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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 150 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S5O-01748

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 31 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish social security system will allow people who have difficulty communicating to receive information and express themselves in ways that best meet their needs.

We will achieve this by supporting the member’s amendment to the Social Security (Scotland) Bill to place a duty on Ministers to have regard to the importance of communicating in an inclusive way. The amendment goes to the heart of our ambitions to take a rights based approach and to place the needs of individuals at the centre of this new public service.

I look forward to discussing it in more detail at Committee when the Stage 2 process begins tomorrow.

Question reference: S5O-01697

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how the proposals in its draft strategy to tackle loneliness and social isolation could help promote the third sector.

Question reference: S5O-01668

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what role it considers pharmacies should play in supporting the health of the communities that they serve.

Question reference: S5W-13503

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress it has made toward the commitment to listen to 1,000 care-experienced people by the end of the parliamentary session.

Question reference: S5W-13504

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2017
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 19 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its proposed consultation on possible changes to the electoral system.

I am pleased to announce the publication today of our Consultation on Electoral Reform.

The 2016-2017 Programme for Government included a commitment to take forward a consultation exercise to find out what electoral reforms Scottish citizens would like to see taken forward in future legislation. The Digital Strategy for Scotland (published in March 2017) also included a commitment to trial electronic voting solutions to increase democratic participation.

The Scottish Government’s consultation paper, published today, is the first step towards these reforms and includes a number of suggestions as to how the newly-devolved electoral powers could be used. The Scottish Government will use the results of this consultation process to develop policy proposals that will be taken forward in future electoral legislation.

Question reference: S5W-13093

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 12 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Homelessness Task Force.

Question reference: S5O-01557

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group.

Question reference: S5W-12161

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the findings of Dogs Trust’s report, Puppy Smuggling: A Tragedy Ignored, whether it will make it a requirement for animal health resources to be available at ports to record the age of dogs entering the country.

The Scottish Government has no plans to make it a requirement for animal health resources to be available at ports to record the age of dogs entering the country. There are no sea ports in Scotland that are approved under the Pets Travel Regulations to accept pets from other countries. Edinburgh and Glasgow airports do have approved travel routes but receive relatively few pets passing through. There is no legal requirement for checks on pets travelling within the UK to Scottish ports.

Question reference: S5T-00748

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Child Poverty Action Group report, The Austerity Generation.

Question reference: S5O-01407

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to mark the Scottish Witch Trials during the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017.