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-29115

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on establishing an advisory group of equalities experts to co-produce new regulations for the public sector equality duty, as committed to by the then Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees in response to a letter from 26 equalities organisations in April 2022.

Question reference: S6W-29114

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with relevant stakeholders to discuss its ongoing review of the public sector equality duty.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with stakeholders to discuss the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). Over the past six months, we have met with various groups to ensure ongoing collaboration. This includes regular monthly meetings with the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and frequent catch-up conversations. Director for Equalities, Inclusion and Human Rights, John Somers, also met with Head of EHRC Scotland, John Wilkes in June 2024.

Additionally, we have engaged with key stakeholders such as Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and Zero Waste Scotland. We participated in a sectoral event with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and EHRC, and held discussions with the NDPB Equalities Forum, Communications Inclusion People, and Engender. These engagements are crucial in shaping our approach to equality and human rights across Scotland.

The Scottish Government has further engagement planned to continue our discussions on the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED). In late autumn, we will be holding roundtable discussions with both duty bearers and equality advocacy groups. These sessions will focus on the 2025-2029 equality outcome setting process as part of the ongoing improvement of the PSED regime.

Question reference: S6W-29111

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the review of the public sector equality duty, what progress has been made on the proposal to use regulation 11 of the Scottish specific duties to make more effective use of intersectional equality data in policy making and increasing consideration of equality data in policy making.

Question reference: S6W-29110

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revisit and expand the review of the public sector equality duty, in light of the letter to stakeholders on 4 October 2023 from the then Minister for Equalities, Migration and Refugees.

The Scottish Government is currently reviewing the effectiveness of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) and is committed to improving its implementation through a phased approach, within the limits of devolved competence.

We are progressing key initiatives under the improvement regime of the PSED, including our approach to inclusive communications, pay gap reporting, and utilising ministerial powers under Regulation 11. Insights from commissioned international research are also being considered to inform our policies.

Our focus remains on effectively implementing and improving the current frameworks.

Question reference: S6O-03614

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its ongoing work with local authorities, Police Scotland and other partners to tackle the reported increasing antisocial behaviour in town centres.

Question reference: S6W-27878

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with the Department for Work and Pensions under the agency agreement for the delivery of Carer's Allowance in Scotland to identify the (a) number of carers affected by overpayment debt and (b) levels of debt accumulated.

The Scottish Government has urged the DWP to carefully consider people’s individual circumstances before any recovery of Carer’s Allowance overpayments from carers. Discussions are ongoing with the DWP as to potential arrangements for the recovery of any Carer’s Allowance overpayments for carers in Scotland that remain once case transfer is complete and the current Agency Agreement comes to an end.

Question reference: S6W-27778

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 10 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the development of the strategic framework for Scotland’s childcare profession, which was committed to in the document, Best Start: Strategic early learning and school age childcare plan for Scotland 2022-26.

Following the announcement of major new childcare commitments in the 2023-24 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government is re-considering the approach to publication of the strategic framework for the early learning and school age childcare profession. In the mean time we are continuing to work with the Framework Steering Group and other partners to support delivery of the actions developed as part of the original plan.

We have already provided local authorities with an additional £16 million in 24-25 to increase pay for staff in the private and voluntary (PVI) sector who are delivering funded early learning and childcare (ELC) to at least £12 per hour from April 2024. This demonstrates our commitment to the Fair Work agenda, as we remain the only part of the UK to pay ELC staff in the PVI sector the real Living Wage.

In addition, we are progressing our commitment to growing the childminding profession by 1,000 and have funded the Scottish Childminding Association to develop a new national three-year programme of childminder recruitment and retention. We have also implemented a Protection of Vulnerable Groups (PVG) fee waiver scheme for everyone joining the sector in fiscal year 2023-24 and launched a new national portal for continuous professional learning, which includes mental health and wellbeing resources.

We will continue to work with representatives from across the sector to understand key priorities for the ELC profession and how we can best support retention and recruitment.

Question reference: S6W-27780

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 10 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how the reported underlying causes of the recruitment and retention challenges within the childcare sector, such as gendered occupational segregation, low pay and poor working conditions, are being considered in the development of the strategic framework for Scotland’s childcare profession.

We are engaging closely with our sector wide stakeholder group and taking an evidence-based approach to developing and delivering actions to support Scotland’s childcare profession that include consideration of gender, pay and wider working conditions. This builds on the important work the Scottish Government has led to make Fair Work central to the delivery of the expansion of funded early learning and childcare (ELC).

In 2016, before the ELC expansion to 1140 hours, approximately 80% of practitioners delivering funded ELC in private and third sector services were paid less than the real Living Wage. The investment to support sustainable rates, and the ELC real Living Wage commitment has led to increases in pay across private and third sector services. Our Financial Sustainability Health Check, published 31 July 2023, reports that 81% of funded ELC providers in the private and third sector are now paying the real Living Wage to either all staff or staff delivering funded ELC.

In 2024-25, the Scottish Government has provided local authorities with an additional £16 million to increase pay for staff in the private and voluntary (PVI) sector who are delivering funded ELC to at least £12 per hour from April 2024. This commitment could result in a £2,000 increase in the gross salary annual salary of a full-time childcare worker.

This demonstrates our commitment to the Fair Work agenda, as we remain the only part of the UK to provide funding to allow ELC staff in the PVI sector to be paid the real Living Wage.

Another key action we are taking forward is implementing a process for monitoring progress with providers paying the real Living Wage and re-establishing the ELC Fair Work and Real Living Wage Implementation Group.

These are critical steps towards addressing the recruitment and retention issues facing the sector today.

Question reference: S6W-27781

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 10 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many women workers in the early learning and childcare workforce it estimates will be captured by its commitment to pay at least £12 per hour to workers delivering the funded entitlement.

Question reference: S6W-27779

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 10 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the updated timescale is for delivery of the strategic framework for Scotland’s childcare profession, in light of the document, Best Start: Strategic early learning and school age childcare plan for Scotland 2022-26, stating that it would be published in late 2022.