Questions and answers

Question reference: S5O-05138

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 March 2021
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the number of school pupils in Glasgow experiencing digital exclusion.

Question reference: S5W-35607

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 5 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any meetings it has had with the Leader of Glasgow City Council in the last three months, including what was discussed at each meeting.

Ministers appreciate the range of challenges and pressures facing local government at this time and have been in regular and ongoing dialogue with COSLA and individual local authorities including Glasgow City Council since the COVID-19 crisis began last March.

Details of meetings with Cabinet Secretaries, Ministers and Susan Aitken, Council Leader, Glasgow City Council over the last 3 months are listed below:

Date	Cabinet Secretary/Minister	Discussions
21 January 2021	Minister for Drugs Policy, Ms Constance	Drugs Policy
14 January 2021	Minister for Trade Investment, Public Finance and Innovation, Mr McKee	Skills Led Recovery
6 December 2020	Deputy First Minister, Mr Swinney	COVID-19 Levels system

Question reference: S5W-35343

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 5 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings Ministers have had with Glasgow City Council since March 2020 and whether it will provide details of (a) what was discussed and (b) who was present at each meeting.

Ministers appreciate the range of challenges and pressures facing local government at this time and have been in regular and ongoing dialogue with COSLA and individual local authorities including Glasgow City Council since the COVID-19 crisis began last March.

Details of 15 Ministerial meetings with Glasgow City Council since March 2020 including what was discussed and who was present can be found in the following table:

Date	Minister /Cabinet Secretary	Attendees from Glasgow City Council	Discussions
3 February 2021	Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Mr Matheson Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform	Hugh Gillies, Roads Department	Discussions as part of Low Emission Zones and Glasgow Airport Access project
21 January 2021	Minister for Drugs Policy, Ms Constance	Cllrs Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council, Cllr Mhairi Hunter and Cllr Allan Casey	Drugs Policy
14 January 2021	Minister for Trade, Investment, Public Finance and Innovation, Mr McKee	Cllr Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council	Skills led recovery
16 December 2020	Minister for Trade, Investment, Public Finance and Innovation, Mr McKee	Cllr Bell Cllr Kelly	Direct investment
6 December 2020	DFM, Mr Swinney	Anne Marie O’Donnell, Chief Executive and Susan Aitken Leader of Glasgow City Council	COVID-19 Levels System
15 November 2020	DFM, Mr Swinney	Anne Marie O’Donnell, Chief Executive and Susan Aitken Leader of Glasgow City Council	COVID-19 Levels System
27 October 2020	DFM Mr John Swinney	Anne Marie O’Donnell, Chief Executive and Susan Aitken Leader of Glasgow City Council	COVID-19 Levels System
16 September 2020	Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, Ms Hyslop	Cllr Aitken and Cllr McDonald	Glasgow Life
27 August 2020	Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Mr Stewart	Cllr Mhairi Hunter, Suzanne Miller, Interim Chair, Glasgow H&SCP	Homelessness
24 August 2020	Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Mr Stewart	Cllr Mhairi Hunter, Glasgow City Council	Homelessness
28 July 2020	Minister for Local Government, Housing and Planning, Mr Stewart	Cllr Mhairi Hunter Glasgow City Council	Homelessness
3 July 2020	Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Communities, Ms Campbell	Cllr Susan Aitken, Leader of Glasgow City Council Chris Philp MP, Minister for Immigration Compliance and the Courts	Asylum/Refugees
11 June 2020	Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Communities, Ms Campbell	Cllr Jen Layden	Asylum Accommodation in Glasgow
11 June 2020	Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity, Mr Matheson	George Gillespie, Executive Director, Neighbourhoods and Sustainability Eric Stuart, Head of Transport Services	Transport issues affecting Glasgow
20 May 2020	Cabinet Secretary for Local Government and Communities, Ms Campbell	Cllr Jen Layden	Asylum Accommodation in Glasgow

Question reference: S5W-35344

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 26 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions Ministers have had with the leader of Glasgow City Council, regarding its budget allocation.

Scottish Government Ministers meet with COSLA and individual local authorities on a regular basis to cover a range of issues. Negotiations on the annual local government finance settlement are conducted between the Scottish Government and COSLA, on behalf of all 32 local authorities, including Glasgow City Council.

In 2021-22, Glasgow City Council will receive a total funding package of almost‎ £1.5 billion to support local services, which includes an extra £29.8 million to support vital day to day services, equivalent to an increase of 2.2 per cent compared to 2020-21. The day to day service funding includes £9.7 million to compensate the council should they choose to freeze council tax levels, helping to protect households. Glasgow City Council will also receive their share of the £259 million in 2021-22 to support COVID-19 pressures, which they will be able to spend as they see fit for the maximum benefit of their community.

Question reference: S5O-05049

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 February 2021
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what additional support it will make available to out-of-school care providers experiencing financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5O-04995

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2021
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent three-year forecast showing a £113 million shortfall in Glasgow City Council's finances by 2023.

Question reference: S5W-34702

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 29 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of its delivery of child winter heating payment assistance.

Question reference: S5W-34701

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether people receiving the highest component of personal independence payment (PIP) following a transfer from disability living allowance (DLA) because of DWP guidelines will continue to receive child winter heating payment assistance.

Children and young people in Scotland who are entitled to the highest rate of the care component of Disability Living Allowance (DLA) for at least one day during the qualifying week (which is the third week in September) are entitled to Child Winter Heating Assistance (CWHA). Young people who are entitled to Personal Independence Payment (PIP) are not entitled to CWHA.

This is because CWHA is intended to provide assistance to children and young people with the most severe disabilities who have additional needs throughout the night. The eligibility criteria for PIP do not take into account the needs of individuals at night. Determining whether a PIP client meets the eligibility criteria would involve looking at cases individually which would have impacted on delivery of CWHA.

The Scottish Government has introduced changes to the eligibility criteria for DLA so that young people whose sixteenth birthday falls on or after 1 st September 2020 will not be required to apply for PIP at age 16. Their award will automatically be extended to age 18. This will allow young people who meet the eligibility criteria to continue to be entitled to CWHA.

Question reference: S5O-04961

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 January 2021
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it undertook during the first COVID-19 lockdown regarding pupil engagement, and how the findings affected its decisions regarding the current remote learning measures.

Question reference: S5W-34044

Asked by: Johann Lamont, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the role that (a) care and (b) support staff working in the third sector have played in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and whether they will be awarded the £500 "thank you" bonus in the same way as their counterparts in the statutory sector.

Alongside NHS and statutory adult social care staff, the contribution of care and support staff in the third sector has been critical in our response to the pandemic. Staff working for a registered adult social care service or in a role supporting those registered services in a head office, for example finance and administrative staff, will be in scope of the pro rata £500 payment being made to those NHS and adult social care staff who have been employed since 17 March 2020. This includes those employed in the statutory, third and private sector.

Chamber and committees