Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-29636

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings of the British Sign Language National Plan 2023-2029 Implementation Advisory Group have taken place since the publication of the plan in November 2023.

The Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn. The BSL National Plan 2023-29 is a cross government plan containing 45 actions under the 10 priority themes. The actions will address barriers faced by BSL users in their daily lives. Ensuring equal access, opportunity, representation and inclusion are key components of our plan stemming across areas such as education, health, justice and culture.

To inform the delivery of the National Plan, an Implementation Advisory Group (IAG) consisting of representative organisations of the deaf and deafblind communities was established to help advise on the delivery of actions and provide accountability on the overall plan.

The group has met twice since the publication of the National Plan. The next meeting is due to take place at the end of October.

Question reference: S6W-29635

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to build partnerships and effective working relationships between NHS teams and providers of BSL language and support services to children and young people, as set out in action 10 of the British Sign Language National Plan 2023-2029, since the publication of the plan in November 2023.

The Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn.

The BSL National Plan 2023-29 is a cross government plan containing 45 actions under the 10 priority themes. This is a six year plan and the actions within it are designed to address barriers faced by BSL users in their daily lives. Ensuring equal access, opportunity, representation and inclusion are key components of our plan stemming across areas such as education, health, justice and culture.

We recognise the importance in building effective partnerships and effective working relationships between NHS teams and providers of BSL language, that is why our work to date has focused on understanding the landscape better and identifying possible next steps in helping us deliver action 10 with the BSL National Plan.

Question reference: S6W-29634

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to improve (a) access to BSL for children and young people and (b) teaching of BSL in schools, as set out in action 19 of the British Sign Language National Plan 2023-2029, since the publication of the plan in November 2023.

The Scottish Government is committed to making Scotland the best place in the world for BSL users to live, work, visit and learn. The BSL National Plan 2023-29 is a cross government plan containing 45 actions under the 10 priority themes. Education is a key theme within the plan, with stretch aims that will help improve access to BSL for children and young people in schools.

The BSL National Plan Implementation Advisory Group will consider this theme further over the course of the plan's six year life cycle. Activity to date has focused on understanding the support put in place by Local Authorities, who have responsibility under the Education (Additional Support for Learning) (Scotland) Act 2004 to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those affected by deafness.

Question reference: S6W-29028

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government test 2

Question reference: S6W-29027

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government test

Question reference: S6W-29029

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 September 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 3 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government

Question reference: S6O-03707

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on the administration of Scottish social security benefits, what information it holds on the percentage of pensioners in Scotland who have not claimed pension credit for which they are eligible.

Question reference: S6W-28625

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government test

Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government launched the Young Person’s Guarantee in November 2020, with the aim of protecting young people against the immediate economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Guarantee was set up to ensure every young person between 16 and 24 had the opportunity of a job, apprenticeship, further or higher education, training or volunteering. Between November 2020 and March 2023 we invested over £175m in additional support from Covid-related funding to support young people in Scotland towards employment, training and apprenticeships.

We have now mainstreamed this work across Government, with activity across education, skills and employability supporting young people into opportunities.

Question reference: S6W-28616

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 August 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government

Question reference: S6W-28613

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 August 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 27 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government test

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