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-11363

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 October 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its Franchise Agreement with Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited.

I can confirm that today Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited has been advised that its proposal to rebase the Franchise Agreement with Scottish Ministers for the provision of Caledonian Sleeper rail services has been rejected on the grounds of not representing value for money to the public.

Additionally, I can confirm that a notice was served today which confirms that the Scottish Ministers will terminate the Franchise Agreement with Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited on 25 June 2023.

Work is underway to determine arrangements for the continued provision of Caledonian Sleeper rail services beyond 25 June 2023 and this will be updated to Parliament once determined.

It is worth noting that Serco Caledonian Sleepers Limited has, broadly, delivered well and significantly improved Caledonian Sleeper services over the last 7 years.

Question reference: S6W-09669

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Private Nursery Association's reported request for greater oversight and involvement by the Scottish Government in the setting of fees within the early learning and childcare sector.

The Scottish Government’s funding agreement with CoSLA enables local authorities to pay sustainable rates to providers in the private, third and childminding sectors who meet the National Standard, and enter into a contract with a local authority to provide funded early learning and childcare (ELC).

Last year’s reported that payments for the delivery of funded ELC account for around 33% to 45% of income for private providers. Providers are responsible for setting fees that are not associated with the provision of funded ELC.

The Scottish Government and local government recognise the need to strengthen the process for setting sustainable rates, and are progressing the programme of actions from the .

This includes publishing jointly with COSLA, on 26 May 2022, updated guidance to support local authorities to set sustainable rates. The guidance emphasises the importance of ongoing consultation and dialogue between local authorities and their local ELC providers.

The Scottish Government is committed to collecting annual data on the sustainable rates set by local authorities, and will publish an update this autumn.

Question reference: S6W-09667

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the written evidence, including the recommendations, of the Scottish Private Nursery Association submitted to the Education, Children and Young People Committee in connection with its meeting on 25 May 2022.

The Scottish Government provided an evidence paper to the Education, Children and Young People Committee ahead of its meeting on 25 May 2022. This paper covers many of the issues subsequently raised in the written evidence submitted by the Scottish Private Nursery Association (SPNA) for that session.

The SPNA separately shared their written evidence with Scottish Government officials directly. Officials provided a detailed response to the SPNA on 3 August 2022. I would be happy to share this, and would invite the member to contact my office to request a copy.

Regular engagement with the childcare sector is a vital part of the Scottish Government’s approach to policy development and monitoring delivery of the 1140 expansion, and I am grateful to the SPNA for sharing their members’ concerns.

Question reference: S6O-01344

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee’s report on energy price rises.

Question reference: S6W-09880

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the outcome of its correspondence with NHS board chief executives regarding any systemic failures highlighted in British Academy of Audiology reports, particularly regarding its request that chief executives examine their services, provide it with assurance on quality of care, and advise of any specific actions being taken in light of the reports.

The Scottish Government has always been clear the triangulation of learning from complaints and incidents must be a corner stone of clinical governance and improvement and that is why we wrote to NHS Board Chief Executives about the British Academy of Audiology (BAA) reports in December 2021.

In their returns Boards outlined specific actions which included the development of local action plans, review of protocols and guidelines, additional training and professional development sessions. All Chief Executives confirmed a Lead Director and single point of contact in the service for the Independent Review of Audiology which will examine governance and quality assurance arrangements for audiology services in Scotland as a part of its remit.

Question reference: S6W-09881

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage proactivity by NHS Lothian in helping to address any urgent needs of children whose hearing issues were not diagnosed or treated, in light of the reported failures in diagnosing and treating hearing loss within NHS Lothian’s Paediatric Audiology Services.

The Scottish Government meet regularly with NHS Lothian in relation to their current status on the NHS board performance escalation framework, this involves the Board working through and reporting progress against a formal Recovery Plan that covers all the BAA recommended actions. The telephone helpline, established by NHS Lothian, also continues to be in operation to allow families to make direct contact with NHS Lothian about any audiology concerns.

Question reference: S6W-09882

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to connect speech therapists and community support organisations with parents of children in Lothian who were not correctly diagnosed with hearing loss and who have potentially missed out on years of communication with speech therapists and community support groups, in light of the reported failures in diagnosing and treating hearing loss within NHS Lothian’s Paediatric Audiology Services.

Following the publication of the review findings in December 2021, NHS Lothian has had extensive interactions with a wide range of professionals who work with children and young people to highlight the key findings in the report and this has included Speech and Language Therapists, Health Visitors, General Practice, Ear Nose and Throat clinicians, Community Paediatricians and teaching staff, with further communication to the Director of Education. This has involved individual meetings with professionals as well as the development of a staff briefing document, which was widely circulated across key networks. As part of this process, those working with children who had any concerns about a child's hearing were encouraged to contact the Audiology department directly or to refer the child through the normal referral route (e.g. Health Visitor, Speech and Language, GPs).

Question reference: S6W-09879

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress of the work of the National Audiology Review Group on examining hearing services in NHS boards across Scotland and providing recommendations for a national plan for improvement, in light of the publication of the British Academy of Audiology report on NHS Lothian's Paediatric Audiology Services.

The National Audiology Review Group convened on 3 May 2022 and on 28 June 2022. Review Group members were invited to share their key priorities for development of the Terms of Reference to help shape the future of audiology services in Scotland.

The Terms of Reference were agreed by the Group on 7 July 2022 and will be published on the Scottish Government’s website alongside minutes and a current membership list.

Question reference: S6W-09668

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 9 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what regular formal engagement has been established with the private early learning and childcare sector in developing the curriculum for children up to the age of three and other operational matters.

Regular open and constructive engagement with the early learning and childcare sector continues to be a vital part of our approach to policy development. This includes engagement with the sector representative bodies, and through the Childcare Sector Working Group, which last met on 16 June 2022.

Scottish Government and Education Scotland’s ‘Realising the Ambition – Being Me’, the national practice guidance on supporting young children’s learning, was published in 2020. Private providers contributed to its development via sector representative bodies and through a series of consultation events held across Scotland in order to seek the views of practitioners working in the public, private, third and childminding sectors.

Question reference: S6W-09841

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 July 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 14 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series to inform the debate on Scotland’s future.

I am pleased to advise Parliament that the Scottish Government is continuing to deliver on its commitment to give people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future, and is today publishing Renewing Democracy through Independence .

As our second scene-setting paper for the Building a New Scotland prospectus series, the paper sets out the evidence in support of the democratic case for independence. Renewing Democracy through Independence sets out the Scottish Government’s view that the people of Scotland have the right to choose their own future, and the opportunities for democratic government offered by Scotland becoming an independent country.

Building a New Scotland: Renewing Democracy through Independence is available to view on the Scottish Government website from today: