Parliamentary questions
Martin Whitfield
543 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
9 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent teacher pay settlements impact the future value of teacher pensions, and, if so, what steps are being taken to mitigate any potential negative effects.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government does not consider there are any potentially negative effects of the recent teacher pay settlement on the future value of teachers pensions. The impact will be taken into account as part of the 2024 scheme actuarial valuation which meas…
9 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of rising living costs, whether it is considering any measures to increase the pension payments for current retirees who are members of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS).
Answer · Ivan McKee: Pensions in payment from the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme are protected against inflation and are adjusted each April in line with the Consumer Prices Index. In April 2023, pensions increased by 10.1% and in April 2024 by a further 6.7%.
9 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to conduct a full review of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) in the near future, and, if so, what the key areas of focus will be for any such review.
Answer · Ivan McKee: While Scottish Ministers have executively devolved responsibility for the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS), occupational pensions policy is reserved to the UK Government and is outside the powers of the Scottish Parliament. The STPS was last reformed…
9 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) pension benefit structure, including accrual rate and lump sum, compares to other defined benefit pension schemes.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Teachers’ Pension arrangement in Scotland comprises of two schemes. The Scottish Teachers’ Superannuation Scheme (STSS) which is the legacy scheme and which closed to all members on 31 March 2022, and the reformed Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme 2015 (S…
9 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures the smooth transition for teachers moving between the Scottish Teachers' Superannuation Scheme (STSS) and the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme 2015 (STPS 2015), in order to avoid any loss of pension benefits.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The value of members’ benefits accrued in the Scottish Teachers’ Superannuation Scheme (STSS) are protected by transitional protections on moving to the Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme 2015. These protections include a Final Salary Link which provides that …
9 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) compares with pension schemes offered to other public sector workers, and whether there are any plans to harmonise these schemes.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme was reformed by the UK Government under the Public Service Pension Act 2013 along with the other main public service pension schemes in the UK. All schemes are broadly comparable and are based on Career Average Revalued E…
9 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support mechanisms are in place to ensure that retired teachers with long careers have a secure and comfortable standard of living.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme (STPS) provides teachers in Scotland with a Defined Benefit pension scheme which offers the security of a guaranteed inflation proofed income in every year of retirement which is paid in addition to the State Pension. Tea…
9 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure fairness and equality within the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS) for teachers who joined at different points in time, in light of any changes in pension age and contribution rates.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government has no functions in relation to the changes introduced by the UK Government's reform of public service pensions.
9 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the current cost of living crisis, what specific actions are being taken to ensure that teacher pensions remain competitive and attractive to both new and existing teachers.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Teachers’ Pension Scheme (STPS) continues to be an integral part of the remuneration package for teachers in Scotland. A Defined Benefit scheme, it offers the security of a guaranteed income in every year of retirement for all its members. Pensio…
9 May 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the projected impact is of the recent teacher pay settlements on the long-term sustainability of the Scottish Teachers' Pension Scheme (STPS).
Answer · Ivan McKee: The impact of the recent teacher pay settlement will be taken into account as part of the 2024 scheme actuarial valuation. The valuation measures the costs of the benefits being provided and informs the future contribution rates to be paid by employers in ord…
15 Apr 2024 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its pledge to provide a free bike to every school-age child who cannot afford one.
9 Apr 2024 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response it to the latest report on childcare costs by Pregnant Then Screwed.
Answer · Natalie Don: The Scottish Government recognises that childcare costs continue to be a challenge for many parents and carers. That is why the Programme for Government set out ambitious commitments to expand access to childcare as part of our mission to tackle child poverty…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how its (a) children’s social work, (b) Homelessness in Scotland and (c) youth homelessness statistics differ with regards to capturing the experiences of care experienced young people.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The scope and purpose of the data collections associated with the children’s social work and homelessness statistics are very different. Additionally, this means that the sources cover different periods of the lives of care experienced children and young peop…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its Homelessness in Scotland statistics accurately capture the number of people in Scotland who have been "looked after" prior to becoming homeless.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government Homelessness in Scotland statistics are based on data collected from all local authorities, on households that have made a homelessness application to a local authority. This data collection includes information on whether any adult m…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many grants for care experienced people it has awarded in each year since 2016, broken down by (a) age and (b) local authority area.
