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: S6F-00950

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Spring Statement.

Question reference: S6F-00948

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that perpetrators of domestic abuse do not go on to reoffend.

Question reference: S6F-00947

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2022

To ask the First Minister what work is being done to extend the "warm Scots welcome" to Ukrainians arriving in the UK.

Question reference: S6F-00929

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2022

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that people are able to register with NHS dental practices and receive NHS dental treatments in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6F-00925

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00924

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-07186

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much peat has been burned in Scotland in the process of making whisky, in order to flavour malting barley, in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-07164

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many renewable heating systems it estimates were installed in homes in each of the last five years, and how many such installations will be required annually over the next eight years to meet the 2030 target under its Heat in Buildings Strategy.

The Energy Saving Trust maintains the Renewable Heat Database for the Scottish Government. The following table extracts domestic renewable heat installations over the period 2016-2020. Data for 2021 are not yet available. These data are derived from registrations under the Microgeneration Certification Scheme, and as such likely underestimate the total number of installations due to lower coverage of new build homes.

	Year
Technology	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Air Source Heat Pump	1,305	1,269	1,737	2,243	2,477
Biomass	388	187	102	74	69
Ground/Water Source Heat Pump	150	193	160	175	430
Solar Thermal	170	164	89	135	79
Total	2,013	1,813	2,088	2,627	3,055

Reaching our emissions targets requires a significant acceleration in installation of zero emissions heat technologies in homes and installation of connections to heat networks, recognising the time needed for supply chains to grow. As set out in the 2021-22 Programme for Government, domestic installations must scale up such that the total number of installations between 2021 and 2026 is at least 124,000. The Heat in Buildings Strategy sets out that installation rates will need to peak at over 200,000 per year in the latter part of this decade.

Question reference: S6W-07135

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what evaluation it has made of any impact that the voluntary nature of participating in the Fair Start Scotland programme has had on (a) participant satisfaction, (b) entry into employment and (c) the duration of employment outcomes.

On 14 October 2021 the Scottish Government published the Fair Start Scotland: Evaluation Report 4 - Year 3 Overview , which provides an overview of evaluation research relating to the third year of service delivery from 1 April 2020 up to 31 March 2021.

The report includes findings from a telephone survey of over 1000 participants; local area case studies, interviews with participants across the country, an economic evaluation and analysis of management information on participants’ outcomes.

Results from the telephone survey show that nine in ten people (90%) were aware the service was voluntary. It also shows that:

? 95% of people feel they were treated with dignity and respect

? 82% of people felt the service took account of their individual needs and circumstances

? 84% of people felt the service offered support to improve their general quality of life and well-being

The full telephone survey was published alongside the Year 3 Evaluation Report and can be found here .

In addition to findings from the survey, interviews with participants were also conducted as part of the evaluation. Findings from these interviews suggest that Fair Start Scotland participants with experience of the DWP Work Programme disliked the compulsory nature of the latter and the risk of sanctions for non-completion or non-participation. Participants also felt that Fair Start Scotland key workers are more supportive and respectful than Work Programme advisers.

Most recent statistics published on 23 February 2022 show that since its launch in April 2018, FSS has supported more than 14,000 people into work.

The statistics show that for participants where data is complete, 37% were supported into work. They also show that the majority of people who get jobs have high levels of sustaining employment:

? 71% of those starting jobs sustained employment for at least 3 months.

? 79% of those who sustained employment for 3 months reached 6 months.

? 77% of those who sustained employment for 6 months reached 12 months.

The Fair Start Scotland: Economic Evaluation , also published on 14 October 2021, found evidence that the jobs achieved by Fair Start Scotland participants are more stable in comparison with other programmes.

Findings from the overall evaluation suggest that the service has a positive impact on the wellbeing of participants, both in terms of the quality of jobs achieved and improved labour market outcomes, as well with regards to their experience of the service as a whole.

Question reference: S6W-07147

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the equity of provision of clinical psychology services across the prison estate.

The Scottish Government takes seriously the responsibility to ensure those going through the criminal justice system with mental health issues are appropriately supported, treated and cared for, while ensuring their rights are being maintained, especially during these challenging times that may have a significant impact on people’s mental wellbeing.

A new national standard for Psychological Services and Therapies, which will describe what good quality psychological care looks like, is currently under development with a publication date of Summer 2022. This will include describing the provision of care in forensic and prison services. This will help ensure that Psychological Therapy services and therapies are delivered and measured in equitable ways across the prison estate in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has invested £9 million in 2021-22 for Psychological services in Scotland to grow the Applied Psychology, and Psychological Therapies workforce. Further funding will be provided for 2022-23 to support services to provide Psychological care to all clinical areas of care detailed in the Psychological Services and Therapies standard.