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: S5O-04252

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 March 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has held with stakeholders regarding the potential impact on public transport of the coronavirus, COVID-19.

Question reference: S5O-04218

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what strategy it has to ensure that local authorities are sufficiently funded.

Question reference: S5W-27323

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether eligibility for the under-six Scottish Child Payment is determined by the age of the child at the (a) date of application or (b) eligibility date.

Eligibility for the under-six payment will be determined by the age of the child at the eligibility date, rather than the application date. As set out in the policy position paper published on 16 January on the Scottish Government website, during the initial rollout of the Scottish Child Payment, families will be invited to apply in advance of the benefit being introduced and applications will be assessed from a single eligibility date. Social Security Scotland will contact people to let them know the decision on their application after the eligibility date, with payments following thereafter in arrears.

This is a temporary measure which will help to ensure that the benefit is delivered in a secure manner, while allowing Social Security Scotland to handle the anticipated high volumes of applications and will be accompanied by an extensive communications campaign.

When the new payment is fully up and running, and being administered on a "business as usual" basis, eligibility will be based on the date of application and people will receive their payments every four weeks.

Question reference: S5W-27320

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how long Scottish Child Payment applicants will have to wait for a decision on their application after the eligibility date.

Social Security Scotland is building capacity to process the expected volume of claims for Scottish Child Payment, and is committed to making first payments to clients by Christmas 2020.

The gap between the date people can first apply for the Scottish Child Payment and the eligibility date should give Social Security Scotland the opportunity to process the majority of the expected applications before the eligibility date. This should ensure the majority of clients are notified of a decision shortly after the eligibility date.

Question reference: S5W-27322

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when Social Security Scotland’s automation of (a) financial processes, (b) case management and (c) the collection of information on redeterminations and appeals will be completed as part of the Scottish Child Payment rollout.

We are on track to open the Scottish Child Payment for applications in Autumn 2020 with the required non clerical processes in place to take applications, make payments and administer redeterminations and appeals.

Work continues to develop the Scottish Child Payment for children aged 6 to 16, informed by ongoing user research and building on client feedback.

Subject to necessary delivery support being received in a timely manner from the UK Government, the Scottish Child Payment will be introduced for all eligible children under 16 by the end of 2022.

Question reference: S5W-27321

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 18 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what measures will be put in place by Social Security Scotland to deal with the possibility of a high influx of Scottish Child Payment applications immediately preceding the eligibility date.

Question reference: S5W-27101

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 January 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 5 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to accept and action all of the recommendations in the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee's 9th Report (Session 5) Salmon farming in Scotland (SP Paper 432), and, if so, what its timetable is for implementing these.

The Scottish Government carefully considered all of the recommendations of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee (RECC) and in early 2019, I set out our response in a statement to Parliament which highlighted all the actions planned and being undertaken to ensure fish and seafood farming in Scotland grows sustainably. In June 2019 I updated the Scottish Parliament on progress being made to deliver a sustainable aquaculture sector, including the workstreams to implement Scotland’s Ten Year Farmed Fish Health Framework.

Question reference: S5O-04050

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the issuing of licences for the shooting to scare, and shooting of, piscivorous birds.

Question reference: S5O-04014

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on resolving the issues preventing the opening of the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People in Edinburgh.

Question reference: S5O-03965

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 8 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Skills Development Scotland has received through the Apprenticeship Levy.