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-34436

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's decision to bring forward secondary legislation that would allow the Genetic Technologies (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 to take effect, what it anticipates the potential impact on Scotland will be in relation to (a) devolved competencies (b) (i) regional and (ii) international trade, (c) consumer choice and (d) the integrity of GMO-free supply chains, such as organic.

We are aware of the UK Government’s planned secondary legislation following its Genetic Technologies (Precision Breeding) Act 2023 and are looking carefully at the implications of their proposals. As our closest trading partner, any changes in England may have implications for Scottish businesses.

Regulation of genetic modification is an area of devolved responsibility, and the Scottish Government expects full cooperation from the UK Government in matters where any related legislation will impact upon the interests of Scottish businesses and consumers.

The views of stakeholders in Scotland – scientists, farmers, food producers, but especially, consumers and the public as a whole – will inform any future changes in relation to the regulation of genetic technologies in Scotland. On 27 March we will hold a roundtable event to better understand the views and concerns of stakeholders.

Question reference: S6W-34490

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23094 by Angela Constance on 30 November 2023, how many people have been convicted of an offence under section 40 of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 each year.

Question reference: S6W-34498

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Childsmile programme in the financial year 2023-24, whether it will provide the (a) total cost of the programme and (b) estimated cost per child per annum.

In response to part a) of the question, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-26265 on 15 April 2024, in which I detailed the total cost of the Childsmile programme in the five financial years between 2019-20 and 2023-24.

In response to part b) of the question, Scottish Government does not hold this information.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-33616

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to roll-out mobile clinical units in rural and remote areas, including Aberdeenshire.

Question reference: S6W-34373

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that social tenants are not required to meet any costs associated with cladding remediation.

Question reference: S6W-34318

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-33251 by Ivan McKee on 23 January 2025, how much revenue has been raised from non-domestic rates levied on properties with pylon infrastructure in each of the last three years; whether any other levies are applied to pylons based on their height or size, and, if so, how much revenue was raised in 2024 from each of these levies.

The estimated non-domestic rates revenue from energy transmission infrastructure from 2022-2023 to 2024-2025 is presented in Table 1. This includes overhead transmission lines and pylons, underground lines, and sub-stations, operating at or above 132kV. We are unable to separately estimate the amounts related to pylon infrastructure only.

There are no Scottish Government levies charged on the basis of pylon height or size. We are not aware of any other levies charged on this basis.

Table 1: Estimated non-domestic rates income from electricity transmission infrastructure

Financial year	Non-domestic rates income (£)
2022-2023	81,744,000
2023-2024	112,398,000
2024-2025	114,595,000

Source: Designated electricity transmission entries on the Scottish Assessors’ Valuation Roll as at 1 October 2022, 1 October 2023, 1 October 2024.

Question reference: S6W-34395

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government who the members are of the Wildlife and Species Forum; on what date the Forum will next meet, and how many meetings are scheduled for the next 12 months.

Membership of the Strategic Wildlife and Species Land Managers Forum (SWSLM Forum) is made up of representatives from the main public and private organisations that have a role in managing wildlife. However the constitution of the group may change on a meeting-by-meeting basis to reflect the subjects on the agenda. The initial membership of the SWSLM Forum consists of the following organisations:

Scottish Government
British Association for Shooting and Conservation
National Farmers Union Scotland
National Trust for Scotland
NatureScot
Royal Society for the Protection for Birds
Scottish Gamekeepers Association
Scottish Land and Estates
Scottish Countryside Alliance
Scottish Wildlife Trust
Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust

The next meeting of the SWSLM Forum is scheduled to take place on Thursday 3 April 2025. The intention is that the Forum will then meet every three months.

Question reference: S6T-02340

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, in light of reports by the Royal College of Emergency Medicine that the number of people waiting in A&E for over 12 hours is almost 100 times higher than in 2011.

Question reference: S6T-02350

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Scottish Water continues to pay bonuses to its executives, when public sector pay policy reportedly prohibits this.

Question reference: S6F-03803

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2025

Question to be taken in Chamber.