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: S6W-16593

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sought clarity from energy companies on what current actions are being taken to address the disproportionate impact that fuel costs have on people in Scotland with disabilities.

The high cost of energy prices combined with inflation is having a disproportionate impact on vulnerable consumers, including those living with disabilities.

We were disappointed that the UK Government did not answer our calls to extend the Energy Bills Support Scheme as part of its Spring Budget Statement. The removal of the support scheme means a typical household’s annual bill will increase by around 19%. That is why the First Minister recently announced that our Fuel Insecurity Fund will be increased to up to £30 million in the next financial year to support the most vulnerable households in Scotland. In addition, our winter heating payment has been launched, providing a stable and reliable annual £50 payment to around 400,000 low-income individuals. This benefit is an investment of over £20m each year which is more than double the £8.3m provided on average by the UK Government in each of the last 7 years.

Following the progress made at the Scottish Government energy summits held last year, we continue to work with energy suppliers to explore ways to mitigate the impact of rising energy costs on those who are struggling to pay their bills and heat their homes.

Question reference: S6W-15954

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 27 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to issue revised guidance to local authorities, regarding the High Hedges (Scotland) Act 2013, to ensure that the definition of high hedges specified in the Act, which includes “a hedge which is formed wholly or mainly by a row of 2 or more trees or shrubs”, is used by local authorities, rather than the definition in the current guidance, issued in 2019, which requires that, for trees and shrubs to be considered as a “high hedge”, they must first be considered to form a hedge.

Question reference: S6W-15996

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 27 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will offer to help people over 50 re-enter the workforce.

We continue to do all we can within our current powers to enable the over 50’s workforce to return to or remain in employment for as long as they wish. Increasing participation in fair and sustainable work will ensure that prosperity is shared more equally across Scottish society, including for the over 50s, and will help to tackle poverty, inequality, and exclusion. Our Fair Work action plan: becoming a leading Fair Work nation by 2025 published on 9 December 2022 includes actions and initiatives to address labour market inequalities for specific groups who are disadvantaged in the labour market, including the over 50’s workforce. This builds on our 2019 publication, A Fairer Scotland for Older people: framework for action .

One of these initiatives is the Workplace Equality Fund, now in its fifth year, which supports private and public sector employers to improve their policies and practices to remove labour barriers for certain priority groups including the over 50s. Projects funded this year include those focused on flexible working, women’s health and the menopause, which is particularly relevant for the over 50s workforce who are known to have greater caring responsibilities and are more likely to face health issues or be experiencing the menopause.

In addition, our Woman’s Health Plan, published August 2021, articulates our menopause and menstrual health workplace policy, and we continue to promote it across the public, private and third sector

Further support is provided through our flagship devolved services No One Left Behind, Fair Start Scotland, which take a person-centred approach to supporting people of all ages into sustainable employment recognising and addressing any specific challenges faced.

Question reference: S6W-15582

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much of the £10 million fund to install Changing Places toilets has been distributed to date, broken down by local authority area.

The Scottish Government is committed to investing in Changing Places Toilets during this parliamentary term, in order to increase the number of these facilities across the country and to support mobile Changing Places Toilets to allow people easier access to events and outdoor venues.

We have already published a Changing Places Toilets: Planning Guide to support communities to develop their initial plans and funding will be provided during this parliamentary term.

Question reference: S6W-14823

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 8 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made, since the Children (Scotland) Bill became an Act in October 2020, regarding its commitment to introduce guidance on children in care maintaining a connection with former foster carers, which was made during the amending stages of the Bill, and, if it is the case that the guidance has not progressed, what it is doing to fulfil its commitment to ensure that children in care do not face any detrimental impact due to such broken relationships.

The Scottish Government values the commitment that foster carers make to providing safe and loving homes for children and young people who are not able to stay with their own families. As part of Keeping The Promise, we are taking action to support children and young people to maintain the connections and friendships that are most important to them.

Whilst the Scottish Government has not published specific guidance on maintaining contact with former foster carers, the principle of helping children and young people maintain positive relationships is at the heart of the Staying Together and Connected guidance published in July 2021. This guidance has been supported by a National Implementation Group whose work is due to conclude in Spring. Part of the Group’s work has been to consider what more we can do to better understand, map and support the key relationships that are important to children and young people.

The Why Not? Trust has developed a Directory called Why Not? Reconnect which provides adults, who experienced foster care in their childhood, the opportunity to reconnect with those foster families who cared for them. The Directory is funded through the Promise Partnership Fund, a Scottish Government Fund aimed at delivering work to Keep The Promise.

Question reference: S6W-15012

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the exact date on which it requested data from the Department for Work and Pensions regarding the Winter Heating Payment.

Throughout our programme of work to deliver the new Winter Heating Payment in Scotland, the Scottish Government engaged regularly with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and emphasised the need for data to be transferred as early as possible.

DWP were unable to provide the data required prior to 31 January. The Scottish Government and DWP have begun discussions about the feasibility of moving payments forward for future years.

Question reference: S6O-01970

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any post-legislative reviews of the Coronavirus (Recovery and Reform) Scotland Act 2022 are being conducted.

Question reference: S6W-14778

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the potential delays to the delivery of the Winter Heating Payment, and when the payments will reach those in need.

There has been no delay to making Winter Heating Payments. Payments started in February and will continue to be made automatically during March to support 400,000 eligible people.

While it was not possible to make payments earlier this year since the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were unable to provide the data required prior to 31 January, the Scottish Government is working with the DWP to review the feasibility of bringing forward payments in future years.

Question reference: S6W-14949

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish its consideration of the final report of the Scottish Mental Health Law Review.

The Scottish Mental Health Law Review published its final report on 30 September 2022 and set out over 200 proposals for reform. The report recommendations are complex and wide-ranging, and cross-government work is underway to consider them and assess their implications.

We intend to set out our initial Scottish Government response to the Review report, including priority actions that will be taken forward, by summer 2023.

Question reference: S6O-01916

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any benefits of paying the Winter Heating Payment in November rather than February.