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: S5W-18801

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 25 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on using the top-up powers to add a supplement to child benefit for people in receipt of the child element of universal credit.

The Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan , published in March 2018, commits the Scottish Government to work towards introducing a new income supplement by 2022 to provide additional financial support to low income families.

In developing the income supplement we will examine all delivery options, this will include the Poverty and Inequality Commission’s advice in relation to topping up Universal Credit (UC) and the feasibility of what Social Security Scotland could deliver.

The current devolution settlement means that if we choose Child Benefit or Universal Credit as a mechanism to top-up incomes, we will be reliant upon HMRC or the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) scheduling Scottish requirements into their work programme. This has the potential to introduce constraints, complexity and, importantly, costs into the process over which Scottish Ministers have no control.

Decisions on a delivery model will be based on the most effective way to target families in poverty and the most effective use of resources.

Question reference: S5W-18865

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) median and (b) mean total household income has been of applicants to the Help to Buy (Scotland) scheme in each quarter since 2016.

Information on the incomes of households purchasing homes through the Help to Buy (Scotland) Scheme is based on sales ‘log form’ information returned by participating households. Data on the median and mean household incomes is published in the latest Help to Buy (Scotland) Monitoring: characteristics of households report 2016-17 by quarter since the scheme began. The report can be found at https://beta.gov.scot/publications/help-to-buy-scotland-monitoring-characteristics-of-households-report-2016-2017/ .

Question reference: S5W-18670

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many high court trials in each year since 2008 started no later than the 140-day target date from full committal.

Question reference: S5W-18585

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 September 2018

The majority of Scotland's GP practices (94%) are run by independent contractors. As such it is for practices to agree terms and conditions with the locums whom they engage, and so information on average GP locum rates is not held by the Scottish Government.

However, under the 2018 GP Contract GP Practices will provide more data on their practice workforce and related expenses, which will allow more transparency on GP locum use in the future.

Question reference: S5W-18588

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it last audited the rates that can be charged by locums providing GP cover and how they compare with GP salaries.

The majority of Scotland's GP practices (94%) are run by independent contractors. As such it is for practices to agree terms and conditions with the locums who they engage. However, the Scottish Government is committed to greater transparency on how investment works in general practice and that is why under the 2018 GP Contract all GP practices are now required to provide data on their practice workforce and related expenses. This will allow more transparency on GP locum use in the future.

Question reference: S5W-18586

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) lowest and (b) highest rate is that GPs can offer for locum cover.

Question reference: S5W-18587

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a maximum time for which a locum can be employed to cover GP vacancies, and what the average time for a locum providing GP cover has been in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government does not set a maximum time for which a GP locum can be engaged. Locums can be engaged to provide cover for a variety of reasons, such as maternity or paternity leave, long-term study leave and sickness cover. It is for locums to agree their terms and conditions with the GP Practice or Health Board which engages them.

The National Primary Care Workforce Survey does not collect annual data on the average time for a locum providing GP cover, however under the 2018 GP Contract GP Practices will provide data on their practice workforce, which will allow more transparency on GP locum use in the future.

Question reference: S5O-02382

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent Unison report, which states that owning a home has become "virtually impossible" for many public sector workers.

Question reference: S5O-02325

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that it has an ethical international relations strategy.

Our International Framework is underpinned by a commitment to Good Global Citizenship. Through our bilateral relationships with other nations we seek to make distinctive contributions in addressing global challenges, sharing our knowledge, skills and technical expertise for global good.

Our international development work focuses on alleviating poverty and we seek to build the UN sustainable development goals into our overseas projects wherever possible. In our partner countries we provide ethical leadership and a positive voice in the world on global issues such as solidarity, tolerance, human rights and climate change. This work is outlined in our Contribution to International Development Report published on Monday 3rd September

Question reference: S5W-17962

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 22 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has examined the consistency of methodology used by the First Tier Tribunal for Scotland to determine its rulings on rent increases.