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-18468

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to ensure that further education institutions receive adequate funding for student support at the beginning of the academic year.

The Scottish Government makes student support funding available to the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), and it is the SFC who distribute this funding across Scotland’s colleges.

The Scottish Government is supporting Further Education students with record levels of support. The 2018-19 budget of over £111 million in college bursaries, childcare and discretionary funds is a real-terms increase of 34% since 2006-07.

Question reference: S5W-18467

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it publishes data regarding how much student support funding further education institutions will require after the budget has been finalised.

Question reference: S5W-18469

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns that the in-year redistribution mechanism is not sufficent, whether it plans to reform the system for further education student support.

Demand for student support is unpredictable which is why the Scottish Funding Council carries out an in-year redistribution exercise to ensure the accuracy of funding allocations. All colleges’ requests for additional funding were met in full both this year and last year.

The Independent Review of Student Support published its recommendations for Further and Higher Education in November 2017. Following those recommendations we have committed to investing over £21 million to improve financial support available to students at college and university.

Question reference: S5W-17809

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 11 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) men have had a mesh implant for (i) hernia and (ii) other conditions and (b) women have had a mesh implant for conditions other than prolapse or stress urinary incontinence in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board area, and how many of these have reported complications or problems following surgery.

This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. NHS Information Services Division confirms that routine health data records hernia operations, bladder operations, etc., using prosthetic implants, not those specifically using mesh implants. ISD also confirms that reported complications or problems following surgery cannot accurately be established from routine health data because readmissions are recorded according to the symptom reported, not the underlying cause.

Question reference: S5W-18355

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when industrial injuries benefits will begin to be paid by the Scottish Social Security Agency.

Question reference: S5W-18353

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to prepare for the devolution of industrial injuries benefit.

The Scottish Government has engaged with the Industrial Injuries Advisory Group on issues associated with the transfer of the Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefits (IIDB) and provision has been included in the Social Security (Scotland) Act 2018 to facilitate delivery of the Scheme. It will be known as Employment Injury Assistance in Scotland, as established by the Act.

In delivering Employment Injury Assistance in Scotland, we will ensure that it remains non-means tested, no-fault and non-contributory.

Question reference: S5W-18354

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it will establish an industrial injuries advisory council.

Question reference: S5W-18084

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 4 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether industry-wide applicable collective agreements are essential throughout the construction phase in the delivery of large industrial infrastructure projects.

Question reference: S5W-18087

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 30 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that applicable collective agreements on large public sector industrial infrastructure projects meet the criteria set out by the (a) 2014 EU directive on procurement and (b) Public Procure Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015.

The 2014/24/EU public procurement directive, which has been transposed into the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015, requires a public body to include contract conditions relating to the performance of the contract, to ensure that the contractor complies with its obligations in respect of environmental, social and employment law, including any relevant collective agreements or international law measures.

Question reference: S5W-18086

Asked by: Neil Findlay, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 30 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether industry-wide applicable collective agreements should be obligatory throughout the construction phase when delivering large industrial infrastructure projects.

The laws relating to employment, trade unions, their activities and membership/representation are currently reserved. The Scottish Government does not have the power to legally mandate a collective agreement made between an employer or group of employers and their recognised trade union(s).

Where Public Bodies are responsible for awarding contracts relating to large infrastructure projects, the Scottish Government’s Statutory Guidance on Addressing Fair Work Practices, including the Living Wage in Procurement (2015) applies. It states we expect contractors who deliver public contracts to adopt policies which demonstrate, for example how they comply with relevant collective agreements.