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-19435

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-19038 by Christina McKelvie on 15 October 2018, what proportion of its funding for tackling domestic abuse is allocated to services that support victims who identify as male.

The Scottish Government recognises that all victims and survivors of domestic abuse deserve access to support.

Funding for domestic abuse services includes support for services who work with male victims. Over 2017 to 2020, these include nearly £85,000 to run the Respect Helpline which signposts male survivors of domestic abuse to support services, over £3 million to ASSIST who, as part of their work, provide advocacy support to male survivors of domestic abuse in the Lothians and over £180,000 to Committed to Ending Abuse which supports all victims and survivors of domestic abuse in the Falkirk area, which includes those who identify as male.

Of funding for support services of domestic abuse, 17.9% goes to services who offer support to adult victims who identify as male. The remaining 82.1% goes to services supporting women and children.

Question reference: S5W-19439

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to break down the barriers of social stigma that prevent men from seeking support from professional services for victims of domestic abuse.

Question reference: S5W-19437

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the causes of domestic abuse against victims of domestic abuse who identify as male.

The particular approach we are taking through Equally Safe brings a strategic focus to the issue of men’s violence against women and girls, as underpinned by the definition we have adopted, which is in turn based on the principles of international law through the UN definition of gender based violence. A gendered analysis does not exclude men, but rather recognises that women and girls are disproportionately affected by particular forms of violence that they experience because they are women and girls.

We fully acknowledge that men and boys can be victims of violence and abuse. We know that the prevailing societal view of what constitutes masculinity makes it difficult for men to identify themselves as experiencing abuse and can prevent them from seeking help.

We condemn all forms of violence and abuse, whilst recognising that particular forms of violence are disproportionately experienced by one gender and require a strong strategic focus. Men have a critical role in challenging violence, breaking down gender norms and in helping to ensure greater gender equality in society – they are also entitled to support when they experience violence and abuse.

Domestic abuse is about power and control. The reason this disproportionately affects women and girls is because of notions of gender and which gender should have power over the other. The actions in the Equally Safe delivery plan, to raise awareness of the different forms of gender based violence, teach consent and healthy relationships, remove gender stereotypes and hold perpetrators to account, will help all victims of domestic abuse including those who identify as male.

Question reference: S5W-19436

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 November 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the effectiveness of its approach to supporting victims of domestic abuse who identify as male.

The focus of Equally Safe as a strategy tackling violence against women and girls means that reports against the performance indicators on survivors record data on women and children, with the option to include data on men.

We will also be publishing the Year One report on progress against the Equally Safe delivery plan in November to mark the beginning of the 16 Days of Activism against gender based violence. The report will highlight specific pieces of work and will include a tracker showing progress against every action in the delivery plan.

Question reference: S5O-02496

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 October 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to protect vulnerable older people from bogus callers and rogue traders.

Question reference: S5W-19228

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 24 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the language used in the One Scotland campaign posters regarding religious hate crime risks undermining the campaign and alienating all faiths and could lead to people of any faith feeling hated.

Any form of hate crime or prejudice is completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated.

The campaign aims to encourage witnesses to report hate crime using a series of letters addressed to perpetrators describing the experience of victims, stating that ‘your hate has no home here’. It is not targeting those of faith.

The campaign has been developed in partnership with a range of stakeholders, including faith organisations.

Hate crime has hugely damaging effects on victims, their families and communities and we all must play our part to challenge it.

Question reference: S5W-19331

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 October 2018
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will list the data-sharing requirements that it lodged with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) on 14 September 2018, and what timescale it has set to implement a data-sharing agreement between the DWP and the Scottish Fiscal Commission to allow the commission to produce the fiscal forecasts required for all devolved benefits.

There is a Memorandum of Understanding between the Scottish Government and the Department for Work and Pensions, which covers joint working arrangements for the implementation of devolved provisions in the Scotland Act 2016 relating to Social Security and Employment Support Services in Scotland. This was published in October 2016, and sets out the data-sharing protocols between both parties. The Scottish Government continues to support the Scottish Fiscal Commission, acting as facilitator between it and the Department for Work and Pensions in regards to their data-sharing needs.

However, as the Scottish Fiscal Commission is an independent body, it is not appropriate for Scottish Ministers to comment on behalf of the Scottish Fiscal Commission with regard to their data-sharing requirements.

Question reference: S5W-18936

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 2 October 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to include the Grace Kelly Ladybird Trust's childhood cancer signs and symptoms awareness card as part of the Personal Child Health Record.

Question reference: S5O-02347

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to pay out in full all claims for CAP Pillar 2 support for 2017-18.

Question reference: S5O-02208

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 June 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives to school leavers regarding the transition to further education, training and work.