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-30537

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the Chief Entrepreneur.

The Chief Entrepreneur has been fundamental to the development of some of our most ambitious economic policies, including but not limited to: the building of a new policy agenda embodied by the Scottish Tech Ecosystem Review; the Entrepreneurial Campus Blueprint report to enhance the economic impact of our universities and colleges, and promote the teaching of Computer Science in schools; the Pathways report to increase women’s participation in entrepreneurship; and the delivery of Techscaler, a programme central to our ambitions to create one of the finest state-funded entrepreneurial systems in the world dedicated to the creation of high-growth businesses.

Question reference: S6W-30438

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many former oil and gas workers have transitioned to green jobs as a result of Just Transition funding.

The Scottish Government does not currently hold overall figures relating to employment outcomes or job creation as a result of our funded programmes. We are currently commissioning an independent evaluation which will help to determine this and the impact of the Fund to date, in due course.

Through the Just Transition Fund specifically, we have allocated £9.7 million for a package of skills interventions in the North East. We are currently commissioning an independent evaluation of the Fund’s impact to date which will include existing jobs supported and new jobs created. This work is due to complete by March end 2025.

This includes:

£4.5 million over 5 years for the Energy Skills Transition Hub – which aims to support 1000 people into energy transition roles.
£1 million for the National Energy Skills Accelerator to support a pilot scheme to better understand future energy skills needs and deliver workforce training.
funding for a feasibility study about net zero skills requirements and labour supply chain bottlenecks in Moray.
£3.7 million for the development of the Offshore Energy Skills Passport.

In addition, we are taking forward and supporting a wide range of sector-specific efforts, designed to help workers seize new opportunities, while ensuring that the sector does not lose essential skills and experience.

Question reference: S6W-30392

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, when it was initially conceived, whether a stated aim of minimum unit pricing was to reduce the consumption of alcohol among hazardous and harmful drinkers, and, if so, whether this aim has changed, and for what reason.

The aim of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol is to reduce health harms caused by alcohol consumption by setting a floor price below which alcohol cannot be sold. In particular, it targets a reduction in consumption of alcohol that is considered cheap, relative to its strength. It aims to reduce both the consumption of alcohol at population level and, in particular, those who drink at hazardous and harmful levels. In doing so, it aims to reduce alcohol related health harms among hazardous and harmful drinkers, and contribute to reducing harm at a whole population level.

The aim of MUP remains the same as stated at the Bill's introduction in 2011.

Question reference: S6W-30418

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Offshore Energies UK to discuss employment and training initiatives.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials regularly meet with industry stakeholders, including OEUK to discuss their ongoing employment and training initiatives. The First Minister and I met with David Whitehouse, CEO of OEUK on 30 September 2024. The Scottish Government is working with the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce to ensure a fair and just transition for Scotland’s highly skilled offshore workers.

Question reference: S6W-30553

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost NHS Scotland to purchase Hassockrigg Ecopark in Shotts.

Question reference: S6W-30596

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03822 by Angela Constance on 9 October 2024, whether it will provide details of the list of partners involved in intelligence gathering in relation to food crime.

Food Standards Scotland (FSS) is the competent authority in Scotland and has a statutory objective to protect the public from risks to health which may arise in connection with the consumption of food. Partnership arrangements for operations will depend on the nature of the investigation.

FSS shares information with a range of partner agencies, both nationally and internationally. As advised previously, FSS is a member of the Multi Agency Tasking and Delivery Board (MATDB), chaired by Police Scotland, and comprises a number of law enforcement agencies. The MATDB seeks to maximise the benefit of partnership working by sharing information and pooling resource wherever necessary.

Question reference: S6W-30552

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps NHS Scotland took to ensure that Tradebe had sufficient insurance cover in the event of any disruption in the fulfilment of its contract.

Question reference: S6W-30434

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with American Axle & Manufacturing, in light of the planned closure of its Glasgow manufacturing site, formerly Albion Automotive, on 4 October 2024, with the reported loss of 100 jobs.

The Scottish Government was disappointed to hear of the decision to close the Albion Automotive site in Glasgow. This has obviously been a very worrying time for the workforce, their families and the local area.

Scottish Enterprise worked closely with the company to explore all viable options to retain these highly skilled jobs in Scotland, but unfortunately a solution could not be found.

The Scottish Government’s initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment, has been working with the company to support the affected staff and will continue to provide support as required. We understand that a number of staff have secured alternative employment.

Question reference: S6W-30345

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy live facial recognition systems in Scotland, what its response is to the European Parliament's reported decision to classify the use of real-time biometrics in public spaces as posing an unacceptable risk.

Question reference: S6W-30335

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Professor Angela Daly's reported comments that live facial recognition technology is "not fit for purpose" and is "generally unethical", in light of the reported proposals by the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy the technology in Scotland.