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-16022

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to address the reported crisis of staff recruitment and retention in the social care sector.

There are more than 1,200 social care providers across Scotland, with local authorities responsible for providing or commissioning services. Local authorities and Health and Social Care Partnerships will wish to ensure that, in providing a range of services, their workforce planning arrangements take full account of the need to have safe and sustainable numbers of staff.

To increase awareness of the careers available in the sector, the latest iteration of our Adult Social Care Recruitment Campaign launched on 25 January. It has an increased media presence to reach a broader audience than previous campaigns.

We have also been working with DWP to hold social care job fairs throughout Scotland, with the next phase of events expected to be delivered in the coming weeks.

We have provided funding to NHS Education for Scotland to lead the delivery of a programme of work to support social care providers to increase workforce capacity through international recruitment. The aim of the programme is to support social care providers to navigate the UK immigration system more easily, and to alleviate some of the administrative burden of the international recruitment process. Expressions of interest will be welcomed from all providers in Scotland, regardless of size or location of their organisation, who feel they could support an international worker to integrate into their community through working in the social care sector. This programme is due to launch in the coming weeks.

In addition we have re-established the Campaign Advisory Group to work on a longer term recruitment strategy to increase capacity across the social care sector.

Question reference: S6W-16763

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, following the announcement in August 2022 that the next ScotRail fares increase would be postponed by two months to March 2023, when it expects to announce the new fare prices.

The Scottish Government took the decision last year to freeze ScotRail fares as part of a suite of measures to tackle the ongoing cost of living crisis. More broadly the Scottish Government has committed to pilot the removal of ScotRail peak fares on all ScotRail routes from October this year.

This initiative will operate over a six-month period, following which the Scottish Government will carefully consider its impact and the long-term sustainability of such a proposition.

The Scottish Government is considering future fare options whilst taking account of the extremely challenging fiscal climate facing both rail passengers and funders and I expect to provide an update on this in due course.

Question reference: S6O-02149

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with West College Scotland, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-16021

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations of the Feeley Review of Adult Social Care that "priority is given to the establishing of the sector level body as a means to take forward the Fair Work recommendations in partnership" and "that body should also take the lead in creating national sector level collective bargaining of terms and conditions".

The Scottish Government have fully accepted the findings of the Feeley Review and we are working in partnership with stakeholders to implement its key recommendations. The Scottish Government are not waiting for the National Care Service to be established before we take action and we have continued to progress a number of key projects to take forward and improve Fair Work principles, including providing an additional £100m to increase the minimum rate of pay for adult social care workers to £10.90 per hour. Work is already underway to develop pay and bargaining arrangements ahead of the introduction of the NCS.

Through the National Care Service (NCS), The Scottish Government is going to continue to take forward its commitments to Fair Work for the social care sector, and to improve pay and conditions for workers, including through of national sectoral bargaining.

Question reference: S6W-16020

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position regarding uprating the pay of social care workers to at least £15 per hour, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

From April 2023, adult social care workers delivering direct care in commissioned services will see their pay increase to a minimum of £10.90 per hour; in line with the Real Living Wage rate for the 2023-24 Financial Year. This represents a 14.7% increase for these workers in the last two years.

To increase the minimum pay rate for these workers from £10.90 per hour to £15 per hour could cost up to an additional £1.1bn. To increase pay to £15 per hour for all social care workers could cost up to an additional £1.7bn. There have never been greater pressures on public finances and the Scottish Government have continued to call on the UK Government to provide additional funding, including to take into account inflation. However, in the absence of this, we are having to make difficult choices.

Question reference: S6O-02095

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it will next meet with representatives from the GMB trade union MSP staff branch.

Question reference: S6O-02089

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many GP surgeries are not currently accepting new patients.

Question reference: S6W-15014

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much money (a) the Serco Caledonian Sleeper and (b) ScotRail has received from Network Rail, following national strike days since July 2022, as a result of any indemnification arrangements.

Question reference: S6W-15654

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister has used WhatsApp to discuss government business.

Substantive government business and communication between Ministers and officials is normally conducted using email on the SCOTS IT platform. Mobile messaging apps can be a useful communication tool to support the delivery of business, particularly in relation to business continuity or staff welfare. We have a clear policy whereby any information which relates to the substance of government decision making must be transposed to the official record and retained.

Question reference: S6W-15672

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Higher Education, Further Education, Youth Employment and Training has used WhatsApp to discuss government business.