Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-27751

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is on track to meet its 2040 accessible housing standard.

Question reference: S6W-27765

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects to incur any costs as a result of ending its previous arrangement with the National Parent Forum of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-27622

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what medical advice it had received, regarding any risks of blood clots, prior to its decision to suspend the use of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine for under-30s in April 2021.

The Scottish Government’s decision-making throughout all COVID-19 vaccination programmes has been guided by the expert clinical advice of both the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Scotland has three representatives that attend the JCVI, including its COVID-19 committee and subcommittee; one co-opted member, an invited observer from Scottish Government and another invited observer from Public Health Scotland.

The MHRA’s pharmacovigilance process, alongside wider global data, identified reports of extremely rare adverse events of concurrent thrombosis and thrombocytopenia following vaccination with the first dose of the AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine.

As reports of extremely rare adverse event of concurrent thrombosis (blood clots) and thrombocytopenia (low platelet count) following vaccination with the first dose of the AstraZeneca (AZ) COVID-19 vaccine emerged in spring 2021, both the MHRA and the JCVI met to assess the data and the relative balance of benefits and risks.

The minutes from the JCVI COVID-19 Committee on 16 March 2021 and 18 March 2021 show that there was discussion of the topic and that the MHRA was working with international and European colleagues to share data and assess the risk.

The JCVI met again on the 6 April and on 7 April and published advice for the four UK health departments recommending that for adults aged under 30 years of age, without underlying health conditions that put them at higher risk of severe COVID-19 disease, there should be a preference for an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine, if available.

The following day on 8 April, Scotland’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO) issued a letter to the Scottish system stating the changes in the use of AstraZeneca vaccine and advising that Health Boards should now offer those under 30 years of age, without underlying health conditions, an alternative to the AstraZeneca vaccine. We also amended our patient information leaflets to reflect this new advice.

Question reference: S6W-27619

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it first became aware of any dangers of aging reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC).

Question reference: S6W-27777

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund will reopen for applications, and what its budget allocation is for 2024.

Question reference: S6W-27804

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish the (a) minutes, (b) future meeting schedule and (c) work programme of the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Cross Sector Working Group, and, if so, when.

All documents, including minutes, relating to the RAAC Cross Sector Working Group can be viewed on the Scottish Government website at: Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC): Cross Sector Working Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). Minutes are published once agreed by the Group.

The Group meets on a regular basis, as agreed by the membership. Currently, this is every 2 months. The Group, as set out in its purpose, is to enable the members to share information about RAAC, to build an understanding of RAAC in buildings across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-27746

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) in what timescale it plans to produce guidance on the transportation of children in secure care, as required by the recently passed Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill.

Royal Assent is still awaited on the Bill, following its agreement by the Scottish Parliament on 25 April. Given the wide-ranging nature of the legislation, the Scottish Government is considering commencement schedules across different provisions rather than a final Act of Parliament being commenced in its entirety on one specific date. These considerations, across all aspects of the Bill, are being informed by stakeholders and delivery partners. This engagement includes the Implementation and Resourcing Group which was established during Parliamentary consideration of the Bill and will ensure commencement is managed well.

However, as the Scottish Government made clear to Parliament during scrutiny of the Bill, ensuring secure transport is subject to a robust and transparent framework is of key importance and we continue to engage with relevant agencies across a range of work which is underway to support that.

Question reference: S6W-27694

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported policy change regarding the transfer of funds between revenue and capital departmental expenditure limit budgets that colleges use to manage their estate.

My understanding is that the Scottish Funding Council has concluded that the flexibility it was in a position to be able to use in previous years is no longer possible because of the budgetary position it is now operating within. Therefore, there has not been any change of policy, but rather a lack of flexibility to accommodate switching capital to resource.

This follows the difficult decisions the Scottish Government faced in setting the 2024-25 budget in the most challenging financial context since devolution. The main point therefore is one of SFC budgetary cover.

Question reference: S6W-27695

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support and guidance it plans to provide to Ayrshire College, in light of reports that the college will be required to find an additional £882,000 in revenue savings in order to be able to continue to be financially sustainable, following the reported policy change regarding the transfer of funds between revenue and capital departmental expenditure limit budgets.

The Scottish Government and SFC are very conscious of the challenge colleges face. With regards to the specific issue raised, we are working collaboratively to understand the emerging impact and consider if a solution for 2024-25, as well as the longer term, can be found for affected colleges and keeping the Colleges: Tripartite Alignment Group updated.

The tripartite group provides strategic direction on the pressures and opportunities facing colleges. Further detail on the work of this group is available here: Colleges: Tripartite Alignment Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

My understanding is that the Scottish Funding Council has concluded that the flexibility it was in position to be able to use in previous years is no longer possible because of the budgetary position it is now operating within, therefore, there has not been any change of policy but rather a lack of flexibility to accommodate switching capital to resource.

Question reference: S6W-27924

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish a housing emergency action plan, backed by regulatory and financial resources, before the end of 2024.

In declaring a national housing emergency, the Scottish Government recognises that there are major challenges within the housing sector in Scotland. To address these challenges, joined up action across Scottish Government, UK Government, local government, registered social landlords (RSLs) and our full range of housing sector partners will be critical.

There is widespread support for Scotland’s long term plan for housing set out in the Housing to 2040 strategy, and for our collective plan to end homelessness set out in Ending Homelessness Together. So rather than diverting effort to the creation of a new action plan, it is our intention to work at pace in collaboration with partners to critically review and prioritise actions within these current plans. In doing so, we will focus on their impact and deliverability, linked to the First Minister’s priorities of eradicating child poverty, driving economic growth and investing in vital public services.