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-03065

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what impact UK Government welfare reforms have had on women in Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-02917

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 27 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with PAMIS to provide more accessible changing places toilets by revising the building standards system, including in Dundee.

Our building standards consultation, on requiring Changing Places Toilets as part of larger new developments, was issued last week and runs until the 13th of May.

The consultation was developed following discussions with PAMIS in April last year. Earlier this month, officials discussed proposals with PAMIS prior to issuing the consultation.

Consultation proposals rely upon new development taking place and will be particularly effective in areas such as Dundee. Alongside regulation, we continue to encourage voluntary provision of these much-needed facilities.

The Scottish Government will continue to support PAMIS to ensure the Changing Places campaign delivers more Changing Places Toilets across Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-20653

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 December 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to concerns that universal credit is making it harder for women to escape from abusive partners.

The Scottish Government believes that the UK Government’s policy of making a single payment of Universal Credit to a household can increase inequality in the welfare system and act as an enabler for domestic abuse or financial coercion by one partner towards another. That is why we are committed to introducing split payments of Universal Credit in Scotland, to ensure that everyone has access to an independent income.

Question reference: S5O-02628

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 November 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 28 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the current Brexit negotiations, what its response is to the recent European Council summit.

Sunday’s European Council demonstrates that even after over two years of negotiations, the Political Declaration between the UK and EU provides little or no certainty as to our future relationship with the EU.

Yesterday the Scottish Government published our assessment of the deal, which would see Scotland significantly worse off because of the Prime Minister’s self-imposed red lines. It should be rejected by the House of Commons, and we will work tirelessly to seek a better alternative, including the option of a second referendum which offers a choice to remain.

Question reference: S5O-02590

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the impact of Universal Credit on food banks in Scotland, in light of the Trussell Trust reporting an increase in its distribution of emergency supplies.

Question reference: S5O-02562

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 November 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made since the establishment of the action group for the Michelin plant in Dundee.

Question reference: S5W-18390

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to tackle sexual offences, particularly those involving children.

The Scottish Government is committed to taking action to help prevent sexual offences being committed against children. We are also committed to ensuring where such offending does take place, the criminal justice system and other agencies can respond appropriately and sensitively in dealing with the trauma caused by such cases.

Last November, my predecessor Michael Matheson MSP announced that former Crown Office Chief Executive Catherine Dyer would head up an Expert Group on Preventing Sexual Offending involving Children and Young People. This Group brings professional and academic expertise, from across justice, education, health and the third sector, together with young people to identify fresh actions to better prevent sexual crime involving children and young people, both as victims and perpetrators, in order to mitigate the harm it causes. The Group will report back with findings and recommendations to Scottish Ministers by the end of next March.

The Scottish Government provides funding to a range of organisations who undertake work to help prevent and protect children from child sexual exploitation including to NSPPC Scotland and Barnado’s.

Where such offending does take place, we are also exploring the application of the Barnahus concept for immediate trauma-informed support for child victims of serious and traumatic crimes within the context of Scotland’s healthcare and criminal justice system. We have been clear that the justice system as a whole, and where appropriate other public services including in health and in child protection must continue to improve how it looks after victims and witnesses and we are working in partnership with justice agencies to make that happen.

My predecessor also introduced the Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Bill into the Scottish Parliament in June. If passed, it will create a new rule that children who are under 18 and are due to give evidence in the most serious criminal cases should have their evidence pre-recorded in advance of trial. This is an important step towards achieving the Scottish Government’s vision that, where possible, child witnesses should not have to give evidence during a criminal trial.

The independent Scottish Sentencing Council is progressing work to research sentencing of those convicted of sexual offences. This work will help inform future decisions about whether they would wish to consider preparing a sentencing guideline in this area.

Question reference: S5F-02595

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 September 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 September 2018

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government will mark the official opening of the V&A in Dundee.

Question reference: S5W-18168

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee City East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Tay City Deal, and when it expects the Heads of Terms to be signed.

Question reference: S3W-26491

Asked by: Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 August 2009
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 11 September 2009

To ask the Scottish Executive what its definition is of a (a) quango and (b) public sector body.

There is no single legal definition of the expression quango or public sector body. However, the baseline list of national devolved public bodies which the government announced in October 2007 comprises:

Scottish Government executive agencies;

Non Ministerial Departments of the Scottish Administration;

Executive Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs);

Advisory NDPBs;

Tribunals;

Public corporations;

NHS boards and special health boards;

Parliamentary Commissioners and Ombudsman, and

Other significant national bodies.

Full details are available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Government/public-bodies/Baseline-List-2007