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-16810

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the findings of its Health and Wellbeing Census, showing how frequently S2-S4 pupils use e-cigarettes, will be published.

Question reference: S6W-16729

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it is considering to tackle rural-specific crime.

The Scottish Government takes all crime, including that committed in rural areas, extremely seriously. One of the key Aims of our Vision for Justice, published in 2022, is to ensure that we have a society in which people feel, and are, safer in their communities. In January this year, we revised our Strategic Police Priorities, which underpin the statutory policing principles that the main purpose of policing is to improve the safety and wellbeing of persons, localities and communities in Scotland.

The Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime (SPARC), is chaired by Police Scotland and draws together key stakeholders from across the justice and rural sectors, including Scottish Government, to provide a robust, multi-agency approach to rural crime and support activity at local level.

SPARC published an updated Strategy last year which set out 7 key priority areas and detailed the Rural Watch Scotland initiative focused on preventative activity undertaken and delivered by Neighbourhood Watch Scotland working through SPARC.

Question reference: S6W-16396

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase the number of modern apprenticeship places to at least 27,000, in light of reported calls from businesses for such an increase.

Question reference: S6W-16236

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the arrangement whereby the Deposit Return Scheme administrator is not subject to Freedom of Information legislation currently meets the principles of the Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents.

The Council of Europe Convention on Access to Official Documents (also known as the ‘Tromsø Convention’) relates to official documents held by public authorities. Whilst the UK is not a signatory to the Convention, the Scottish Government recognises the importance of public access to official information held by Scottish public authorities. However, Circularity Scotland is a private not for profit company, and not a Scottish public authority.

Question reference: S6W-16414

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the creation of a Scottish Education Exchange Programme, and what the anticipated launch date of the programme is.

Question reference: S6W-16366

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether imprisoning violent offenders is an effective method of violence reduction.

Protecting victims and the public from harm is the Scottish Government’s absolute priority.

Prison will remain a necessary option, particularly for those who pose a risk of serious harm, in removing the individual from the community and reducing the likelihood of further offending for the duration of their sentence. As reflected in our National Strategy for Community Justice, there is also clear evidence that community-based sentences can be more effective in reducing reoffending and assisting with rehabilitation than short term custodial sentences, while protecting the public and robustly managing risk.

Overall, taking an individualised approach is therefore critical. Sentencing decisions in each individual case are, of course, a matter for the independent courts to make within the legislative framework set by Parliament, taking all the relevant facts and circumstances of each case into account.

Question reference: S6T-01336

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent report by Friends of the Earth Scotland, which suggests that additional investment is required in public transport if the Scottish Government is to meet its target of reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030.

Question reference: S6T-01335

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent report by NUS Scotland, which stated that more than a fifth of international students in Scotland have experienced homelessness during their studies.

Question reference: S6T-01332

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the SQA regarding the preparations for this year’s exams.

Question reference: S6F-02046

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to new Police Scotland statistics showing that the number of recorded rapes has increased to its highest level in six years.