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: S6F-02995

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to expedite the restoration of the Glasgow School of Art, in light of it being nearly a decade since the first fire.

Question reference: S6F-02979

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government plans to take following the publication of the University of Stirling study highlighting the reported risk of crumb rubber infill on artificial pitches.

Question reference: S6F-02973

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02987

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the First Minister, further to the regulations relating to XL Bully-type dogs coming into force, to whom a dog owner can apply for advice on whether their dog fits the conformation of the XL Bully-type, in light of reports that a substantial number of dog owners in England are now applying to deregister their dogs having established retrospectively that their pet does not conform to the Defra definition of an XL Bully-type dog.

Question reference: S6F-02972

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-26186

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when capital funding for the Community Bus Fund will be made available to local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-26136

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many gigawatts worth of battery storage developments have secured planning permission to date.

Scottish Ministers have deemed planning permission to be granted to 4.931 GW of Battery Energy Storage System developments made under section 36 of Electricity Act 1989, across 17 applications.

Scottish Ministers cannot report on planning permission awarded to Battery Energy Storage System developments with a capacity of 50MW or under, as these are determined by individual local planning authorities.

Question reference: S6W-26185

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when bids will open for the 2024-25 Community Bus Fund resource funding.

Question reference: S6W-26124

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its policies on animal welfare, what assistance it provides to support pet owners who are struggling to meet any costs related to vet charges.

The Scottish Government recognises the issues raised by pet owners concerning the cost of veterinary care for their animals, but does not provide financial support for veterinary charges. Regulation of the veterinary profession is a matter reserved to the UK Government.

For those experiencing difficulties providing treatment for their pets there are options available. In June 2023 we welcomed the expansion of the Scottish SPCA’s Pet Aid initiative to include veterinary treatment which can assist owners struggling financially. Concerned owners looking for help and advice can contact the Scottish SPCA, in confidence, via their helpline on 03000 999 999 or can visit their website to find out more details of their Pet Aid scheme https://www.scottishspca.org/pet-aid

Additionally, StreetVet assists homeless pet owners and the PDSA provides free or reduced cost treatment to those eligible and receiving benefits.

Question reference: S6W-26086

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 25 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support, including for (a) start-up costs, (b) introduction payments and (c) marketing support and promotional campaigns, (i) it and (ii) VisitScotland has paid, or allocated, to airlines since 2017, broken down by the (A) airline and (B) route.

Transport Scotland, VisitScotland and Scottish Development International work as one Government team to help Scotland’s airports grow international connectivity.

In the case of target routes and strategic markets, support takes the form primarily of collaborative marketing activity. Transport Scotland and VisitScotland invest together in a programme of marketing activity delivered primarily by VisitScotland and in collaboration with the airline concerned. Where the airline elects not to invest cash in this activity, the collaboration may take the form of in-kind support. We do not provide support for start-up costs or introduction payments.

All relevant airlines serving Scotland benefit from the increase in awareness and demand generated by VisitScotland’s own core destination campaigns in key markets which include the UK, USA, Canada, Germany, France, China. Additionally, and providing specific support to those airlines returning to Scotland post-pandemic, Transport Scotland and VisitScotland funded a Fly Direct campaign in the spring of 2022, promoting all airlines serving Scotland’s airports direct from these markets plus the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Sweden, and Australia. In the spring of 2023 and of 2024, VisitScotland has continued to include direct access messaging in its campaigns with partners including Expedia and Skyscanner.

For reason of commercial sensitivity it is not possible to itemise each route and the level of support provided, but the net investment by Transport Scotland and VisitScotland, including with that of specific fly direct campaign activity, is provided in the following table.

	Transport Scotland /VisitScotland net investment
2023-24	£518,000
2022-23	£273,000
2021-22	£1,010,000
2020-21	£45,000
2019-20	£189,000
2018-19	£700,000
2017-18	£974,000
2016-17	£436,000