Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-36660

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered reforms to the fitness test for new firefighters.

Question reference: S6W-36656

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with NHS boards to better inform patients of how long they will be waiting after being referred to see a dermatologist.

We expect Health Boards to write to patients when the patient is added to a waiting list for treatment to provide an estimation of their treatment date. In circumstances in which this cannot be provided, Boards are expected to signpost patients to an online platform where the patient can access further information about the waiting time for their agreed treatment in the responsible Health Board.

The revised Waiting Times Guidance, published in December 2023, includes a standard package of communications that all Health Boards should be providing. This ensures that patients are provided with clear communications throughout their care journey setting out what they should expect and their responsibilities while they are waiting for their appointment, test or treatment.

The guidance also makes clear that communications can be in any form that the patient has consented to, including via telephone, electronically or by post. It is important that patients are asked to confirm their needs at the beginning of their journey and their preferred format when receiving communication from the Health Board.

Question reference: S6W-36442

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many violent incidents involving weapons have been recorded in schools in each year since 2020.

Information is not held centrally on the total number of violent incidents within schools that involve the use of a weapon. Some information is available where any such use of a weapon resulted in either the exclusion of a pupil or the recording of a weapon possession (used) crime by the police.

Table One shows those exclusions from school in 2020-21 and 2022-23 which included the reasons of Physical assault using improvised weapon, physical assault using weapon and threat of physical violence using weapon or improvised weapon. This data is published biennially, with the next update covering the 2024-25 academic year. It should be noted that each exclusion can include more than one reason and figures for 2020-21 will have been impacted by the closure of the school estate as part of the Covid-19 lockdown.

Table Two shows the number of weapon possession crimes in school recorded by the police, where the weapon has been used against another person (for example to threaten or assault). This only covers cases that have been reported to the police, and again the relatively lower figures for the year ending December 2020 will likely reflect the pandemic related school closures.

Table One: Reasons for exclusion from school, 2020-21 and 2022-23

Reason for exclusion	2020-21	2022-23
Physical assault using improvised weapon	201	311
Physical assault using weapon	183	255
Threat of physical violence using weapon or improvised weapon	218	296

Source: School exclusion statistics

Note: Figures cover all publicly funded local authority schools in Scotland

Table Two: Number of police recorded crimes of weapon possession (used) within a school

	Year ending December 2020	Year ending December 2021	Year ending December 2022	Year ending December 2023	Year ending December 2024
Possession of offensive weapon in a school used in other criminal activity	27	47	69	68	76
Having in a school an article with a blade or point used in other criminal activity	17	26	30	36	33
Total	44	73	99	104	109

Source: Police Recorded Crime in Scotland, Accredited Official Statistics

Question reference: S6W-36449

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the resilience of power supply infrastructure at Scottish airports, in light of the recent disruption at Heathrow Airport.

In general, the Scottish Government has no role in day to day operations at airports in Scotland as these are regulated by the UK Government and its associated agencies.

Officials engaged regularly with Scottish airports during the disruption affecting Heathrow Airport in order to understand the impact on Scotland. Whilst no concerns were raised by Scottish airports in relation to power supply, we would of course be happy to engage further with the sector should any issues arise that directly affect Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-36405

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30798 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, for what reason more schemes have not been confirmed, or begun the legal notification process towards confirmation, in light of £570 million being assigned for the period 2016-26, and only £408.8 million estimated to date as final costs.

The £570 million referenced in the answer to question S6W-30798 on 7 November 2024 is provided by Scottish Government to local authorities to support a range of flood resilience actions, including cycle 1 Flood Protection Schemes. The development and delivery of Flood Protection Schemes is a local authority responsibility.

Cost estimates for completion of cycle one flood protection schemes are updated annually by local authorities in November so estimated costs have increased since question S6W-30798 was answered.

The Scottish Government/ COSLA Funding Working Group are considering new recommendations to put to Ministers and COSLA Leaders to improve certainty around the remaining cycle 1 flood protection schemes. This is necessary before commitment to new schemes outside cycle one.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-36394

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding in the Marine Conservation Society 2024 report, State of our Beaches, which records that over 22,000 wet wipes were found on the beaches surveyed and, in light of this, whether it will provide an update on what progress it has made towards a ban on the supply and sale of wet wipes containing plastic.

The Scottish Government thanks the Marine Conservation Society and their volunteers for their considerable efforts in gathering the data within the State of Our Beaches 2024 report, and also removing beach litter during these surveys. Their citizen science is vital in helping us prioritise future policy and legislation development.

We recognise that marine litter is an important national and international problem and have prioritised action through the Marine Litter Strategy for Scotland to ensure that the amount of litter entering the marine environment is minimised to bring ecological, economic and social benefits.

