Part of Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at 12:51 pm on 23 January 2025.
Shirley-Anne Somerville
Scottish National Party
12:51,
23 January 2025
Through our benefit take-up strategy, we are implementing initiatives to support people to access their entitlements. That includes targeted marketing of payments and assistance from local delivery teams to help people apply, with advisers available at co-located venues in Wishaw and Motherwell.
The draft budget for 2025-26 includes more than £12.8 million for free income maximisation support and welfare and debt advice. Our investment supports advice services, which are delivered in many ways, including face to face, by telephone and on-line.
In addition, welfare advice and health partnerships provide financial advice directly in three general practices in the member’s North Lanarkshire Constituency.
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.
In a general election, each Constituency chooses an MP to represent them. MPs have a responsibility to represnt the views of the Constituency in the House of Commons. There are 650 Constituencies, and thus 650 MPs. A citizen of a Constituency is known as a Constituent
