Questions and answers

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 ��˿�� 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-03800

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government within what timescale it anticipates the requirement to wear face coverings will be lifted.

Question reference: S6W-04083

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 16 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to address the root causes of the (a) harassment and (b) drink spiking and spiking by injection of women in nightlife venues.

Our Equally Safe Strategy sets out Scotland’s ambition to tackle and eradicate all forms of violence against women and we continue to implement this with a clear and decisive focus on primary prevention of violence.

Baroness Helena Kennedy QC chairs the independent Working Group on Misogyny and Criminal Justice which is considering how the Scottish criminal justice system can better deal with misogyny and the harassment of women in public spaces. The Chair has confirmed that the Working Group’s report will be published in February 2022 and we will act swiftly to consider its recommendations.

On 4 November I chaired an urgent roundtable with representatives from the night time economy, health, education and third sectors to discuss spiking and interventions required to tackle violence against women. We are now considering the themes arising from these discussions with an ambition to agree upon robust reporting pathways, safeguarding interventions and long-term preventative measures that can be taken to address the issue of male violence against women.

Question reference: S6W-04019

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its employment action plan for disabled people 2021-22.

Question reference: S6O-00396

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the "20-metre rule" within eligibility criteria for disability benefits is dignified, fair, respectful and consistent with the values of Social Security Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-04035

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding it has provided to Skills Development Scotland since the start of the current financial year.

Question reference: S6W-04021

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the impact of COVID-19 on disabled people in the labour market.

The Scottish Government routinely publishes official labour market statistics for disabled people in Scotland and uses these to analyse how labour market barriers and outcomes for disabled people are changing over time and how they have been impacted by COVID-19.

Latest data are published at:

We know, for example, the disability employment gap in Scotland - the difference between the employment rates of disabled and non-disabled people - narrowed over the latest year to July 2020 – June 2021, to 32.0 percentage points.

Analysis is also published as part of the annual progress report of a Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: employment action plan - our plan to at least halve the disability employment gap in Scotland by 2038.

Latest report available here:

Question reference: S6W-04018

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its initial plans for achieving a fairer Scotland for disabled people, as set out in its Covid Recovery Strategy.

Working alongside Disabled Peoples Organisations, the STUC, and representatives from the third, public and private sectors, the Scottish Government is currently developing a refresh of ‘A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan’.

The refreshed action plan will set out how we will build on the progress we have made in tackling inequalities as we recover from the pandemic. We expect the plan to be published in Spring 2022.

Question reference: S6W-04020

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to enable disabled people to feed into its plans for achieving a fairer Scotland for disabled people, as set out in its Covid Recovery Strategy.

We are committed to working with Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) to ensure that the refresh of ‘ A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment action plan’ is informed by the lived experience of disabled people.

The short life working group overseeing the development of the refreshed action plan is co-chaired by the Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA). GDA and other DPOs will engage directly with their members and disabled people for input and views with regards to the refreshed action plan to ensure their views are heard and seen.

More broadly, we are committed to working together with DPOs to ensure disabled people’s input is represented in Scottish Government’s strategic and policy development in relation to achieving a fairer Scotland for disabled people. For example, the direct involvement of disabled people’s organisations and their members has played a key role in shaping the next phase of No One Left Behind, our strategy for placing people at the centre of the design and delivery of employability services.

Question reference: S6W-03441

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will enforce car-exclusion zones around schools in Glasgow.

The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places the statutory responsibility for local roads with the local road authorities, including parking on local roads. In addition, Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic. As such this is not an issue where the Scottish Government would become involved.

However, Glasgow City Council will enforce car-exclusion zones around schools by way of Traffic Regulation Order which will prohibit any motor vehicle without a permit of valid exemption from using the School Streets zone whilst the scheme is in operation.

Further information on this can be found at the following link;

Question reference: S6W-03447

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 29 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the potential impact on the delivery of disability and carers benefits will be of the extra capacity in Social Security Scotland that was announced on 29 September 2021.

The recently announced Social Security Scotland recruitment campaign will support the effective national roll-out delivery of Child Disability Payment and, in due course, Adult Disability Payment in line with our values of dignity, fairness and respect. This will also provide capacity to process new claims and support the transfer of existing cases from the Department of Work and Pensions. In 2022-2023 alone this will ensure that payments in excess of £2.2 billion are made safely and securely to over 400,000 people with lasting health conditions or disabilities. In addition, we are also building capacity for the introduction of further benefits beyond Child Disability Payment and Adult Disability Payment, including Scottish Carers Allowance.