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-18646

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Scottish Prison Service's gender identity and gender reassignment policy, which potentially allows for males who have been convicted of violent offences against other males to be placed in a female establishment, what evidence it has regarding whether males who commit violent offences against other males only commit such offences against males.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS’s approach to the placement and management of all transgender individuals seeks to protect the rights and safety of everyone in prison custody.

Decisions regarding the management and placement of transgender prisoners are taken at a multi-disciplinary case conference where evidence of any risks the individual may present to others and vulnerabilities they may face, are fully considered.

Question reference: S6W-19527

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 19 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it provided powers to local authorities to set additional conditions to regulate the short-term let sector, but not for the long-term market, including in relation to a recognised standard of assurance about the safety status of the accommodation.

Question reference: S6W-19353

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 19 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many community pharmacies are able to receive prescriptions by (a) fax only, (b) email only and (c) either fax or email, broken down by NHS board area.

Question reference: S6W-19379

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 19 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether hotels are exempt from the Building Scotland (Amendment) Regulations 2022 regarding fire safety and cladding.

Hotels are not listed as ‘relevant buildings’ within the meaning of the Building Scotland (Amendment) Regulations 2022. All new and converted hotels having a storey, or creating a storey at a height of 11 metres or more above the ground, must comply with the relevant mandatory functional standards, including mandatory standard 2.7 that requires the fire spread on external walls to be inhibited.

Question reference: S6W-19678

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 19 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete being present in (a) social housing and (b) private housing developments.

Question reference: S6W-19667

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 19 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it will make available to local authorities that find reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete present in (a) school buildings and (b) other local authority-owned buildings, in order to (i) manage and (ii) remove it.

Question reference: S6W-19470

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 19 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of increased mortgage rates on the Scottish economy.

Forecasts for the Scottish economy are produced by the independent Scottish Fiscal Commission. They published their most recent forecast in May 2023.

The Scottish Government has not made any formal assessment of the impact of increased mortgage rates on the Scottish economy. However, the Scottish Government regularly monitors trends in mortgage rates and the level of mortgage lending through the quarterly Scottish Housing Market Review , and also monitors trends in economic activity, which is affected by mortgage and other interest rates, through the monthly Economic Brief .

The Scottish Government has recently conducted an evidence review on the impact of the wider cost of living crisis on low income households with children. A part of the report includes a section on housing which briefly summarises the impact of higher mortgage costs for families on low incomes.

Question reference: S6W-20032

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-19696

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage the development of a new economic zone in the Highlands.

The Scottish Government is committed to developing the economy of the Highlands and Islands to its full potential. We are working with partners including local authorities, businesses and our enterprise agency and supporting a broad range of activities backed by significant Scottish Government investment to achieve that aim.

Through the Growth Deal programme we are investing £242.5 million across the Highlands and Islands over the next 10 years to grow the economy. This will fund projects on a range of themes including renewable energy, housing, transport, skills, tourism, culture, marine, space and aerospace to drive sustainable economic growth.

Our enterprise agency Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), is providing specialist advice, training and funding to help businesses respond to economic opportunities. The agency also supports the development of infrastructure, including business and industrial premises in rural locations. During 2022-23, HIE approved £63.2 million for 489 projects and secured £35 million of investment for the region’s economy.

In January this year we confirmed Inverness and Cromarty Firth as one of Scotland’s Green Freeports. With access to up to £25 million in seed capital, up to £1 million in revenue funding, and a package of customs and tax incentives, Green Freeports will create internationally competitive clusters of manufacturing excellence. With a focus on renewable energy, wind and hydrogen, the Cromarty Firth Green Freeport will create up to 25,000 jobs and attract £2.6 billion in inward investment to the region.

These initiatives and many others we are supporting will drive sustainable economic growth across the Highlands and Islands for the benefit of people and communities.

Question reference: S6W-19622

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has met with the administrators appointed to oversee Circularity Scotland.