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-18188

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has provided to third sector organisations in Glasgow for 2018-19 to tackle homelessness.

Question reference: S5O-02307

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 5 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what initiatives the finance secretary has introduced to support the city of Glasgow.

Question reference: S5W-17503

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 20 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its £453 million underspend, what representations it has received from Glasgow City Council seeking additional funding to address the £20 million deficit in the city finances.

The Scottish Government is not permitted to overspend its budget so we have consistently adopted a position of controlling expenditure to ensure we live within budget control limits.

Glasgow City Council will be aware the 2017-18 variance is primarily planned carry forward to support spending plans: of the £335 million announced in the 2018-19 budget process, £125 million is additional funding that is being distributed to Local Authorities in 2018-19, of which Glasgow will be a beneficiary.

Despite continued UK Government cuts to Scotland’s Resource Budget we have continued to treat local government very fairly. In 2018-19, our £10.7 billion local government finance settlement provides a real terms increase in both revenue and capital funding. While local authorities are responsible for setting their own budgets, the total funding they have available will increase by almost £342 million in 2018-19.

Glasgow City Council will receive over £1.3 billion Scottish Government funding in 2018-19. Taken together with the decision to increase council tax by 3%, Glasgow City Council will have an additional £35.8 million to support local day to day services compared to 2017-18.

Question reference: S5W-16772

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 4 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-02106 by Jeane Freeman on 16 May 2018, how much it has earmarked to support housing costs for under-21s, and whether this will be allocated to the Scottish Welfare Fund once the UK Government has confirmed its position.

The Scottish Government will continue to provide support for 18-21 year olds via the Scottish Welfare Fund for as long as is required.

Local authorities are reimbursed for costs incurred rather than being allocated specific funding. All funding is separate from the main Scottish Welfare Fund funding stream and met from existing Scottish Government budgets.

As such there are no plans to increase SWF funding this financial year as a result of the UK Government announcement that they will reverse the removal of entitlement to housing support from 18-21 year olds.

Question reference: S5W-16771

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-02106 by Jeane Freeman on 16 May 2018, how much has been reimbursed to each local authority through claims to the Scottish Welfare Fund to support housing costs for under-21s.

In the first six months of the interim scheme being put in place two Local Authorities have reported making three awards for assistance with housing costs for those aged 18-21 via the Scottish Welfare Fund.

The Scottish Government has reimbursed a total of £1,541 to the two Local Authorities who have awarded claims under the interim scheme.

Local Authorities in full service areas reported to COSLA that to date there have been a number of enquiries where an individual has been able to claim an exemption through DWP after receiving advice and support to do so.

Question reference: S5W-16723

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to stop local authorities charging burial fees for the funerals of under-18s.

On 30 May 2018, the Scottish Government and COSLA announced that agreement in principle has been reached to remove local authority child burial and cremations charges for under-18s in Scotland. The Scottish Government will provide funding to support the removal of these charges.

This partnership working is consistent with the approach that the Scottish Government is taking to tackling funeral poverty more generally, as set out in our Funeral Costs Plan.

Question reference: S5O-02128

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 May 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the finance secretary considers that Glasgow City Council has received sufficient funding for 2018-19.

Question reference: S5O-02106

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether funds allocated to local authorities to provide housing benefit replacement for 18- to 21-year-olds will be retained for Scottish Welfare Fund crisis and community care grants.

Whilst I very much welcome the U-turn from the UK Government that they are reversing their policy of not providing financial support for housing for under 21s; they have not yet provided a date or any details. Therefore the Scottish Government will continue to provide this support via the Scottish Welfare Fund for as long as is required.

This funding is separate from the main SWF funding stream as the Scottish Government reimburse costs incurred direct to local authorities.

Question reference: S5W-15812

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-01927 by Maree Todd on 22 March 2018 (Official Report, c.1), what funding it has provided to Glasgow City Council to fund services, and whether if it has received representations from the local authority for additional resources to support these.

Glasgow City Council’s total local government finance settlement in 2018-19 from the Scottish Government amounts to £1,388.1 million. In addition, as Glasgow City Council increased their council tax by the maximum allowable 3 per cent this means they will have a further £8.4 million to spend. Taken together Glasgow City Council’s increase in spending power to support local authority day-to-day services, including childcare, amounts to £35.8 million or 2.9 per cent compared to 2017-18.

Glasgow City Council, as with all local authorities, have provided us with their estimates of their additional funding requirements for delivering the expansion in funded early learning and childcare entitlement to 1140 hours by 2020. This has been through their Expansion Plans, and the supporting finance templates. Revised finance templates were received from all local authorities in early March.

It is these March 2018 estimates that form the basis of the landmark agreement we reached with local government on Friday to fully fund the expansion of early learning and childcare.

As I outlined in my statement to Parliament on Tuesday, this agreement is the culmination of more than two years of hard work by the Scottish Government and local authorities to establish a robust shared understanding of the costs attached to the expansion. It is evidence of real partnership working to deliver a shared ambition to give all of our children the best start in life.

Question reference: S5W-15808

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-01927 by Maree Todd on 22 March 2018 (Official Report, c.1), what impact it considers the decision by Glasgow City Council to increase childcare fees will have on parents considering a return to the labour market.

As I set out in my answer to S5O-01927, this is a matter for the local authority. It is for Glasgow City Council to manage the fulfilment of their duties and to consider how best to support families in their area more widely.

We will fully fund the expansion to 1,140 hours and we are encouraging local authorities to phase in the expansion in a way that ensures those who will benefit most from the increase, will benefit first. I understand Glasgow City Council has recently announced a change to the number of hours some families receive.

Any increase in funded hours will reduce the need for wrap-around hours and we estimate once the expansion to 1140 hours is fully rolled out, this will save Scottish families around £4,500 a year.

As I set out in my discussion with the Education and Skills Committee on 21 March, the primary intention of the expansion to 1140 hours is to improve outcomes for children. However, if we can also improve the family income by building in more flexibility, freeing parents up to go into education or to work longer hours, then we will improve outcomes for the whole family.