We published our refreshed Marine Litter Strategy in September 2022, which sets out a co-ordinated approach to address the amount of litter entering the marine environment, and supports the removal of debris that is already there. The updated strategy contains multiple actions on the most problematic types of marine litter including sewage-related debris and wet wipes. We are working across the four nations to put an end to pollution caused by wet wipes containing plastic, with legislation forthcoming.

Question reference: S6W-36317

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, to ensure timely implementation, what milestones have been set for the delivery of the Fracture Liaison Service audit.

Scottish Government commissioned the Fracture Liaison Service (FLS) audit in July 2024 following a scoping exercise and business case by Public Health Scotland (PHS). PHS are responsible for the delivery and implementation of the FLS audit, which includes setting delivery and evaluation milestones.

I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-35534 and S6W-35567 on 21 March 2025, S6W-36002 on 1 April 2025 and S6W-36035 on 17 April 2025

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-35591

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Christine Grahame (on behalf of the SPCB) on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide a list of all organisations and groups that have exhibited at the Scottish Parliament, broken down by how many times each has exhibited, and which MSP sponsored the exhibition, since May 2021.

The list below includes all organisations and individuals that have exhibited at the Scottish Parliament as part of the Member-sponsored exhibitions programme, including the number of times they have done so, this session:

#MEAction Scotland - Ben Macpherson MSP
2023 UCI Cycling World Championships - Clare Adamson MSP
Aberdeen Minerals Ltd - Jackie Dunbar MSP
Action Against Stalking - Sharon Dowey MSP
Advice Scotland Direct - Paul O'Kane MSP
Alcohol Focus Scotland - Gillian Mackay MSP
Alzheimer Scotland - Fulton MacGregor MSP
Amey Limited - Sarah Boyack MSP
Art in Healthcare - Sarah Boyack MSP
ARTconnects: The Migration Blanket - Paul Sweeney MSP
Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry - Kenneth Gibson MSP
Asthma + Lung UK Scotland - Annie Wells MSP
Asthma and Allergy Foundation - Michael Matheson MSP
Asthma UK/British Lung Foundation Scotland - Alexander Stewart MSP
AstraZeneca - Alexander Stewart MSP
BBC Scotland - Sarah Boyack MSP
Bhopal Saathi - Sarah Boyack MSP
Blood Bikes Scotland - Alexander Stewart MSP
Bodyworks - Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP
British Heart Foundation - Christine Grahame MSP
British Transport Police - Russell Findlay MSP
Carers Scotland - Gillian Mackay MSP
Cats Protection - Marie McNair MSP
Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland - Bob Doris MSP
Christian Aid, Eco Congregation Scotland & Operation Noah: Get Your Skates On - Ross Greer MSP
CILIP Scotland - Pam Duncan-Glancy MSP
CIPD - Tess White MSP
Climate Café CIC - Mark Ruskell MSP
Competition and Markets Authority - Stuart McMillan MSP
Craft Scotland and Panel - Michael Marra MSP
Crichton Carbon Centre - Ariane Burgess MSP
Crisis - Mark Griffin MSP
Crown Estate Scotland - Jenni Minto MSP
Cycling UK - Graham Simpson MSP
Cycling Without Age Scotland - Michael Matheson MSP
Cyrenians - Sarah Boyack MSP
Dignity in Dying Scotland - Liam McArthur MSP
Dogs Trust - Colin Smyth MSP
Dolly Parton's Imagination Library - Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP
Drinkaware - Jackie Baillie MSP
Dyslexia Scotland - Oliver Mundell MSP
Edinburgh & Lothians Regional Equality Council - Foysol Choudhury MSP
Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity (2) - Emma Harper MSP (1) & Paul Sweeney MSP (1)
Educational Institute of Scotland - Monica Lennon MSP
Elaine Robinson (artist) - Foysol Choudhury MSP
ENABLE Scotland - Paul O'Kane MSP
Energy Industries Council (EIC) - Brian Whittle MSP
Equity - Mark Ruskell MSP
Erskine Veterans Care - Neil Bibby MSP
Fablevision (2) - Paul Sweeney MSP (1) & George Adam MSP (1)
Falling UP - Jeremy Balfour MSP
Family Fund - Bob Doris MSP
Fashion Revolution Scotland - Monica Lennon MSP
Fight Bladder Cancer - Stuart McMillan MSP
Finding Your Feet - Jeremy Balfour MSP
Foetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder - Siobhian Brown MSP
Food Standards Scotland - Paul O’Kane MSP
Forces Children Scotland - Alexander Stewart MSP
Forth Valley Sensory Centre - Michael Matheson MSP
Friends of the Earth Scotland - Mark Ruskell MSP
Friends of Thomas Muir - Rona Mackay MSP
Galloway National Park Association - Colin Smyth MSP
General Dental Council, General Medical Council, Nursing and
Midwifery Council and General Pharmaceutical Council (2) - Anas Sarwar MSP (1) & Dr Sandesh Gulhane MSP (1)
Generations Working Together - Carol Mochan MSP
Genetic Alliance UK - Paul McLennan MSP
Glasgow Centre for Population Health - Paul Sweeney MSP
GoFibre - Rachael Hamilton MSP
Golden Threads Group Tapestry Weavers - Daniel Johnson MSP
GREY2K USA Worldwide - Mark Ruskell MSP
Gypsy Traveller History and Future - Maggie Chapman MSP
Health and Social Care Scotland - Jamie Greene MSP
Held In Our Hearts - Stephanie Callaghan MSP
Hey Girls - Paul McLennan MSP
Horticultural Trades Association - Christine Grahame MSP
