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: S5O-02850

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 January 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the trend in the number of college students since 2007.

Question reference: S5W-20409

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to ensure that high-quality training opportunities and skills development are available for all foster carers.

Responsibility for ensuring that high quality training opportunities and skills development are available to foster carers approved by them lies with the relevant local authority, independent or voluntary fostering agency.

The new Health and Social Care Standards published in April 2018, used by the Care Inspectorate for their inspection of fostering services include "I have confidence in people because they are trained, competent and skilled, are able to reflect on their practice and their professional and organisational codes"

We also know that the Fostering Network provide widely used pre-approval "Skills to Foster" training to provide new foster carers with a firm foundation of skills and knowledge to equip them for the role. Both the Fostering Network and fostering agencies also provide a wide range of post-approval training and development opportunities for foster carers.

Following a recommendation of the National Review of Foster Care (2013) to bring a more consistent approach, the Scottish Government commissioned Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) to develop a learning development Standard for foster carers. It was published in April 2017 and we will be considering options for implementation of the new Standard in the context of the Independent Care Review.

Question reference: S5W-20411

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to ensure there are common standards across all local authorities for the registration of foster carers.

Common requirements apply through Regulation 22 of the Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009. Schedule 3 sets out the information that all local authorities must collect and present to a fostering panel when they are considering approving and registering a person as a foster carer.

Regulation 31 sets out information that all local authorities must compile as part of case records for foster carers who have been approved and registered with them and with whom a child has been placed.

Question reference: S5W-20413

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on standardising foster care allowances across all local authorities.

In November 2017, the Scottish Government established the National Review of Care Allowances to carry out a review of allowances for foster and kinship carers. The group published its report on 14 September, together with a recommendation that the Scottish Government and CoSLA should consider the introduction of a Scottish Recommended Allowance.

The Scottish Government welcomes the recommendations of the group and is keen to reduce the discrepancies in the reported levels of allowances paid to foster and kinship carers across Scotland. We are currently in discussions with CoSLA and plan to publish a joint response to the recommendations soon.

Question reference: S5W-20410

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what arrangements are in place to ensure there are rights of representation for any foster carer attending a local authority investigative hearing.

Guidance on "Managing allegations against foster carers and approved kinship carers - how agencies should respond" published in July 2013 specifies that Foster carers about whom a concern has been raised, must have access to independent legal advice and information prior to any investigation proceeding.

The Fostering Network provides access to a legal helpline and legal expenses insurance for its members which allows them to defend themselves against criminal charges arising as a consequence of their foster caring role.

Chapter 12 of Guidance on The Looked After Children (Scotland) Regulations 2009 specifies that during any investigation about an allegation, the carer or prospective carer should be invited to bring someone with them for support and also have the opportunity seek independent advice and information.

Also, when a fostering panel is asked to conduct a review of a foster carer's approval, Regulation 26 (6) (c) of the Regulations provides for a foster carer to submit representation to that panel.

Question reference: S5W-20408

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that there are sufficient foster carers in each local authority area to meet the needs of all children and families requiring services.

Responsibility for recruiting sufficient foster carers to meet the needs of children and families in their areas lies with local authorities who run regular local recruitment campaigns. The Scottish Government provides funding to local authorities through the Local Government Settlement to assist them in fulfilling their recruitment responsibilities.

The Scottish Government also provides £145,000 annually through the Children Young People and Families Early Intervention Fund to the Fostering Network (Scotland) who run an annual national campaign to raise awareness about foster caring and to help recruit new foster carers.

Question reference: S5W-20412

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 December 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made towards establishing a national register of foster carers.

Question reference: S5W-19962

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of high levels of faults and equipment failures, whether it is aware of any plans that Network Rail has to reduce Overhead Line Department coverage across Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-19637

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has held with Knorr-Bremse RailServices following the company's proposals to sell shares in the business to Mutares.

Question reference: S5W-19638

Asked by: Elaine Smith, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 26 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Knorr-Bremse RailServices regarding the lease of the company's site at Springburn.