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-30071

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it addresses any disparities in access to digital resources and support for young people participating in the Young Person’s Guarantee.

The Scottish Government is committed to increasing digital participation and ensuring that all of Scotland is able to enjoy the social, cultural and economic benefits of the internet. Connecting Scotland is a Scottish Government programme, delivered in partnership with the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO). It has provided internet-enabled devices, connectivity and digital skills support to people who are digitally excluded.

From April 2023 the Young Person’s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.

Question reference: S6W-30063

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many young people with additional support needs have been supported through the Young Person's Guarantee in each of the last three years.

Question reference: S6W-30067

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how the success of the Young Person's Guarantee is evaluated, and what criteria are used to measure its effectiveness.

The Young Person’s Guarantee Measurement and Evaluation Framework was published in February 2022. This set out the approach envisaged at the time to monitor and evaluate the progress with the Guarantee, including Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) and a planned Implementation Evaluation. The framework is available at: .

The Young Person’s Guarantee Implementation Progress Report (July 2021) and Update Report (March 2023) both highlight progress made over the 2 years. The reports also summarised developments at the time in relation to KPIs identified in the monitoring and evaluation framework. These reports can be found at:

The Scottish Government published the Implementation Evaluation of No One Left Behind & the Young Person's Guarantee in August 2023. This evaluation considered progress in implementation and delivery, the experiences of service providers and service users, barriers and enablers to implementation and identified lessons from early delivery.

The Implementation Evaluation of No One Left Behind & the Young Person's Guarantee is available at:

From April 2023 the Young Person’s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.

Question reference: S6W-30066

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Young Person's Guarantee budget is currently allocated to rural and remote areas, and what strategies are in place to ensure equitable access in these areas.

Funding for the Young Person’s Guarantee was allocated through Further Education, Higher Education, the third sector and Developing the Young Workforce. For the employability element of the Young Person’s Guarantee, funding was allocated through Local Employability Partnerships (LEPs) which then distributed funding based on local context and needs. We do not hold a breakdown of allocation to rural and remote areas.

From April 2023 the Young Person’s Guarantee has been mainstreamed across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.

Question reference: S6O-03806

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting childcare providers.

Question reference: S6W-29734

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met developers regarding the Bankton junction on the A1 in East Lothian.

Question reference: S6W-28911

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the full costs that it occurred in relation to the case of McMaster & Others and MacKay & Others (Gov ref LIT/11764/AT).

Question reference: S6W-28910

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its final settlement terms were for the case of McMaster & Others and MacKay & Others (Gov ref LIT/11764/AT).

Question reference: S6W-29164

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what alternative financial support is available to young people under 17 who wish to continue their education but are not eligible for the Education Maintenance Allowance.

Education Maintenance Allowance (EMA) is available at school and college for eligible 16-19 year olds supporting them to remain and progress in learning. For those at school, and under 17 who are not eligible for EMA, they may receive Free School Meals and/or the School Clothing Grant depending on their individual circumstances.

Similarly, for those young people studying a further education course at college, they may be eligible for discretionary funding, study costs and childcare funding. This support is assessed and administered directly by individual colleges.

In the instances where a young person under 17 opts to study a higher education course, they may be eligible to apply for tuition fee support, bursary and living cost grants to support them throughout their studies. Students over the age of 16 are also eligible to apply for a student loan. This support is assessed and administered by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS).

All young people and children living in Scotland aged 5-21 can apply for a card to access the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-28992

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 2 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review options for extending the provision of financial support for the Veterans Community Support Service, which is run under the auspices of Legion Scotland, beyond the current end point for grant funding in 2026.

The Scottish Government does not currently provide direct funding to Legion Scotland’s Veterans Community Support Service. The Service does, however, receive Scottish Government grant funding indirectly through the Unforgotten Forces consortium, which the Scottish Government has funded since 2020. In 2023 the consortium’s Scottish Government funding was extended for a further three years on the condition that they develop and implement a long term sustainable funding model from 2026 onwards, and we are liaising with the consortium to support them in that transition.

The consortium independently allocates funding from the Scottish Government grant amongst their partners each financial year, in line with grant conditions. Therefore, if the consortium have other funds available once the Scottish Government funding has ceased then the decision on whether funding continues to be allocated to the Veterans Community Support Service beyond 2026 will be made by them.

A possible alternative source of funding for the Veterans Community Support Service is the Scottish Government’s Scottish Veterans Fund. The Fund provides a total of £500,000 per annum for projects that support the Armed Forces and veterans community. Details regarding the 2026-2027 funding round will be announced closer to the time.