Part of Portfolio Question Time – in the Scottish Parliament at on 3 September 2025.
Daniel Johnson
Labour
She may not be answering this question, but I take this opportunity to say that I was saddened to hear that the Deputy First Minister will not be standing at the next election. She will be missed by the Parliament.
According to the Lloyds consumer index, 15 per cent of adults lack foundation-level digital skills, and 9 per cent of households have no internet access. That is not just digital exclusion; it is exclusion from healthcare, education and democracy. Twelve months on from the report, we have still not had a strategy. Indeed, the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations has withdrawn from working with the Scottish Government, because those at the SCVO fundamentally disagree with the direction of travel.
Despite £764,000 coming from the United Kingdom Government’s £9.5 million digital innovation fund, there are no plans from the Scottish Government on how it will spend that money. Will the minister set out how the Scottish Government intends to tackle digital exclusion and how it will spend the £764,000 that is coming to it?
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.
