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-03599

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 4 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the decisions by Aberdeenshire, Angus, Dundee, Fife and Falkirk councils to support the Frank's Law campaign by passing motions to extend free personal care to people under 65.

In the Programme for Government, we set out our intention to conduct a feasibility study to consider the possibility of extending free personal and nursing care to those under the age of 65 with a diagnosis of dementia.

Local authorities have the ability to exercise discretion in the application of charges for social care, and are able to reduce or fully waive charges for social care based on the individual circumstances of the service user.

Question reference: S5W-03598

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 4 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to consult with (a) disabled people and (b) people with long-term conditions on what would make non-residential social care charges fairer.

In the Programme for Government, the Scottish Government committed to undertaking a feasibility study into the possibility of extending free personal and nursing care to those under the age of 65 with a diagnosis of dementia.

As part of that feasibility study we will engage with stakeholders at appropriate stages of that work.

We have already provided £6m to local authorities in 2016-17 to increase the threshold at which point people become eligible to pay towards the cost of their care.

Question reference: S5W-03597

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what effect the commitment set out in the Programme for Government to “implement all of the recommendations of the independent Poverty Adviser and...commence the socio-economic duty contained in the 2010 Equalities Act” will have on its policy on non-residential social care charges.

‘Shifting the Curve’, the report of the Independent Poverty Adviser published in January 2016, included a recommendation that the Scottish Government should introduce a socio-economy duty on public authorities. The Fairer Scotland Action Plan (October 2016) committed to introduce such a duty in 2017. The duty will ensure that public authorities, including the Scottish Government, take full account of socio-economic disadvantage when making key strategic decisions. The Scottish Government will consult on the detail of the duty in due course.

Question reference: S5W-01786

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the study commissioned by the Minister for Business, Energy and Tourism in May 2015 to examine the role of the various pub models operating in Scotland and when the findings will be published.

Question reference: S5W-01825

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what progress the expert group assessing all forms of electronic monitoring of sex offenders has made and when its findings will be published.

The expert Working Group on Electronic Monitoring in Scotland was established by the Scottish Government to consider a range of important issues, including how electronic monitoring can best be used at different points in the criminal justice system; how best to support monitored individuals in the community, while maintaining public protection; and the opportunities that new technologies can provide. We know from international evidence that electronic monitoring is a useful tool that can aid reducing reoffending when set within a wider package of support. International research commissioned by the Scottish Government provides evidence to support the use of GPS, not as a replacement for the current radio frequency technology, but as an additional tool for people who have been convicted of a range of offences. The Working Group’s report and recommendations are now with the Justice Secretary for consideration and will be responded to in due course.

Question reference: S5W-01824

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 18 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) Police Scotland, (b) local authorities and (c) housing associations about reforming and modernising the system for managing sex offenders.

Question reference: S5O-00077

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 29 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help disabled people play an active part in their communities.

Over this parliamentary term, we will take forward a wide-ranging set of actions that will reduce the inequality experienced by disabled people and help dismantle the barriers which can prevent disabled people from making their full contribution to daily and public life in Scotland. In addition, through the Access to Elected Office Fund (Scotland), we have committed to supporting disabled people wishing to take an active role in politics by helping to meet the additional costs of disabled people standing for selection and election in the 2017 local government election.

Question reference: S5W-00570

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2016
Current Status: Answered by Annabelle Ewing on 21 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many men in Scotland have convictions for private consensual sex between adult males, and whether it plans to quash these convictions.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many men in Scotland have convictions for private consensual sex between adult males. This is because it is not possible to determine whether records of convictions for 'homosexual offences' prior to the equalisation of the age of consent in 2000 relate to sexual activity which is now lawful, or to sexual activity which remains unlawful, for example because it was not consensual, or because the other participant was under the age of 16.

Question reference: S5O-00009

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 June 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce the final 2016-17 budgets for NHS boards and integrated joint boards.

Question reference: S4O-05485

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow Pollok, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 January 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many classroom assistants have been employed in secondary schools in each of the last five years.