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-04018

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its initial plans for achieving a fairer Scotland for disabled people, as set out in its Covid Recovery Strategy.

Working alongside Disabled Peoples Organisations, the STUC, and representatives from the third, public and private sectors, the Scottish Government is currently developing a refresh of ‘A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan’.

The refreshed action plan will set out how we will build on the progress we have made in tackling inequalities as we recover from the pandemic. We expect the plan to be published in Spring 2022.

Question reference: S6W-04020

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to enable disabled people to feed into its plans for achieving a fairer Scotland for disabled people, as set out in its Covid Recovery Strategy.

We are committed to working with Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) to ensure that the refresh of ‘ A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment action plan’ is informed by the lived experience of disabled people.

The short life working group overseeing the development of the refreshed action plan is co-chaired by the Glasgow Disability Alliance (GDA). GDA and other DPOs will engage directly with their members and disabled people for input and views with regards to the refreshed action plan to ensure their views are heard and seen.

More broadly, we are committed to working together with DPOs to ensure disabled people’s input is represented in Scottish Government’s strategic and policy development in relation to achieving a fairer Scotland for disabled people. For example, the direct involvement of disabled people’s organisations and their members has played a key role in shaping the next phase of No One Left Behind, our strategy for placing people at the centre of the design and delivery of employability services.

Question reference: S6W-03643

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been awarded in compensation for medical errors in each NHS board in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-03518

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government by what means people who cannot receive the COVID-19 vaccine for medical reasons can demonstrate their exemption from vaccine certification.

Vaccination is the best way to keep you, your friends, family, and community safe and we encourage everyone to consider getting the vaccine. In the vast majority of cases a successful route to safe vaccination can be found.

If vaccination is not straightforward, support is available to help people achieve the benefits of protection from the Covid-19 vaccines. Local vaccination centre can help answer questions about the vaccine and can advise what arrangements may be put in place to enable safe vaccination. In the rare cases where that support does not lead to vaccination, the offer of an exemption will be a part of the process.

A person who is identified as clinically unable to safely receive the vaccine will receive a secure paper exemption certificate in the post.

Question reference: S6W-04055

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many school pupils have received music tuition through their local authority, broken down by local authority, in each year since 2011-12.

Question reference: S6W-04053

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scotch whisky industry regarding its contribution to the economy and how to support its further growth.

Question reference: S6W-03948

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether, under its proposed short-term let licensing regime, some types of tourist accommodation, such as hotels, serviced accommodation, mobile accommodation and licensed caravans, will be exempt from licensing in respect of health and safety, but with this being mandatory for bed and breakfast and self-catering businesses, and, if so, for what reasons.

The proposed licensing legislation will establish a licensing scheme: to ensure short-term lets are safe and address issues faced by neighbours; and facilitate local authorities in knowing and understanding what is happening in their area, as well as to assist with handling complaints effectively. In broad terms, the licensing scheme applies to the use of dwellinghouses and unconventional accommodation, such as yurts or pods, for short-term lets.

The licensing scheme was never intended to regulate all forms of tourist or other accommodation. It is important that all forms of accommodation are safe and there are a number of regulatory mechanisms and safeguards across different accommodation types to help to ensure this is the case.

Question reference: S6W-03954

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many electric vehicle charging units have been installed in each of the last five years in places where commercial operators had not started to invest, also broken down by local authority area.

Over the past decade the Scottish Government has invested over £50 million in ChargePlace Scotland, a publicly available network of electric vehicle charging infrastructure which now consists of over 2,000 charge points across Scotland. This has enabled us to create a comprehensive network ahead of demand. The majority of investment has been delivered through local authorities, who are responsible for planning the roll out of electric vehicle charging infrastructure, taking into account local needs and considering existing and projected demand within their area.

Until recently, commercial investment in charge points has been restricted due to factors such as uncertain returns on investment as the market for electric vehicles matures. As a result, any investments will have been limited to locations with unique market characteristics.

Over the summer we published a joint report with the Scottish Futures Trust setting out the opportunities for growth of the electric vehicle public charging market. The report noted that increased levels of commercial investment can now be anticipated in many parts of Scotland, and will indeed be required as demand for electric vehicles increases. The report also explores areas where the commercial market will be slower to mature, and the role of public sector in such circumstances.

Transport Scotland are working with Scottish Futures Trust and industry to consider the most appropriate structures and approach to growing and developing charging infrastructure, lever commercial investment and engaging commercial operators to develop the public electric vehicle charge point network at scale and at speed across all of Scotland.

While the Scottish Government doesn’t hold specific information on where commercial investments are planned across Scotland, the Scottish Transport Statistics that are published annually provide information on the number of ChargePlace Scotland charge points by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-03557

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much each group funded under the new Equalities and Human Rights Fund for 2021-24 received, and what work each group has been funded to undertake.

The organisations funded under the Equality and Human Rights Fund are taking forward work that meet the aims and objectives of the fund, which are:

To fund, support, develop and learn from civil society organisations and partnerships that:

1. Develop and deliver work that is grounded in the progression, protection and realisation of human rights.

2. Deliver support to address the needs of people facing structural inequality and develop and deliver work to increase participation and empowerment.

3. Support delivery of commitments within relevant Scottish Government equality and human right strategies, action plans and documents.

4. Generate data, learning and insight into the experience of people to support analysis and challenge on equality and human rights issues, across a wide range of policy areas.

A list of the successful applicants is available on the Scottish Government website Equality and Human Rights Fund: projects funded - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Question reference: S6T-00270

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of numerous attacks on emergency service workers while on duty during bonfire weekend.