Answer · Natalie Don: Grants to organisations for people with care experience by age Age range 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 0-5 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 4 to 8 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 0-18 0 0 1 9 16 14 13 9 12 to 18 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 0-26 …
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects regarding the circumstances of death when a young person dies in the care of a local authority; how any such data is published, and when any such data will next be reviewed.
Answer · Natalie Don: The death of any child or young person is a tragedy. The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the death of any looked after child or young person is accurately reported on and reviewed to improve services and ensure that children and young people…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how often it reviews statistical collection and publishing cycles in order to deliver joined-up policy making.
Answer · George Adam: Scottish Government statistics are produced in accordance with the Code of Practice for Statistics. The Code of Practice states that statistics producers should routinely review the relevance and usefulness of statistics, including the timeliness of the stati…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of community-based health and social care spend is currently spent on preventative whole family support, broken down by local authority area, and when it expects the total figure to reach its 5% target.
Answer · Natalie Don: The Scottish Government remains committed to meeting this ambition by 2030 and continues to explore how we can enable a transformational change in the delivery of preventative whole family support and how we can take a cross portfolio approach to supporting w…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of each of the five prevention pathways in its Ending Homelessness Together action plan.
Answer · Paul McLennan: We are committed to reporting on progress against the actions in our Ending Homelessness Together action plan on an annual basis to the Scottish Parliament. The last annual update was published on 26 October 2023 - Ending homelessness together: annual report …
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which body has the responsibility for monitoring the use of seclusion and restraint in schools, and how it will ensure that this data is collected consistently across all 32 local authorities.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Restraint and seclusion should only ever be used as a last resort to prevent the risk of injury. Under existing guidance , all local authorities are asked to have policies in place governing the use of these practices and are asked to monitor their use. As…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects statutory guidance for the use of seclusion and restraint in schools to be in place.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Restraint and seclusion should only ever be used as a last resort to prevent the risk of injury. The Scottish Government is developing new human-rights based guidance on the use of physical intervention in schools. We are due to publish the consultation analy…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many children and young people from a different legal jurisdiction are currently in a care setting in Scotland, and how it ensures that the rights of any such children or young people under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) …
Answer · Natalie Don: While the Scottish Government does not collect statistical data on the total number of children and young people from a different legal jurisdiction who are currently in a care setting in Scotland, there is a range of data available which enables us to monito…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to schools to reduce the use of seclusion and restraint.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Restraint and seclusion should only ever be used as a last resort to prevent the risk of injury. Under existing guidance , all local authorities are asked to have policies in place governing the use of these practices and are asked to monitor their use. As…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the needs of care experienced young people are not specifically addressed in its publication, Creating Hope Together: Scotland’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan 2022-2025.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government and CoSLA’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan contains a commitment to work with The Promise Scotland to engage with care experienced people to better understand what action is needed to embed suicide prevention activity in our support …
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how its coordinates homelessness prevention across government for (a) care experienced young people and (b) veterans.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Minister for Housing has convened a Ministerial Oversight Group on Homelessness which brings together ten ministers from across the Scottish Government to identify the actions required across portfolios to prevent and end homelessness. The group provide…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects about care experienced young people's school (a) attendance, (b) achievement, (c) attainment and (d) positive destinations; how any such data is analysed, and when it will next be reviewed.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Data on education outcomes of care experienced young people is collected and published as part of the annual Education Outcomes of Looked After Children (EOLAC) Official Statistics publication. This covers pupils in publicly funded mainstream schools in the…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have died in the care of a Scottish local authority prior to their 18th birthday since 2018.
Answer · Natalie Don: The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that the tragic death of any looked after child or young person is accurately reported on and reviewed to improve services and ensure that children and young people are receiving the best care possible. A total…
19 Mar 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many young offenders currently being held in a young offenders institution are (a) 16 and (b) 17 years old.
Answer · Angela Constance: On the morning of 25 March 2024 there were (a) no 16 year olds and (b) five 17 year olds held in Young Offender Institutions in Scotland.
12 Mar 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comments made by the National Autistic Society Scotland that some autistic pupils in Scotland have to “fail” in mainstream education before receiving the support that they need.
29 Feb 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much Disclosure Scotland has spent on employing temporary staff in each year since 2012.
Answer · Natalie Don: I have asked Gerard Hart, Chief Executive of Disclosure Scotland to respond. His response is as follows: Table: The spend on employing temporary staff each year since 2012. To note, these figures relate to both agency staff and contractors. Year Temp staff…