Willie Rennie

17 Dec 2019 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to change the qualifying criteria for Carer’s Allowance.

12 Dec 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

28 Nov 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

21 Nov 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

7 Nov 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in the Chamber.

31 Oct 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in the Chamber.

26 Sep 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

13 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the issues raised in the article in The Herald on 11 September 2019, "Doctor: Pension tax bill will force me to cut hours".

Answer · Jeane Freeman: The Scottish Government is aware of the impact that Annual Allowance (AA) and Lifetime Allowance (LTA) tax charges are having on senior clinicians in Scotland. The Scottish Government is working with employers and the BMA to help mitigate this impact and has …

13 Sep 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will issue guidance to NHS employers setting out how they can provide flexibility in 2019-20 for senior clinical staff to do extra work without breaching limits for pensions tax relief, and whether it will allow affected staff to opt-out of the NHS pensions scheme mid-year wit…

Answer · Jeane Freeman: This is under active consideration, and we are working closely with BMA Scotland and other stakeholders. If we can find a way of even partial mitigation where risk level is acceptable, we will implement any changes or option for flexibility across NHS Scotlan…

12 Sep 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in the Chamber.

5 Sep 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23957 by Maree Todd on 18 July 2019, whether it will provide an update on the number of equity and excellence leads in post, and what additional action it is taking to fill any vacant posts.

Answer · Maree Todd: We know that high quality early learning and childcare can play an important role in reducing the poverty related attainment gap. We have dedicated funding for 435 equity and excellent leads to work in all 32 local authorities with a focus on improving outcom…

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Delivery Progress Report dated June 2019, what proportion of the eligible two-year-old population the 8,707 children that are forecast to take up more than 600 hours of funded ELC represents.

Answer · Maree Todd: We estimate the eligible population to be around 14,000 children each year, based on population projections published by NRS and the eligibility criteria for the two year old offer. The Scottish Government does not have access to the full UK Government admini…

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of the figures set out in the Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Delivery Progress Report dated June 2019.

Answer · Maree Todd: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-24897 on 23 September 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusin…

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it received the Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Delivery Progress Report dated June 2019.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government received the Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Delivery Report from the Improvement Service on 17 June 2019. It was discussed by the Joint Delivery Board on 25 June 2019.

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23962 by Maree Todd on 18 July 2019, what will be (a) included and (b) excluded in the initial results of the revised ELC census in 2021.

Answer · Maree Todd: We are planning an individual child level ELC census in May 2021 with the data to be published later in the year. Data will be collected on child characteristics (such as ethnicity, age, disability and sex), and the pattern of provision for children enrolled …

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Delivery Progress Report dated June 2019, what steps it is taking to increase the number of two-year-olds receiving more than 600 hours of funded ELC in order to meet the forecast figures.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government, COSLA, local authorities and sector organisations are working hard to increase awareness and uptake of the funded offer for 2 year olds, so that more children are able to benefit from high quality funded ELC at an earlier age. At a na…

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23958 by Maree Todd on 18 July 2019, how good practice and innovation will be shared across Scotland from the nine multi-agency local authority teams working with the Children and Young People Improvement Collaborative to increase uptake of the two-…

Answer · Maree Todd: The Early Learning and Childcare Practicum is a 12 month programme supporting 9 multi-agency Local Authority teams to use improvement methodology to increase awareness and uptake of the two-year-old funded offer, and to better understand the current barriers …

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23961 by Maree Todd on 18 July 2019, whether it expects the near doubling of uptake of the two-year-old offer to be achieved by the end of the funding agreement with local government in 2021-22, or whether an alternative deadline has been set.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government and local government reached a multi-year funding package to enable the near doubling of the statutory entitlement to funded early learning and childcare from 600 to 1140 hours each for all 3 and 4 year olds and eligible 2 year olds fr…

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government which local authority was unable to provide data for the reporting period detailed in the Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Delivery Progress Report dated June 2019; what the reason for this was, and whether it will provide data for inclusion in the next progress report.

Answer · Maree Todd: Clackmannanshire Council was unable to provide data for the period 1 October 2018 – 30 April 2019 due to staffing pressures at the time of the data collection. The Improvement Service has offered all local authorities support with providing the data returns, …

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23960 by Maree Todd on 18 July 2019, what training, guidance and support is available to professionals regarding the two-year-old entitlement in order to increase awareness and uptake.

Answer · Maree Todd: Trusted professionals play a crucial role in raising awareness and uptake of funded early learning and childcare by eligible two year olds – especially where families are new to early learning and childcare. We are working with partners with a remit around h…

22 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe) a copy of all the local authority free text narratives referred to in the Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Delivery Progress Report dated June 2019.

Answer · Maree Todd: The Early Learning and Childcare Expansion Delivery Progress Report published in August 2019, which uses data collected by the Improvement Service from local authorities in June 2019, provides a national level overview of progress in delivering the expansion.…

16 Aug 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Expert Panel on Environmental Charging and Other Measures.

21 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23526 by Joe FitzPatrick on 12 June 2019, what assurances it can provide that, when NHS boards are running behind the three-month tolerance period, women who will have gone above the screening age during this time will continue to be invited for scr…

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: As recommended by the UK National Screening Committee, the Scottish Breast Screening Programme (SBSP) invites women who are aged between 50 and 70 years, for breast screening in a 3 year cycle. The SBSP uses a national IT system to manage the call and recall …

21 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23526 by Joe FitzPatrick on 12 June 2019, what the evidence basis is for the three-month tolerance.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-23977 on 19 July 2019. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/2…

21 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23526 by Joe FitzPatrick on 12 June 2019, when the three-month tolerance was introduced, and how long it expects it to be in place for.

Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Breast screening is delivered in line with expert advice from the UK National Screening Committee (UK NSC). The UK NSC and Healthcare Improvement Scotland have set performance thresholds for breast screening invitation, and uptake and recall rates to reduce b…

20 Jun 2019 · First Minister's Question

Question to be taken in Chamber.

18 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23630 by Derek Mackay on 18 June 2019, whether it will publish a comparison of the year-by-year increase since 2016 in the UK personal allowance and the equivalent increase that would be needed to take the personal allowance to £12,750 by 2021, in l…

Answer · Derek Mackay: Table 1 sets out the path for the UK- wide Personal Allowance since 2016. As this is now £12,500, the Personal Allowance would need to increase by a further £250 to be at £12,750 by 2021. Table 1 : UK Personal Allowance 2016-17 to 2019-20  2016-17 2017-18 …

18 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23630 by Derek Mackay on 18 June 2019, what response has been received from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work of 4 April 2019.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy, and Fair Work received a reply from the Chief Secretary to the Treasury on the 26 April 2019. The Chief Secretary re-stated the position of the UK Government, which is that increases to the Personal Allowance in 201…

18 Jun 2019 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-23630 by Derek Mackay on 18 June 2019, when the discussions took place between officials of the Scottish Exchequer and the Treasury.

Answer · Derek Mackay: The Scottish Government's request for increases in the income tax Personal Allowance in 2018-19 and 2019-20 to be treated as a direct spillover was formally discussed by senior officials at the meeting of the Joint Exchequer Committee (Official) on 20 March 2…