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-17880

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of major construction projects in Scotland has dropped to the lowest level in five years.

The construction industry is a core sector of the Scottish economy and we are committed to delivering critical infrastructure projects that support it. We have made excellent progress on our infrastructure investment plan including the delivery of major road improvements to the M8, M73 and M74, the Queensferry Crossing which came in almost £250 million under budget, and the new Dumfries and Galloway Royal Infirmary. Further significant projects are also set to be completed later this year.

We are continuing to invest in infrastructure programmes including supporting the delivery of 50,000 affordable homes, the expansion of early learning and childcare, the continuation of Scotland’s Schools for the Future Building Programme, rolling out broadband access across the country and through funding City Region Deals.

Our project pipeline publication in April highlighted that infrastructure projects totalling £4.1 billion are estimated to be in construction across Scotland during the remainder of 2018 alone.

Question reference: S5W-17863

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 10 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many apprenticeships are being undertaken by (a) women and (b) men who are aged (i) 30 to 40, (ii) 41 to 50 and (iii) over 50.

Question reference: S5W-17733

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 9 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of meetings and discussions held between ministers and officials and (a) Planning Democracy and (b) Planning Aid Scotland in the last five years, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-17736

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 9 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been employed in local government in each year since 2011, broken down by (a) gender and (b)other protected characteristics, and what work it has undertaken to assess the impact of any fluctuations on the diversity of the workforce.

Information on number of people employed in local government, based on National Accounts definitions, in each quarter since Q1 2011 are published in the Scottish Government National Statistics Publication, ‘Public Sector Employment in Scotland: Statistics for 1 st Quarter 2018’ and associated web tables. The latest version of this publication, published on 12 June 2018, can be found at:

https://www.gov.scot/Publications/2018/06/5418.

Estimates for total Local Government Headcount and full-time equivalent employment by gender, including individual estimates for individual Local Authorities, Valuation Joint Boards and Regional Transport Partnerships, can be found at the workbook published at the following link:

https://www.gov.scot/Topics/Statistics/Browse/Labour-Market/PublicSectorEmployment/PSEwebtables

Estimates for Local Government Headcount for Youths (16-24) are collected annually and can be found in the same publication.

Information for youths employed in local government were not collected centrally prior to Q1 2013.

There are no other estimates of employment in local government by other protected characteristics.

It is for Local Authorities to ensure they are compliant with legislation governing equality in employment. In relation to the specific equality duties, listed public authorities, including Local Authorities and the Scottish Government are independently responsible for the implementation of Equality Duties. The role of monitoring and compliance of the duties falls to the Equality and Human Rights Commission, the Scottish Government has no locus to intervene.

Question reference: S5W-17737

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Member's meeting with the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport and the Cabinet Secretary for Communities, Social Security and Equalities on 19 June 2018, whether it can confirm that NHS inpatients will have guaranteed free access to a range of period products in all NHS board areas, and when this policy change will take effect from.

The Chief Nursing Officer has written to NHS Board Executive Nurse Directors to remind NHS Boards that sanitary products should be provided for all patients who need them, and that this is a fundamental aspect of their care.

The Scottish Government is clear that access to free sanitary products for patients in hospitals supports equality, dignity and rights for those who menstruate. Executive Nurse Directors are therefore expected to ensure that appropriate stocks of sanitary products are held either on wards or close by and that they are made available to patients when required. Patients should not be expected to rely on taking supplies into hospital with them or have to buy supplies from hospital shops.

Question reference: S5W-17738

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings the Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning has held with trades unions and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5W-17331

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 29 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report by Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust, Computer Says No.

Question reference: S5W-17332

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 29 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on carrying out a large-scale pilot of cervical screening self-sampling.

The Scottish Government takes advice from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC), an independent expert advisory group which advises Ministers and the NHS in the four UK countries about all aspects of screening policy.

The UK NSC are currently reviewing the evidence for HPV self-sampling as an additional test to address non-attendance within the NHS Cervical Screening Programme. We await recommendations from the UK NSC and will carefully consider in due course.

Question reference: S5F-02481

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 June 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2018

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support the Jo Cox Foundation initiative, the Great Get Together.

Question reference: S5W-16981

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 13 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with the refresh of the Alcohol Framework, and by what date the updated framework will be published.

Changing Scotland’s Relationship with Alcohol : A Framework for Action was published in 2009 and many of its original measures have been completed. These include the introduction of our world first minimum unit pricing policy, a lower drink drive limit, improved substance misuse education and our nationwide alcohol brief intervention programme.

A refresh of our Alcohol Framework will be published later this year and will focus on embedding and building on the progress we have made in tackling alcohol-related harm. This forms part of a suite of public health strategies being published this year including tobacco control, physical activity, diet and obesity and our new alcohol & drug treatment strategy.

Gender	30-40	41-50	Over 51
Female	752	484	209
Male	2,288	1,352	828
Total	3,040	1,836	1,037