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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 8820 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5W-12037

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what research it plans on the potential disaggregated income impact on each local authority of the proposed national deposit return scheme for plastic and glass bottles.

Question reference: S5W-12034

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what business impact assessment it has carried on the plans for the proposed national deposit return scheme for plastic and glass bottles.

Question reference: S5W-12248

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-11767

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 31 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the pilot scheme for the Best Start strategy will start at the Vale of Leven Community Maternity Unit and for how long it will run.

Question reference: S5W-11765

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 31 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde to market the Vale of Leven Community Maternity Unit to a wider catchment area, specifically Clydebank.

Question reference: S5W-11766

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 31 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether the birthing service will remain at the Vale of Leven Community Maternity Unit during the pilot scheme for the Best Start strategy.

Question reference: S5W-11768

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 31 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the pilot scheme of the Best Start strategy at the Vale of Leven Community Maternity Unit is independently evaluated.

Question reference: S5W-11846

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor the Fair Start Scotland programme and what criteria it will use to determine its effectiveness.

The Scottish Government have designed a robust performance management framework to ensure that both key performance indicators (KPIs) and key delivery indicators (KDIs) which were set out within the Statement of requirements are met, providing quality of support to all Participants. Key products and tools have been developed to assist in the performance management activity. The performance Management framework will consist of monthly random sampling of Participant case files, observation visits and more in depth reviews where appropriate to ensure that the KPIs/KDIs are being achieved and that the service is delivered consistently across the programme for all Participants. Any areas requiring to be addressed will be monitored through performance management reviews and improvement activities.

In addition to performance management and monitoring, the Scottish Government will fully evaluate the delivery and outcomes of Fair Start Scotland. This will include commissioned research with service users, providers, delivery partners and employers, as well as ongoing analysis of performance and monitoring information. The aim of the evaluation will be to provide a clear picture of impacts at an individual, group and system level.

Question reference: S5W-11847

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment the Fair Start Scotland programme has made of the hardest to reach unemployed.

We received over 200 responses to the consultation on future devolved employment services in 2015 alongside more than 70 events and meetings held with user and stakeholder groups across Scotland. Additional work in 2016 with disabled people, their representatives and other stakeholders informed the specific service offer for this group.

This work was supported by a literature review of successful approaches to employment support and labour market analysis of protected characteristics and other vulnerable groups using sources including the Annual Population Survey. The Literature review can be found here: http://www.learningandwork.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Scotlands-future-employment-services-final-report.pdf

We have created a programme that will be flexible, tailored, and responsive to the needs of those who are further from the labour market and we are on track to deliver by April 2018.

Question reference: S5W-11842

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 27 October 2017

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has continued the practice of "paying by results" for the Fair Start Scotland programme.

Through Fair Start Scotland, the Scottish Government is committed to delivering an employability service which is focussed on delivering outcomes and progression to employment.

The 2015 consultation on devolved services pointed to the need for sufficient guaranteed funding to enable smaller organisations to engage and guarantee a level of support to all participants. Therefore, Fair Start Scotland will operate differently to previous Department of Work and Pensions programmes as a service fee of 30% of the contract value will be paid.

The key aim of the service and the Scottish Government’s significant investment in it is to help as many people as possible into sustained work. By rewarding providers for job outcomes with staged payments over a period of up to 12 months, the Scottish Government is ensuring service providers support participants into sustainable work and continue to help them afterwards to remain in their job or move quickly back into work should they become unemployed again. I believe this is the best way to deliver both a high quality service and value for money.