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: S6O-03363

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on hospitality and other businesses in Scotland of new post-Brexit import fees on food products, known as the Common User Charge.

Question reference: S6O-03376

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to encourage constituents in Motherwell and Wishaw to use public transport.

Question reference: S6O-03366

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that local government debt has now risen to 160% of its annual funding settlement.

Question reference: S6O-03378

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the procurement process for the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.

Question reference: S6O-03364

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when its review of capital spending will be complete.

Question reference: S6O-03374

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the improvement of transport links in the north east of Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-03362

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates its recent announcement on changes to its net zero targets will have on the development of a green economy.

Question reference: S6W-26891

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether open net salmon farming is a sustainable method of food production, in light of the article published in Nature on 7 March 2024, which found that mass die-offs on salmon farms have been increasing over the last decade in every country where salmon farming operates, including Scotland, and that increasing mortality results in increased waste along the supply chain, including wild-caught fish and soy used for feed, wrasse used as cleaner fish, and medicines and chemicals used for treatments.

Salmon production contributes to our food security, producing healthy, nutritious food for people in Scotland and around the world with a greenhouse gas emissions profile that is lower than many other farmed sources of animal protein. The sector is heavily regulated and subject to robust legislation and policies relating to animal health, environment protection and local authority planning. The Scottish Government’s Vision for Sustainable Aquaculture is clear on our ambitions for an aquaculture sector which operates within environmental limits and which recognises social and economic benefits, and includes specific outcomes on fish health, cleaner fish welfare, best use of by-products and responsibly sourced fish feed.

Question reference: S6W-26877

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the economic and creative growth of Scotland’s unscripted screen sector.

The Scottish Government remains focused on strengthening our screen sector and creating the conditions for continued growth across production, development, talent, and skills, including in unscripted production.

We have funded, and continue to fund, Screen Scotland, who over the last 3 financial years have supported a total of 138 unscripted productions, including many through the Broadcast Content Fund (BCF), which is supported by Scottish Government Grant-in-Aid funding.

Screen Scotland’s Unscripted team continue to support the development and production of unscripted projects, and support talent development, skills and training opportunities for people working in the unscripted sector.

As well as supporting the annual unscripted film talent development programme, ‘Docscene’, delivered by the Scottish Documentary Institute, Screen Scotland also work closely with partners such as the BBC and Channel 4, on a range of projects and initiatives to support the production of unscripted factual and entertainment content.

They have also worked closely with production companies and local training providers to help incorporate freelancers from unscripted production into scripted training programmes and productions, for those seeking to transition their careers or broaden their portfolios.

In March 2024, Screen Scotland published their Strategy to 2030-31 which outlines their plan of work across skills and training, audience development, support for Scottish creatives and international collaboration to ensure that all those working in the screen sector, including in unscripted production, have a wide range of opportunities for employment and professional development.

Question reference: S6W-26748

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much the "hate monster" public information campaign has cost.

The ‘Hate Monster’ is a Police Scotland campaign which ran for 6 weeks in Spring last year. The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

I will assume you are referring to the Scottish Government’s ‘Hate Hurts’ campaign which ran in March. The campaign showed the impact that hate crime has on those affected to help people recognise their experiences, highlighted the forms that hate crime can take and encouraged those who are witnesses to, or victims of hate crime to report it.

The campaign sends a message of reassurance to all communities in Scotland that hate crime will not be tolerated. c£390k was invested in the ‘Hate Hurts’ national campaign which included a broadcast and print.