Parliamentary questions
Roz McCall
240 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Aug 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what funding was in place for the Psychology of Parenting Programme in (a) 2023-24 and (b) 2024-25.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Psychology of Parenting Programme (PoPP) is funded through NHS Education Scotland (NES)’s Parenting workstream, which covers various programmes of work (including PoPP) to support the social, emotional and behavioural development of infants, childre…
3 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to a full review of the currentfunding and commissioning model for secure care.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The current system requires a fundamental review to ensure equity, transparency and efficiency. Piloting, testing and evaluating possible new resourcing models will be essential. To gather evidence as to what would work best to deliver a reliable, high qualit…
3 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the concerns raised in the report, Reimagining Secure Care Final Report: A Vision for the Reimagined/Future World, regarding inadequate mental health provision for children in secure care, and how it plans to ensure access to consistent, trauma-respons…
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government recognises the need for effective partnership working across all relevant sectors, including health, to optimise the outcomes of secure care placements and to ensure children have continued access to the care and support in environment…
3 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that any community-based hubs, as proposed in the report, Reimagining Secure Care Final Report: A Vision for the Reimagined/Future World, are sustainably funded and equitably delivered across Scotland, particularly in rural and remote communities.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: By learning from existing local authority and regionalised multidisciplinary models, Scotland could develop a network of community-based hubs that provide effective, rights-respecting alternatives to secure accommodation.Our recently-published response to rei…
3 Jul 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to improve workforce qualifications and training for those who work in secure care, in light of reports that staff are often employed without the necessary specialist skills to support highly vulnerable children.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Social Services Council (SSSC) is the regulator for the social work, social care and early years workforce in Scotland. The Council protects the public by registering workers in social services; setting standards for their conduct and education. …
10 Jun 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its policies on managing deer numbers, how it is supporting public bodies such as local authorities and NHS boards to use more Scottish venison in any catering that they are responsible for.
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted of how any restrictions on the availability of cross-local authority funded childcare can impact on families, particularly those in full-time employment.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: Local authorities are responsible for meeting the statutory guidance requirements in relation to cross-boundary and are further encouraged to work together to ensure families’ choice of provider is not limited by local authority boundaries through joint…
10 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support local authorities to facilitate access to 1,140 hours of funded childcare in situations where childcare is required in a different local authority area from a family's main residence.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: Local authorities hold the statutory duty to make 1,140 hours of funded ELC available to eligible children residing within their own area, and are also responsible for meeting the statutory guidance requirements in relation to cross-boundary placements.Statut…
3 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it considers would be best practice in a situation where, following a contact order, a child refuses contact with the non-resident parent.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Scottish Government wants to ensure that the child’s best interests are at the centre of any contact case and that the voice of the child is heard. Family circumstances can vary considerably and so, beyond those general principles, there is no singl…
3 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether sheriffs, judges and legal practitioners working in the civil system have undergone specialist training on domestic abuse, coercive control and the potential impact on children’s lives.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The education and training of the Scottish judiciary is the responsibility of the Lord President, who established the Judicial Institute for Scotland (the Institute) to conduct training for all sheriffs and judges in Scotland.The Scottish Government’s u…
3 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether there is a general presumption in favour of contact being in a child’s best interests when there has been domestic abuse/coercive control.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: It is the Scottish Government’s view that both parents should be involved in their child’s life, as long as this is in the child’s best interests.The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 is the key legislation on contact, residence, and parental res…
3 Jun 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how a child’s best interest is assessed when considering contact and the type of contact in domestic abuse and coercive control cases.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 is the key legislation on contact, residence and parental responsibilities and rights. When the court is deciding whether to make an order under section 11 of the Act (e.g. a contact order) the driving principle of the legisla…
2 Jun 2025 · First Minister's Question
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that Police Scotland’s national child abuse investigation unit now carries out 700 child sexual abuse investigations a year, representing an increase of 30% since 2015.
27 May 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its commitment that no young person under the age of 18 should be imprisoned, what discussions it has had with the Scottish Sentencing Council regarding reviewing the Sentencing young people guideline, which states that all sentencing options, including imprisonment, rema…
21 May 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will take action to deter wildlife crime on beaches, particularly over the summer months.
22 Apr 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest Quarterly Economic Indicator from the Scottish Chambers of Commerce and Fraser of Allander Institute, which reportedly shows a business landscape that is characterised by flatlining demand, stalling investment and labour cost pressures.
26 Mar 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding how to ensure the protection of Scotch whisky.
18 Mar 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle long-term economic inactivity in Fife.
18 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle long-term economic inactivity in Fife.
12 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reverse the reported decline in the availability of childminding services.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35680 on 27 March 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees…
12 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it measures the impact of funded early learning and childcare on children's (a) development, (b) family wellbeing and (c) parental employment.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: As outlined in the Scottish Government’s Evaluation Strategy, published in 2022, we have robust plans in place to evaluate the impact of the ELC expansion to 1140 hours on outcomes for children, parents and families. This includes an economic evaluation…
11 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent evaluation it has carried out of the impact of 1,140 hours of funded childcare on (a) children’s development and (b) parental employment.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35713 on 27 March 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees…
11 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) support childminders in delivering the 1,140 hours of funded childcare and (b) address the reported decline in the number of childminders.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government is committed to supporting and growing our childminding sector, which is why we launched the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future in June 2024, in partnership with the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA). The program…
11 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address any staffing shortages in the early years sector that may be impacting the delivery of 1,140 hours of funded childcare.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The single most important driver of quality in a child’s Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) experience and improved outcomes is a dedicated, highly skilled, and well-qualified workforce. The ELC profession is therefore critical to the successful deliver…
11 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of eligible children have accessed their full entitlement of 1,140 hours of funded childcare in each of the last three years.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: All three- and four-year-olds, as well as eligible two-year-olds, have a statutory entitlement of up to 1140 hours per year of funded ELC.The most recent ELC Census shows that uptake of the funded ELC offer for 3- and 4-year-olds was around 95% of eligible ch…
11 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated specifically to support the implementation of The Promise in each financial year since it was made.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: To keep The Promise requires a whole systems approach to connect the different strands of policy work, new and ongoing commitments and financial programmes across Government that can impact on the lives of care experienced children, young people and their fam…
11 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the progress made by (a) local authorities and (b) partner organisations in embedding the principles of The Promise in their policies and practices.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government works closely with local authorities and partner organisations to embed the principles of The Promise in their policies and practices.I regularly meet with Councillor Tony Buchanan, the COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People,…
11 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that care experienced young people receive (a) appropriate housing and (b) financial support as they transition into adulthood.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government’s Continuing Care and Aftercare policies provide the framework for supporting young people transitioning from care on to more independent living. Through the Local Government Settlement, the Scottish Government funds local author…
11 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with the UK Government to ensure that reserved policy areas, such as social security and asylum, align with Scotland’s commitments under The Promise.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: Scottish Government Ministers and officials regularly meet with counterparts in the UK Government to discuss reserved issues. Senior officials who lead on The Promise have recently engaged with their counterparts in both the UK and devolved governments regard…
27 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people on remand and awaiting a court date have been held in prison due to a lack of safe and adequate housing provision in each of the last five years.
Answer · Angela Constance: The information requested is not held centrally. Decisions on whether or not to grant bail are for the independent courts based on the individual facts and circumstances of each case. As set out in the Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, in any given case…