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 40769 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6T-00914

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that, due to legal aid fees agreed in 1999 only increasing by 10%, there is a lack of legal provision across Scotland.

Question reference: S6T-00915

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported “perfect storm” that the arts and culture sector is facing, in light of reports that organisations such as the Falkirk Town Hall, the Filmhouse in Edinburgh, the Belmont in Aberdeen and the Edinburgh International Film Festival recently entered into administration and the Modern Two art gallery in Edinburgh was forced to close for winter.

Question reference: S6F-01459

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the Royal College of Emergency Medicine Scotland’s reported warning that the NHS winter resilience plan “will not be in place in time to prevent further harm to patients and staff this winter”.

Question reference: S6F-01451

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2022

To ask the First Minister what assistance the Scottish Government is providing to those with complex disabilities to cope with the cost of living crisis.

Question reference: S6F-01445

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2022

To ask the First Minister what impact recent changes within the UK Government will have on the Scottish Government's Emergency Budget Review.

Question reference: S6F-01442

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2022

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6F-01435

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01434

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-10481

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost each year has been of consultancy fees relating to Transport Scotland’s work on developing long- and medium-term resilient routes to replace the existing A83 Rest and Be Thankful corridor.

Since the announcement in August 2020 to develop a resilient long term solution to the landslide issues at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful, Transport Scotland has spent approximately £5 million in consultancy fees for both the medium term and long term solutions.

Financial Year	Spend (inc. VAT)
2020-21	£1,157,851.95
2021-22	£2,804,916.38
2022-23*	£1,013,000.99

* up to and including July 2022.

This has allowed the environmental and engineering assessment work on eleven different corridor options to be concluded with the preferred route corridor being announced in March 2021.

Design and assessment work has subsequently progressed on five long term solution options within the preferred corridor comparing the relative merits in terms of engineering, environmental and economic criteria. All options are technically complex ranging from traditional roads with structural rock shelters, to tunnels through the hillside and viaducts options crossing through the Glen Croe valley.

At the same time, consultants have been undertaking design and assessment work on a number of medium term options to improve resilience of the route while the long term measure is being developed.

To inform the design, consultants have undertaken a wide range of activities including the development of 3D road models for each option, rock and channel mapping of the hillside, landslide hazard assessments, constructability reviews as well as flood risk and flood mapping. They have also prepared contract documents and supervised the £1.8 million ground investigation and undertaken a range of environmental and topographical surveys.

All consultation, design and environmental assessment reports completed to date, and further details of the data gathering and design activities are available on Transport Scotland’s website: Access to Argyll and Bute (A83) (transport.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-11196

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its officials have had with UK Government officials on the recommendations outlined in the Union Connectivity Review surrounding improvements to the A75 and A77.

The Union Connectivity Review made no recommendations on upgrading the A77. Discussions between Scottish and UK Government officials have therefore focused solely on the A75. In March 2022, Transport Scotland officials had an initial discussion with UK Government Department for Transport (DfT) counterparts, on the A75. Follow up was undertaken by DfT officials and TS officials on a number of specific clarification questions, with a further meeting held on 16 June.

A subsequent discussion is scheduled for 31 October which will cover UCR recommendations and associated proposed funding for the A75.