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-03664

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to encourage universities to end the use of fractional contracts.

The terms and conditions of employment of staff is a matter for individual universities as autonomous institutions. However, the Scottish Government would encourage every university to adhere to the principles of fair work, set out in the Fair Work Framework, published in April 2016. Ministers commitment to this was further highlighted in the Interim Letter of Guidance issued to the Scottish Funding Council on 29 September 2016.

Question reference: S5W-03670

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the funding it provides for scientific research.

The Scottish Government, through the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), has invested in excess of £4 billion in the higher education sector in the last four years. A further £1 billion is being invested in 2016-17, with core research funding maintained at a level of £232 million in 2016-17, representing a continued key investment in Scotland’s future.

We have also established a Strategic Funding Group, consisting of Principals nominated by Universities Scotland, the SFC and Scottish Government officials to consider how increased excellence and equity can be achieved by the higher education sector in future.

Question reference: S5W-02988

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to mitigate the impact of the increase in part-time employment and the use of fractional contracts.

Question reference: S5O-00282

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for local authorities to be given greater fiscal autonomy to raise their own money and manage their local economies.

Question reference: S5W-03380

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the UK Government regarding closing tax loopholes created by Scottish limited partnerships.

The Scottish Government recognises that the current governance arrangements around the registration and operation of Scottish Limited Partnerships allows for their inappropriate use by organisations intent on carrying out criminal activity or avoid tax. The Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Constitution wrote on 9 August to the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy and we are currently considering the response. My officials also met recently with officials from the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and HM Revenue and Customs to discuss SLPs.

Question reference: S5W-03663

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages local authorities to end the use of zero-hour contracts.

The Scottish Government promotes the benefits of Fair Work. While employment law remains reserved to the UK Government, the Scottish Government is doing everything it can to promote good working practices with the powers available to us. This includes publishing Statutory Guidance Addressing Fair Work Practices. This guidance makes it clear that a positive approach to fair work practices can have an impact on the quality of services, goods and works.

Public bodies must now consider, before undertaking a procurement exercise, whether it can include a question on fair work practices, including the inappropriate use of zero hours contracts as part of the competition. Local authorities are independent corporate bodies whose powers are set out in statute. As long as they act lawfully, it is up to each local authority how it manages its day to day business and decision making processes.

Question reference: S5W-03665

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Centre for Population Health recently suggesting that payday lending as a public health concern, what measures it can take to provide alternatives to the practice.

Question reference: S5W-02989

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of large employers that are signed up to the Living Wage accreditation scheme.

The First Minister's Independent Advisor on Poverty and Inequality, Naomi Eisenstadt, published her report, Shifting the Curve, in January 2016. One recommendation in the report was that we build on Living Wage Accreditation. On 12 March 2016 the First Minister set a new target of 1,000 accredited employers by Autumn 2017 and we are supporting this by increasing funding for the Scottish Living Wage Accreditation Initiative to £300,000 and we are working with them and their leadership group to support their efforts to target larger employers.

Question reference: S5W-02987

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve conditions for people in poverty who are in paid employment.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-01646 on 23 August 2016. Since then the Fairer Scotland Action Plan was published on 5 October 2016, with 50 government actions for this parliamentary term and a call for everyone to get involved in delivering a fairer and more prosperous country. As well as responding to the Fairer Scotland discussions, the Plan sets out progress to date on meeting the recommendations of the report of Naomi Eisenstadt the Independent Adviser on Poverty and Inequality.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S5W-03373

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 25 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to retract the under-occupancy penalty, introduced through the Welfare Reform Act 2012, in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is planning to remove the under-occupancy reduction through Universal Credit (UC), and as such implementation will be dependent on the roll-out of UC, which the UK Government expects to be completed by 2022. Officials are working with the Department for Work and Pensions to consider how best to implement these changes in Scotland and Discretionary Housing Payments will continue to be available for those affected until implementation is complete.