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: S5W-25605

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what response it made to the UK Government consultation, "Good work plan: establishing a new single enforcement body for employment rights", and whether it recommended that the UK Government should establish such a body.

In my response to the UK Government’s Good Work Plan consultation on establishing a new single enforcement body for employment rights, I welcomed measures to improve labour market enforcement and protect vulnerable workers from exploitation.

However, I urged caution on the possible loss of expertise and knowledge which combining specialist agencies might cause, and highlighted the concerns of the Fair Work Convention that any enforcement regime would be reliant on sufficient funding to achieve its purpose.

I have placed a copy of the response in the Parliament’s Information Centre (bib number 61122).

Question reference: S5O-03695

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many primary and secondary school buildings contain asbestos.

Question reference: S5O-03597

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect the public from doorstep crime and bogus callers.

Question reference: S5O-03543

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S5W-24532

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 16 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how often it meets its target to pay suppliers of public contracts within 30 working days.

The Scottish Government’s prompt payment policy requires that all supplier invoices not in dispute are paid within the terms of the relevant contract. The Scottish Government aims to pay 100% of invoices, including disputed invoices once the dispute has been settled, on time in these terms.

In addition to this commitment, in 2008 the Scottish Government introduced a 10-day target for paying bills to businesses in Scotland. This measure goes above and beyond our contractual commitment to pay suppliers within 30 days. Paying supplier bills within 10 working days is seen as a key objective, and an important expression of the Scottish Government's commitment to supporting business.

We do not hold payment performance information relating to public contracts only. We have however provided in the following table, combined figures for all payments made in 30 and 10 days by The Scottish Government and bodies who share its finance system, for the last 5 years.

Payment performance statistics can also be found in the SG Annual Accounts. The most recently published accounts can be found via the following link: (page 20).

Financial Year	Percentage of undisputed invoices paid within 30 days
2014-15	99.4%
2015-16	99.7%
2016-17	99.8%
2017-18	99.5%
2018-19	99.7%

Financial Year	Percentage of undisputed invoices paid within 10 days
2014-15	98.5%
2015-16	98.4%
2016-17	98.6%
2017-18	98.2%
2018-19	99.0%

Question reference: S5W-24533

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 15 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to ensure that sub-contractors carrying out public contracts are paid on time.

Question reference: S5W-23986

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 July 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the suspension of some European Social Fund grants, which projects or initiatives in the west of Scotland are affected, and what it is doing to ensure that the services provided by these continue and that workers are paid.

None. Activity led by lead partners including Renfrewshire Council, East Ayrshire Council and West Dunbartonshire Council are affected by the European Commission's pre-suspension period. However, the flow of funds from the lead partners to local organisations working on their behalf will continue.

The Scottish Government is working hard with the European Commission and stakeholders to resolve this situation as quickly as possible, to avoid any charity or third sector body from going out of business as a result of this issue and ensure that workers are paid.

Question reference: S5O-03447

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when the finance secretary last met Glasgow Airport to discuss the economy and fair work.

Question reference: S5W-23620

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 11 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with European Commission officials regarding the suspension of some European Social Fund grants, and what measures it is taking to address the concerns of the European Commission on this issue.

Question reference: S5W-23619

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 11 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the suspension of some European Social Fund grants, whether any projects or initiatives in the west of Scotland are affected and, if so, what it is doing to support them and ensure that workers are paid.

Projects across Scotland, including the west of Scotland, are affected by the European Commission's pre-suspension procedure of payments of the European Social Fund to the Scottish Government. The Scottish Government is working hard with the European Commission and stakeholders to resolve this situation as quickly as possible, to avoid any charity or third sector body from going out of business as a result of this issue and ensure that workers are paid.