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-08830

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 2 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that local authorities meet their moral and legal obligations in settling equal pay claims, and what discussions it has had with Glasgow City Council regarding this.

Local authorities as employers are responsible for dealing with equal pay claims and Ministers have no legal powers to intervene. However the Scottish Government has consistently made it clear that any delays by local authorities in settling outstanding equal pay claims are unacceptable, and has called on local authorities to deal with outstanding claims as quickly as possible.

I wrote to all Scottish local authorities in October last year reiterating the Scottish Government's concerns about delays in settling equal pay claims and asking for information about the number of outstanding claims. The reply from Glasgow City Council said that it did not have any claims that had been determined in favour of the claimants but not yet settled. The Council also advised that over 9,000 claims were on hold pending a decision by the Court of Session in an appeal against decisions in favour of the Council by the Employment Tribunal that had been upheld by the Employment Appeals Tribunal. I understand that this Court of Session decision is still awaited.

Question reference: S5O-00896

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 26 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Policing 2026 strategy.

A public consultation on Policing 2026 was launched by Police Scotland and the Scottish Police Authority on 27 February 2017. I understand there has been strong engagement to date, with over 1,050 responses submitted. This sits alongside an extensive programme of public and stakeholder engagement, with the Authority and Police Scotland reaching out to communities across Scotland. Over the course of this week that engagement activity will include meetings with the community group Uniting Nations in Scotland and the Scottish Alliance against Prejudice and Hate Crime, supporting Police Scotland in ensuring that Policing 2026 helps to deliver a fairer and more inclusive society.

The final deadline for responses to the consultation is 8 May although a three week extension has been offered to local councils to accommodate the upcoming local government elections. We encourage everyone with an interest to have their say on the content of Policing 2026, both through the engagement activities which are planned over the remaining weeks of the consultation and through the submission of a formal written response.

I have committed to making a statement to Parliament setting out the Government’s position on the Strategy at the end of the consultation.

Question reference: S5W-08701

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 25 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) primary and (b) secondary schools are receiving support through the Scottish Attainment Challenge, broken down by the amount awarded.

The Scottish Attainment Challenge commits £750 million over the course of this parliament to close the poverty related attainment gap. A table setting out the primary and secondary schools that received support through the Scottish Attainment Challenge in 2016-17 has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre - BIB reference number 58676.

The process to allocate the £170 million committed in 2017-18 is underway. This includes £120 million Pupil Equity Funding. The school level allocations of Pupil Equity Funding are available on the Scottish Government website at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Education/Schools/Raisingeducationalattainment/pupilequityfund/Schoolallocations.

Question reference: S5O-00787

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it will take forward the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism.

Question reference: S5W-07077

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 17 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how schools could benefit from funding to tackle the attainment gap.

The Scottish Government has committed £750m during the course of this Parliament through the Attainment Scotland Fund to provide targeted support for children, schools and communities to close the poverty related attainment gap.

In 2017-18 £120m will be provided directly to Headteachers to use for additional staffing or resources they consider will help reduce the poverty related attainment gap. This funding is in addition to the £50m a year which will continue to provide targeted support to specific Scottish Attainment Challenge authorities and schools in the communities with high levels of deprivation as well as a number of national programmes, including staffing supply and capacity, professional learning and school leadership.

Question reference: S5O-00595

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 25 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the SFA and SPFL and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5O-00566

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 18 January 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it tackles bullying that affects LGBTI-identifying young people in education.

The Scottish Government is clear that bullying of any kind is unacceptable and must be addressed swiftly and effectively whenever it arises. It is the responsibility of head teachers, teachers and other school staff and local authorities to decide on the specific actions to do this in schools in consultation with parents and carers and children and young people.

To support schools and all adults working with children and young people; Respect for All, the refreshed national anti-bullying strategy for children and young people, will take a holistic approach to addressing the issue and include an explicit commitment to addressing prejudice-based bullying.

The Scottish Parliament’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee are currently engaging with stakeholders on this refreshed guidance. I will carefully consider any points raised by the Committee as a result of this and I will look to publish the refreshed guidance in the Spring.

Question reference: S5O-00517

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 22 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the proposed closure of Jobcentre Plus offices in Glasgow will have on vulnerable and disadvantaged people in the city.

In advance of the conclusion of the DWP’s consultation on this issue, we don’t yet know the impact of the UK Governments proposed closures will have on vulnerable and disadvantaged people in Glasgow. However, we are particularly concerned that the Department for Work and Pensions has not given sufficient consideration to this matter.

We believe it could be more difficult for people to access Jobcentre Plus services in the city and travel costs for those required to register unemployed on a weekly or fortnightly basis could increase. Disabled people and those without access to internet services could be particularly disadvantaged by the changes.

Given the challenges Glasgow faces in terms of unemployment levels – particularly in its most deprived areas, I am pressing UK Ministers to reconsider these proposals, and to consult properly, not just in Glasgow, but across the whole of Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-00439

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the reduction in the benefit cap will have on disabled people and households in Scotland.

Question reference: S5T-00126

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it will take forward plans for the minimum pricing of alcohol following the decision by the Court of Session.