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-06784

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many opportunities there are for youth work placements through the current Modern Apprenticeships scheme.

Official Modern Apprenticeship (MA) statistics are published by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) quarterly, including the number of starts.

The following table shows the number of MA starts over the last five years on the Youth Work Framework:

Year	Starts
2020-21	28
2019-20	31
2018-19	29
2017-18	37
2016-17	27

Published on 15 February 2022, the Quarter 3 statistics covering April-December 2021, show there have been 16 starts on the Youth Work Modern Apprenticeship Framework by the end of Quarter 3. The Modern Apprenticeship 2021-22 Q4 (Year End) statistics are expected to be published in May 2022.

Apprenticeships are a key way for all employers to invest in their workforce, providing the skills the economy needs both now and in the future. Apprenticeship opportunities are led by demand from employers. Each year SDS carries out an extensive industry demand assessment to support planning and contracting across the apprenticeship family.

The Scottish Government will continue to work collaboratively with Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council to maximise apprenticeship opportunities and prioritise a recovery that creates new jobs, good jobs and green jobs, supporting the long-term future of work-based learning and the economy.

Question reference: S6W-06786

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government which funding streams in the creative sector specifically encourage youth workers and community-based projects to deliver courses and projects that seek to build skills in the positive use of social media.

The Scottish Government believes it is important to ensure young people build skills in the positive use of social media. In December 2021, UK broadcasting regulator Ofcom published its approach to online media literacy, setting out the need to build media literacy skills, including identifying misinformation on social media platforms.

There are no specific creative sector projects on social media being funded by the Scottish Government at this time but there are a number of projects and initiatives funded from other areas of the Scottish Government that seek to develop skills in the positive use of social media. Those relevant to youth workers and community groups are set out below.

In 2021-22, the Scottish Government’s Cyber Resilience Unit provided funding to Civic Digits CIC of £35,550, complementing funding from Creative Scotland, to deliver The Big Data Show to 2,400 children in schools and to a community organisation working with young people from black and minority ethnic communities.

In 2020, the Scottish Youth Parliament, with Scottish Government funding, also developed a digital resource called Mind Yer Time, to help children and young people use screens and social media in a healthy way.

Question reference: S6O-00857

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what progress has been made on re-opening the Scottish Parliament creche.

Question reference: S6W-06783

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage youth work as a career, including any specific support for those seeking to leave their current employment in a different sector.

Scottish Government is taking steps to encourage youth work as a career by offering targeted qualifications and professional learning opportunities, building awareness of the sector, and offering support to gain qualifications.

Skills Development Scotland (SDS) offers a Youth Work Modern Apprenticeship that teaches practical skills needed for a successful career in youth work. SDS also manage Individual Training Accounts, offering those who are unemployed or with an income of less than £22,000 access of up to £200 per year to support entry to or progression in work; and supports people to develop new skills and progress their careers.

Scottish Government also funds Youth Scotland to deliver the PDA in Youth Work to youth workers across Scotland, including volunteers. Furthermore, the Community Learning & Development Standards Council for Scotland (CLDSC) offers various opportunities to its members for professional learning & development, including buddying and mentoring programmes for early-career CLD practitioners, including youth workers. The CLDSC are also currently working with a range of stakeholders (including Further and Higher Education providers and Scottish employers) to host a CLD open day later in 2022 where youth work as a career or voluntary opportunity will be promoted to those not already involved in Community Learning & Development.

Question reference: S6W-06782

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many individuals have been employed as youth workers in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S6W-06781

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what specific interventions are currently underway to ensure that BAME young people can access youth and community services that meet their needs locally.

The Scottish Government believes that all young people in Scotland should have access to youth work services at the right time, and in the best place, for them. Various groups representing young people with protected characteristics, including young people from minority ethnic communities, have been involved in the consultation for Scotland’s new youth work strategy. The strategy aims to see more joined up services for young people where schools, colleges, service providers, local authorities and education partners are better connected around the youth work offer, meaning better opportunities locally for young people across Scotland, including those from minority ethnic communities.

The Scottish Government also provide core funding to Intercultural Youth Scotland to ensure young people from a minority ethnic background are supported and encouraged to take part in youth work activities. The funding has also supported a range of mental health programmes, in particular during the pandemic. In addition to this, a range of local, national and grassroots organisations are funded to promote youth work among the minority ethnic community and advance race equality in general to improve outcomes for young people.

Question reference: S6W-06367

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what mental health support is available for (a) adults and (b) children and young people with cystic fibrosis (i) in general and (ii) who are receiving treatments such as Kaftrio.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that everyone living in Scotland with Cystic Fibrosis is able to access the best possible care and support for their mental health.

As Cystic Fibrosis is a complex condition that affects individuals in different ways, people of all ages will have access to Specialist Cystic Fibrosis Centres and be cared for by a team of doctors, nurses and allied health professionals with specialised knowledge. Cystic Fibrosis Centres in Scotland include a Clinical Psychologist as part of the multidisciplinary team who can provide mental health support to the patient and their family.

Further emotional support can be accessed via the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and a resource detailing support for people on the impact of Kaftrio is available online via their website.

Question reference: S6W-06320

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that children aged 12 to 15 who have not currently received their second dose of a COIVD-19 vaccine will be able to travel to European countries with their families during the February mid-term holidays, in light of some countries requiring this age group to be double vaccinated.

NHS Scotland is offering 2 doses of the coronavirus vaccine to all children and young people aged 12 to 17 years. The second dose will be offered from 12 weeks after the first dose. Children and young people aged 12 to 15 years have been sent second dose invitation letters. They can also attend drop-in clinics. More information on vaccinating children and young people is available at https://www.nhsinform.scot/covid-19-vaccine/the-vaccines/vaccinating-children-and-young-people-aged-12-to-17-years/

We cannot provide advice on the rules for other countries. Before travelling you should check the up to date entry requirements for the destination country.

Question reference: S6W-06442

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many type 1 diabetics in each NHS board area will be eligible for the proposed closed loop system initiative, as recommended by the Scottish Health Technologies Group in its report of 28 January 2022.

The information requested is not collected centrally. There are a number of factors which clinicians will use to determine individual suitability for closed loop systems and other diabetes technologies.

We expect clinicians and NHS Boards to follow all relevant national clinical guidelines when assessing the most appropriate treatment for someone living with diabetes, including the use of closed loop systems.

The Scottish Diabetes Survey provides an annual summary of key issues and trends in diabetes care and treatment in Scotland, including the numbers of people accessing diabetes technologies. The 2020 Survey was published in January of this year and can be found by following link: https://www.diabetesinscotland.org.uk/publications/#survey-docs.

Question reference: S6W-06445

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is addressing reported inequalities in access to flash glucose monitors and insulin pumps for adults and children with diabetes.