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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 46716 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-30671

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the presentation of a flood protection scheme in a publicly-available notification must be sufficiently clear so that the deemed planning authority-granted elements of the scheme are clearly and unambiguously identifiable from any elements that require planning permission under the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.

Section 57(2B) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 provides that once a flood protection scheme is confirmed (whether by the local authority or the Scottish Ministers), the Scottish Ministers are to direct that planning permission for the development is deemed to be granted, subject to any planning conditions which Ministers may specify.

The implementation of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 is primarily a matter for local planning authorities.

Question reference: S6W-30496

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address any undervaluation of women’s work in female-dominated sectors, such as childcare, social care and retail.

While employment law is reserved, our Fair Work approach seeks to improve workers’ rights and conditions and aims to address women’s workplace inequalities by encouraging employers to take action to tackle occupational segregation and reduce gender pay gaps across the labour market in Scotland.

Through our National Strategy for Economic Transformation and the publication of our refreshed Fair Work Action Plan in December 2022, we have committed to working with employers and trade unions to promote Fair Work and further reduce the gender pay gap. And in partnership with Living Wage Scotland, we continue to promote payment of the real Living Wage in sectors where low pay is most prevalent, including those with significantly female workforces.

In line with Audit Scotland recommendations and the 2024-25 Programme for Government, we plan to support the Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) sector by focussing efforts on implementing payment of the real Living Wage for all staff delivering funded childcare. It is estimated that around 12,500 female practitioners and support workers who are working in private and third sector ‘day care of children’ settings that deliver funded ELC are currently benefitting from Scottish Government funding to allow staff to be paid at least £12 per hour. This means some full-time staff will have seen a £2,000 increase in their gross annual salary.

In the adult social care sector, which is over 80% female, social care workers delivering direct care in commissioned services also saw their pay increase from April 2024 to a minimum of £12 per hour. The Scottish Government have transferred £230 million to Local Government to deliver this uplift in pay. The Scottish Government is continuing to progress its work on introducing a sectoral bargaining framework for the commissioned adult social care sector in Scotland, once developed and introduced, sectoral bargaining will encourage improvements in pay, and terms and conditions, across the social care workforce.

Retail is Scotland’s largest private sector employer, employing more than 240,000 people – almost 10% of all employment in Scotland. As per ‘Getting the Right Change – retail strategy for Scotland’, in 2020, it was estimated that women made up 60.7% of those in employment aged 16+ in the retail sector in Scotland, up slightly from 60.5% in 2019.The Retail Industry Leadership Group (ILG) was created to drive and support delivery of the actions set out in the Retail Strategy, in particular on improving fair work across the sector. Members of the ILG continue to be committed to productive engagement around Fair Work and this is a key topic for the Group’s future discussions.

Question reference: S6W-30471

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it will ensure that the CalMac ferry fleet remains at a lower average age, following the delivery of the new ferries that have been ordered.

Our updated Vessels and Ports Plan was published on 1 February 2024 as part of the Islands Connectivity Plan. It sets a target average vessel age of around 15 years by the end of this decade. The delivery of the six new major CalMac vessels currently under construction, and an accompanying programme of disposals, will support this. Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd are now procuring seven new small vessels for CalMac. The Vessels and Ports Plan proposes a programme of further investments including vessel replacements for Mallaig-Lochboisdale, Gourock-Dunoon and Kilcreggan, Craignure-Oban, and the Northern Isles freighters.

Question reference: S6W-30472

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered committing to ordering at least two ferries per year in order for CalMac to maintain a lower average age across its ferry fleet.

Our updated Vessels and Ports Plan was published on 1 February 2024 as part of the Islands Connectivity Plan. It sets out the recommended investment programme needed to maintain and safely operate the Clyde & Hebrides and Northern Isles ferry services networks and sets a target average vessel age of around 15 years by the end of this decade. This investment programme includes six new major vessels currently under construction and seven new small vessels now in procurement.

Individual project and programme business cases will continue to be considered through the Transport Scotland Investment Decision-Making process and in light of future Budget allocations.

Question reference: S6W-30469

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much freight has been transported by CalMac vessels in each year since 2021, also broken down by (a) freight category, (b) freight item and (c) ferry route.

CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) do not capture freight carryings by category or by freight item. They only capture the number of Commercial Vehicles carried and the number of Commercial Vehicle lane metres used. A table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib Number 65382) that provides a breakdown, by individual routes and calendar year from 2021 up until 9 October 2024, detailing the total number of Commercial Vehicles carried and the total number of Commercial Vehicle lane metres used only.

Question reference: S6W-30458

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the new Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale will be operational.

The procurement timelines of the project are subject to completion of appropriate business case processes, availability of funding, and approvals from Scottish Ministers. The construction timelines are subject to successful completion of procurement and agreement of programmes with the contractor for the works.

Subject to approvals, procurement and construction, the Islands Connectivity Plan has scheduled the completion of the majority of the projects which commenced during Phase 1 by 2026-2031.

Question reference: S6W-30454

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to providing compensation to the community landlord, Storas Uibhist, for any business lost due to the delay to the development of the proposed Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale.

There are no plans for compensation to be offered to Storas Uibhist for any business lost during the ongoing development of the Gasay proposals. Any such scheme ultimately draws resources otherwise intended for the operation of ferry services and associated projects.

The importance of this project and the future of the route to the communities it serves, is well understood by both Scottish Ministers and the three organisations involved in leading the project. Developing a robust Business Case is essential in underpinning decisions against the current fiscal backdrop.

Question reference: S6W-30447

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 1 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that entertainment venues provide (a) visual impairment awareness and (b) sighted guide training for all staff members.

Question reference: S6W-30445

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 1 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to introduce a standardised booking system for accessible seats at entertainment venues.

Question reference: S6W-30668

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate that all new and, as yet, unbuilt flood protection schemes should incorporate a component of natural flood management as a requirement for receiving public funding.

The Flood Risk Management Act promotes a catchment wide approach to managing flood risk. The Scottish Government recognise that Natural Flood Management (NFM) can provide multiple benefits, including reducing flood risks, enhancing biodiversity, and contributing to climate resilience.

The Scottish Government does not require the use of NFM as a funding condition, as each community and catchment are different and require a bespoke solution. Local Authorities are best placed to carry out the assessment of options to improve flood risk as they understand their local areas and project goals best.