– in the Scottish Parliament at on 9 November 2023.
Collette Stevenson
Scottish National Party
7. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of the Strathclyde Pension Fund and what was discussed. (S6O-02710)
Tom Arthur
Scottish National Party
Scottish Government officials attend the Scottish Local Government Pension Scheme Advisory Board as observers and are often present at other events associated with the local government pension scheme, which representatives of the Strathclyde Pension Fund also attend. Scottish Government officials also regularly communicate with representatives from the fund about administrative matters.
Collette Stevenson
Scottish National Party
The success of the fund will allow employers to reduce pension contributions for a couple of years while protecting pension payments for current and future beneficiaries. That will unlock additional resources for several local authorities, including South Lanarkshire. Will the Minister outline whether useful lessons will be learned from the success of the Strathclyde Pension Fund for other public sector investments?
Tom Arthur
Scottish National Party
The Strathclyde Pension Fund might indeed be commended for its performance, and that reflects the fact that the local government pension scheme in Scotland is a success story.
A number of options exist for funds that report a surplus, and approaches might differ from one fund to the next. Clearly, the experience of Strathclyde Pension Fund in recent years is an example of good practice. However, I understand that the other 10 Scottish funds are also more than 100 per cent funded. Scottish fund authorities meet to discuss investments on a regular basis. Closer collaboration is an approach that may be a viable option for them.
More widely, we encourage an approach to investment finance that brings together individuals, businesses and organisations with relevant experience and interests to promote investment opportunities in Scotland and support growth.
The Presiding Officer:
That concludes general questions.
Before we move to the First Minister’s Question Time, I invite members to join me in welcoming to the gallery His Excellency Teodoro Locsin, ambassador of the Philippines to the United Kingdom. [
Applause
.]
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
Question Time is an opportunity for MPs and Members of the House of Lords to ask Government Ministers questions. These questions are asked in the Chamber itself and are known as Oral Questions. Members may also put down Written Questions. In the House of Commons, Question Time takes place for an hour on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays after Prayers. The different Government Departments answer questions according to a rota and the questions asked must relate to the responsibilities of the Government Department concerned. In the House of Lords up to four questions may be asked of the Government at the beginning of each day's business. They are known as 'starred questions' because they are marked with a star on the Order Paper. Questions may also be asked at the end of each day's business and these may include a short debate. They are known as 'unstarred questions' and are less frequent. Questions in both Houses must be written down in advance and put on the agenda and both Houses have methods for selecting the questions that will be asked. Further information can be obtained from factsheet P1 at the UK Parliament site.
Ministers make up the Government and almost all are members of the House of Lords or the House of Commons. There are three main types of Minister. Departmental Ministers are in charge of Government Departments. The Government is divided into different Departments which have responsibilities for different areas. For example the Treasury is in charge of Government spending. Departmental Ministers in the Cabinet are generally called 'Secretary of State' but some have special titles such as Chancellor of the Exchequer. Ministers of State and Junior Ministers assist the ministers in charge of the department. They normally have responsibility for a particular area within the department and are sometimes given a title that reflects this - for example Minister of Transport.
