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-34090

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions took place during the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy's recent visit to Berlin regarding Scotland’s grid and transmission infrastructure.

Question reference: S6W-34084

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it will take following the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy’s recent discussions with German energy firms to develop Scotland’s renewable energy workforce.

Question reference: S6W-34635

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much each NHS board has paid for taxi transport for (a) doctors and (b) nurses who are (i) on-call and (ii) asked to come into work when off duty in each of the last five years, and what (A) national and (B) specific local policies for each board there are governing this.

Question reference: S6W-34492

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason water charges are being increased by a reported 9.9%, in light of them increasing by 8.8% in 2024, which was above the inflation rate.

As published in the Water Industry Commission for Scotland’s (WICS) Final Determination of charges for 2021-27, the maximum amount of charges that Scottish Water can levy on its customers is CPI+2% on average for each year of the regulatory period (equivalent to CPI+12.6% over the 6 year period). Charge increases in the first half of the regulatory period were significantly less than the charge cap, reflecting the financial impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic and cost of living crisis on households.

Water charges are set by Scottish Water’s Board, with approval from the independent economic regulator WICS. The Board must balance affordability with funding critical investment needs to protect our drinking water quality and the environment. As recognised in Scottish Water’s Draft Long Term Strategy published on 4 February 2025, charges need to increase to fund the impacts of the climate emergency, the replacement of ageing assets and a growing population.

Question reference: S6W-34087

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy’s visit to Berlin supports the Scottish Government’s objectives for expanding innovation opportunities in renewable energy.

Question reference: S6W-34119

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what legislative or policy changes it is considering to ensure that hospital capacity is not unduly impacted by any patients who are deemed “surgically fit for discharge” but refuse to leave, while ensuring patient rights are upheld.

Question reference: S6W-34120

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many surgeries have been delayed due to the presence of so-called medical boarders in surgical wards in each year since 2018, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-34043

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-33168 by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025, how many inspections were carried out on the overbridges and overpasses on the A90 in each of the last three years, and what the main findings of these were.

A total of 102 inspections were undertaken between 2022 and 2024, broken down as follows:

2022 – 18 Inspections

2023 – 52 Inspections

2024 – 32 Inspections

The inspections indicated that all of the bridges are in an acceptable condition. There are a number of new structures on AWPR, which are not yet due their first planned inspection. When these are inspected they are expected to be in good condition.

All trunk road structures and assets are subjected to regular inspections to ensure the continued integrity of the structures and identify any necessary repairs.

Question reference: S6W-34068

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a list of Energy Consent Unit decisions made in the last year, and which of its ministers made each determination.

All the decisions made by the Energy Consents Unit and determinations made by Scottish Ministers are publicly available on our Energy Consents website: https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationSearch.aspx

Ministers whose responsibilities included making determinations in the last year are: Dr Alasdair Allan MSP as Minister for Climate Action, myself as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, Miri McAllan MSP as Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy, and Neil Gray MSP as Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy. Decisions made by Scottish Ministers are done so on the basis of collective responsibility. All decisions reached by the Scottish Ministers, individually or collectively, are binding on all members of the Government.

Question reference: S6O-04332

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to Dundee Heritage Trust to ensure the long-term future of the organisation.