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: S6T-01023

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that local government directors of finance have written to the finance secretary regarding an unprecedented £1 billion budget gap, and of COSLA stating that the current spending plans will lead to job losses.

Question reference: S6T-01018

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2022

To ask Scottish Government what its response is to comments from the Auditor General that it underspent its budget by £2 billion in the financial year 2021-22.

Question reference: S6T-01020

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Strep A cases in Scotland, including what it is doing to mitigate any risks.

Question reference: S6F-01626

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the roll-out of the Child Disability Payment.

Question reference: S6F-01613

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

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

Question reference: S6F-01608

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the First Minister how many single-crewed ambulances, responding to an emergency, have been deployed in the last six months.

Question reference: S6F-01603

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01604

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01607

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will provide an update on whether it will instruct Scottish Water to freeze water rates for 2023-24 to help with the cost of living crisis.

Question reference: S6W-12265

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to (a) launching an inquiry to assess the potential value of retrofit over demolition and (b) the introduction of a demolition levy, in light of the Chartered Institute of Building’s report, Levelling the playing field, not Scotland’s built environment: a case for retrofit over demolition, which states that introducing a demolition levy could catalyse a shift in priority to favour retrofit projects and fund green initiatives.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of retrofitting existing buildings, as noted in our Town Centre Action Plan review and Housing to 2040 Strategy. We are aware that current VAT rules may incentivise demolition over retrofitting. However, VAT policy is currently reserved to the UK Government. As such, we have called on the UK Government to address this issue, but to no avail. We called on the UK Government to issue changes in a letter of 19 March 2021, but this request was declined in a response received in May 2021.

The Scottish Government will, of course, continue to consider what it can do to address the current imbalance, including through the promotion and facilitation of retrofitting within our policies. However, it is clear that the key powers lie with the UK Government.

The Scottish Government welcomes the report from the Chartered Institute of Building. We too have been clear that coordinated action is needed to tackle the challenge of building decarbonisation. We will carefully consider the report, including the recommendation of introducing a demolition levy in Scotland. However, a change to the VAT structure remains the preferred solution. As the imbalance is caused by the design of the VAT system, this would be most efficiently and effectively resolved through VAT reform.

The Scottish Government will continue to call on the UK Government to address the current imbalance.