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-10593

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on establishing design groups to develop a new of model care for adult dentistry, including a long-term replacement for the Statement of Dental Remuneration, as part of the implementation of its Oral Health Improvement Plan.

We are committed to engaging with the profession on a reform programme for NHS dental services. As part of that commitment we have recently issued a profession-wide survey asking for comments on a list of possible treatment items for inclusion in a future NHS model.

We have also asked for nominees for a NHS dental reform advisory group to the Chief Dental Officer. NHS Boards are currently reviewing the nominations and will put forward the nominees for each Board area in due course.

Question reference: S6W-10432

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage individual sponsors to house Ukrainian refugees.

Question reference: S6W-10395

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that adequate public research is undertaken to quantify the risk and probability of the spread of giardiasis, so-called beaver fever, before any reintroduction of beavers into freshwater communities.

To date Giardia has not been found in any beavers in Scotland, though targeted testing has been carried out on both live animals and carcasses in Tayside as well as in Knapdale.

Although beavers can carry this parasite the EPIC report published in 2017 points to other sources of environmental contamination being equally or more likely to be a source of Giardia infection. Humans, livestock and wild animals are all potential sources of Giardia. EPIC conclude ‘the reintroduction of beavers is likely to present a very small additional risk as the number of beavers excreting these organisms will be likely to be small relative to the large number of wild, domestic and livestock animals and humans which contribute to existing public health risk’.

NatureScot continue to carry out general health screening to ensure that beavers released under licence from NatureScot are not acting as a source of disease prior to any translocations.

Question reference: S6W-10331

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to streamline funding for textiles projects to avoid any unnecessary duplication between public bodies and agencies.

Scottish textiles businesses can access a wide range of support through our enterprise agencies, including grants (e.g. Business Innovation and Growth Grants), other funding, advice, help and events.

The Find Business Support webpage, available at https://findbusinesssupport.gov.scot/ , directs businesses to Scotland's public sector support in a single location.

In addition, the £2m Circular Textiles Fund (CTF), administered by Zero Waste Scotland and backed by the Scottish Government was launched on 24 June 2022. This support is designed to help reduce the environmental impact of textiles and throwaway culture, and to support the development of circular supply chains in Scotland. The CTF provides opportunities for public, private and third-sector organisations of all sizes to develop and deliver solutions to reduce the waste and carbon impacts of all textiles.

Question reference: S6W-10352

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether companies contracted under ScotWind development projects are required to recognise collective bargaining arrangements, and, if they are not, whether it will commit to encouraging such companies to implement fair work practices.

ScotWind leasing is administered by Crown Estate Scotland who have confirmed that all companies that have a ScotWind seabed agreement with Crown Estate Scotland are required to comply with all applicable laws including meeting their obligations under employment legislation. Therefore, if those companies have a statutorily recognised trade union, they would be required to comply with their legal requirements in respect of collective bargaining arrangements.

Question reference: S6W-10335

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of wool produced in Scotland is used in (a) Scottish and (b) other UK textile manufacturing.

Question reference: S6W-10251

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09483 by Lorna Slater on the 21 July 2022, and in light of the comments by the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport when giving evidence to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on the Scottish Budget 2022-23 on 1 February 2022, what information it has on whether Zero Waste Scotland has plans in place to secure private funding once European Structural and Investment Funds come to an end.

Zero Waste Scotland strategy is to maximise the impact of investment in the circular economy and to partner across private and public sectors. This aims to leverage funding opportunities, and to increase co-investment and partnership models to support and to continue to deliver value across circular economy initiatives.

ZWS is also undertaking multi-party engagement with Scottish Government and Scottish Business Climate Collaboration (SBCC) which is 50:50 funded by public funds and SBCC and is working with several businesses to develop business cases for circular initiatives that will then be funded and delivered by companies themselves. In addition co-investment models have been developed with Social Investment Scotland to create a Net Zero Transition Fund for third sector organisations.

Question reference: S6W-10216

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it requires local authorities to record information regarding national identity of nursery pupils when an application is made for a place, and, if this is the case, for what reason it requires this information, and how any such data is (a) processed and (b) managed.

Question reference: S6W-10229

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review its New Scots strategy, which is due to expire in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-10209

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 August 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09548 by Shona Robison on 19 July 2022, how much the administrators have been paid to date to administer the loan.