Health Boards and we continue to provide targeted, tailored support towards those Boards with the longest waits and poorest performance. We have asked Boards to submit trajectories up to March 2024 for performance against the CAMHS standard, and for clearing long waits.

Question reference: S6W-20604

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-19943

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many student teachers have accessed bursaries in each year since 2008.

Question reference: S6W-19942

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on student teacher bursaries in each year since 2008.

Question reference: S6W-19829

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 26 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees.

Scotland has a long history of welcoming people of all nationalities and faiths, including those seeking refuge and asylum from war and persecution. The New Scots refugee integration strategy was informed by engagement across Scotland, including refugees and people seeking asylum from the LGBT+ community. The strategy recognises that people seeking safety on the basis of their LGBT+ identity can face particular challenges within the asylum process and as refugees. We are committed to supporting the integration of asylum seekers and refugees into our communities and working with our partners to refresh the New Scots strategy.

LGBT Health & Wellbeing’s LGBT+ Refugee Project received £277,000 from the Scottish Government’s Investing in Communities Fund from 2019-2023 and an additional £30,000 from the Equality and Human Rights Fund in March 2023.

The recent report from LGBT Health and Wellbeing raises significant concerns relating to asylum accommodation. Asylum is reserved to the UK Parliament and handled by the Home Office. This includes provision of asylum accommodation and support. I hope the Home Office and its contractors will be engaging with LGBT Health and Wellbeing on their report to understand the issues people have experienced.

Number of bursaries awarded	Year
107	2018-19
111	2019-20
150	2020-21
137	2021-22
84	2022-23

Year	Costs
2018-19	£2,140,000
2019-20	£2,220,000
2020-21	£3,000,000
2021-22	£2,740,000
2022-23	£1,680,000
Total	£11,780,000