Hubbub - ACS Clothing Limited - Stephanie Callaghan MSP
Ian Whyte (artist) - Fergus Ewing MSP
Intuitive - Jeremy Balfour MSP
Inverness Women’s Aid/Reina Edmiston Art - Emma Roddick MSP
John Muir Trust - Paul McLennan MSP
Kidney Research UK - Pam Gosal MSP
Kirrie Connections - Graeme Dey MSP
Kooth plc - Paul Sweeney MSP
Lews Castle College UHI - Alasdair Allan MSP
Libereco, Partnership for Human Rights - Willie Rennie MSP
Liquid Gas UK - Liam Kerr MSP
Living Streets Scotland - Foysol Choudhury MSP
Logos Scotland - Murdo Fraser MSP
Lothians Speak Their Name CIC - Jeremy Balfour MSP
Magic Breakfast - Beatrice Wishart MSP
Make 2nds Count - Jeremy Balfour MSP
Marie Curie and University of Glasgow - Evelyn Tweed MSP
My Name’5 Doddie Foundation - Rachael Hamilton MSP
Myeloma UK - Paul O'Kane MSP
National Biodiversity Network Trust - Ariane Burgess MSP
National Lottery Heritage Fund - Clare Adamson MSP
National Mining Museum Scotland - Christine Grahame MSP
National Trust for Scotland - Sharon Dowey MSP
Network Rail Scotland - Rachael Hamilton MSP
Networking Key Services Limited - Foysol Choudhury MSP
NFU Scotland - Rachael Hamilton MSP
Obesity Action Scotland - Clare Haughey MSP
One Parent Families Scotland - Colette Stevenson MSP
Optometry Scotland - Stuart McMillan MSP
Our Seas - Rhoda Grant MSP
Place2Be (2) - Sarah Boyack MSP (1) & Martin Whitfield MSP (1)
Planet Youth - Marie McNair MSP
Planning Aid Scotland - Sarah Boyack MSP
PlusZero - Alasdair Allan MSP
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome Awareness - Pam Gosal MSP
Poppyscotland (3) - Presiding Officer (3)
Powering Futures - Michelle Thomson MSP
Quakers in Britain - Michelle Thomson MSP
Recovering Justice/The Scottish Psychedelic Research Group - Pauline McNeill MSP
Relationships Scotland - Emma Harper MSP
Results UK - Miles Briggs MSP
Revive: The coalition for grouse moor reform - Mark Ruskell MSP
Right There - Miles Briggs MSP
RNIB Scotland - Stuart McMillan MSP
Rothesay Pavilion Charity - Clare Adamson MSP
Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation and MSD - Elena Whitham MSP
Royal College of Occupational Therapists - Emma Harper MSP
Royal Pharmaceutical Society - Jeremy Balfour MSP
RSPB Scotland - Karen Adam MSP
Scotch Whisky Association - Ivan McKee MSP
Scotland Malawi Partnership - Liam McArthur MSP
Scottish Association of Social Work - Fulton MacGregor MSP
Scottish Book Trust - Jackie Baillie MSP
Scottish Coastal Clean Up - Colin Beattie MSP
Scottish Enterprise - Ivan McKee MSP
Scottish Federation of Housing Associations - Collette Stevenson MSP
Scottish Fishermen's Federation - Rachael Hamilton MSP
Scottish Football Museum: Rutherglen Ladies FC - James Dornan MSP
Scottish Grocer's Federation - Gordon MacDonald MSP
Scottish Hazards - Bill Kidd MSP
Scottish Health Action on Alcohol Programmes - Paul O'Kane MSP
Scottish Land & Estates - Christine Grahame MSP
Scottish Prison Art - Fulton MacGregor MSP
Scottish Racing - Miles Briggs MSP
Scottish Renewables - Jenni Minto MSP
Scottish SPCA - Emma Harper MSP
Scottish Water - Liam McArthur MSP
Scottish Women's Aid - Monica Lennon MSP
Scottish Youth Parliament (3) - Presiding Officer (3)
SGI-UK Seeds of Hope and Action - Paul McLennan MSP
Shared Lives Plus - Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP
Shetland Islands Council - Beatrice Wishart MSP
Sight Scotland - Stuart McMillan MSP
Skye Arts-Sea, Land & Sky - Emma Roddick MSP
Smart Energy - Liam Kerr MSP
Social Enterprise Scotland - Miles Briggs MSP
Soil Association Scotland - Ariane Burgess MSP
Sovereign Property Partnership - Paul McLennan MSP
SSE Renewables - Paul McLennan MSP
SSEN Transmission - Michael Marra MSP
Staf (Scottish Throughcare and Aftercare Forum) - Paul O'Kane MSP
Stena Line, P&O Ferries and Belfast Harbour - Emma Harper MSP
Stroke Association - Gillian Mackay MSP
Suzi Morris (artist) - Ruth Maguire MSP
Team Jak - Jeremy Balfour MSP
The Aiteal Trust - Jackie Baillie MSP
The British Association for Shooting and Conservation/Country Food Trust - Sharon Dowey MSP
The Coalition of Carers in Scotland - Jackie Baillie MSP
The Ehlers-Danlos Support UK - Emma Roddick MSP
The Gift of Grouse - Jim Fairlie MSP
The Larder - Fiona Hyslop MSP
The Leprosy Mission Scotland - Jeremy Balfour MSP
The Munro Society - Liz Smith MSP
The National Lottery Community Fund - Collette Stevenson MSP
The Open University - Clare Adamson MSP
The Royal College of Physicians - Clare Haughey MSP
The Royal Society of Edinburgh - Willie Rennie MSP
The Society of Independent Brewers - Craig Hoy MSP
The Trussell Trust - Claire Baker MSP
The Young Women's Movement - Monica Lennon MSP
Timebanking Scotland - Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP
TSB Bank - Paul McLennan MSP
Unity Consulting Scotland: Zero Hours Justice - Richard Leonard MSP
University of Edinburgh - Sarah Boyack MSP
University of Parma - Alasdair Allan MSP
University of the West of Scotland - Christina McKelvie MSP
Upstart Scotland - Kaukab Stewart MSP
Victim Support Scotland - Neil Gray MSP
VoiceAbility - Collette Stevenson MSP
WASPI Scotland - Katy Clark MSP
Water Safety Scotland - Clare Adamson MSP
Waverley Care - Gillian Mackay
West Lothian Diabetes Scotland Group - Angela Constance MSP
Women's Support Project - Ruth Maguire MSP
World Horse Welfare, BHS Scotland & Horsescotland - Sharon Dowey MSP
Young Enterprise Scotland - Jackson Carlaw MSP
Young Scot - Karen Adam MSP

