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-27595

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints of breaches of section 7.3 of the Scottish Ministerial Code by (a) ministers and (b) special advisers have been upheld in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-27716

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recently reported comments from trade union representatives that "time is running out" to give Ferguson Marine shipyard a future.

When the Ferguson Marine shipyard was threatened with closure in 2019 the Scottish Government stepped forward and saved the business. Taking the yard into public ownership preserved commercial shipbuilding on the Clyde, rescued more than 300 jobs and ensured that the Glen Sannox and Glen Rosa vessels – vital for our island communities – will be delivered.

We want to see the yard prosper, be competitive and continue the proud shipbuilding traditions on the Clyde. We are continuing to work with the business to understand its forward plans and to review proposals for investment.

Question reference: S6W-27728

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether any monies received from Low Emission Zone (LEZ) fines in Glasgow are to be used on project works within the LEZ, or whether they can be spent citywide.

Glasgow City Council administers and enforces their LEZ and as such receives all penalty charge notice payments. The spending of any monies received from penalty charges in respect of a LEZ scheme is a matter for the local authority. These funds can only be used for the purposes of facilitating the achievement of the scheme’s objectives and thus support air quality/climate change emission reduction measures or supporting the operational cost of the scheme.

Question reference: S6W-27615

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported figures from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) stating that companies in China receive nine times more government support, such as subsidies and tax breaks, than their counterparts in OECD countries such as the UK, and what measures it will take to improve such support for companies in Scotland.

Subsidies can make an invaluable contribution to businesses. However, if they are misused or overused, it can lead to undesirable outcomes. This is why Scottish Government subsidies are allocated in line with the Subsidy Control Act 2022. The OECD themselves highlight this in their analysis, Measuring Industrial Subsidies, from January 2024 as an important key message; “while subsidies can be helpful in addressing emergencies or market failures, they can also undermine fair competition and lead other countries to respond in kind, to the detriment of consumers, taxpayers and governments with fewer resources, and ultimately undermining public support for an integrated global economy”.

It is unhelpful to compare subsidies in the Scottish economy with that in China, which operates a post-communist, state-driven model which is very different than most other economies, with high levels of state intervention in the economy, and currently facing its own significant economic challenges, including high levels of debt in its state-owned enterprises.

The First Minister and I have been clear in our message to businesses in Scotland and potential investors; Scotland is open for business and open for investment and we will do everything we can to ensure that is the case.

We have allocated over £307 million to our enterprise agencies in 2024-25. Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise have a key role to play in unlocking the full economic potential of their regions and providing support to businesses - through advice and information, investment and access to business premises. The Scottish National Investment Bank provides long-term investments for businesses, projects and communities, including both debt and equity, and on 20 May I announced a £5 million package of support measures for start-up tech businesses that will create conditions to encourage more investment into Scotland. These measures will form the next step in providing one of the most comprehensive government-backed support networks in Europe.

Question reference: S6W-27553

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between Cowal and the Isle of Bute, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).

Question reference: S6W-27556

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to re-examine the installation of a fixed link between the Isle of Jura and Isle of Islay, as originally proposed in the option appraisal for the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).

Question reference: S6O-03546

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent children and young people from overdosing on over-the-counter medication.

Question reference: S6O-03544

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to revise the terms of reference that it has set for the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.

Question reference: S6O-03542

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its recognition of a housing emergency, whether it will take steps to improve the application of policy 16 of the fourth National Planning Framework in relation to affordable housing.

Question reference: S6O-03545

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported calls for a moratorium on the closure of publicly owned care homes.