Question reference: S6W-36796

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many applicants there were for health visitor training in 2024; what percentage were accepted onto a training programme, and how many completed their training.

Question reference: S6W-36628

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what barriers to hydrogen production development in Scotland it has identified.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to helping the Scottish hydrogen sector develop. To help identify and better understand the barriers to the deployment of hydrogen production in Scotland we have established the Scottish Hydrogen Industry Forum (SHIF) chaired by myself. It includes representatives from our electricity and gas network operators and a list of members is available on the Scottish Government website here Scottish Hydrogen Industry Forum - gov.scot.

Expertise in hydrogen related planning has been identified as a potential barrier to timely determination of planning consents for hydrogen production development. The creation of a Planning Hub in Scotland was announced on 10 September 2024. This initiative is providing support to planning authorities to improve their skills and capacity to deliver planning determinations promptly. The initial focus of the planning hub has been to improve the pace of the consenting process for hydrogen developments.

The high cost of electricity has also been identified as a potential barrier to the deployment of hydrogen production in Scotland. This is a wider and complex issue.

The introduction of the Hydrogen Production Business Model (HPBM) Programme by the UK Government is a welcome step in incentivising the production and use of renewable hydrogen. However, the slow roll out of the programme has been identified as a potential barrier to deployment may be undermining investors’ confidence.

It is vital now that all efforts are made to support and to streamline the decision-making process for HAR 2 to allow shortlisted projects to move forward with urgency.

A lack of clarity on UKG decisions on the future of the gas grid and the UK-wide hydrogen network and hydrogen blending is also leading to uncertainty amongst investors and developers.

Many of the levers required to support the emergence of a flourishing hydrogen economy in the devolved nations are reserved to the UK Government, as highlighted above and so we will continue to work closely with the UKG to ensure that our collective vision for the development of the hydrogen economy is aligned, and the benefits are realised across all nations of the UK.

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