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-29712

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which (a) organisations and (b) local authorities may have their funding reduced, in light of the reductions to active travel spending announced in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.

Transport Scotland has already allocated over £145 million of our 2024-25 budget to delivery partners across both Active Travel infrastructure and behaviour change. 2024-25 is the first year for a local authority and Regional Transport Partnerships led delivery model for infrastructure and behaviour change programmes that will encourage a shift towards more walking, wheeling and cycling. This funding remains in place.

The utmost importance is placed on balancing the Scottish Government’s budget each financial year. The Scottish Government and the whole of the public sector face a financial position that is extremely challenging. As with all programmes across Scottish Government, further active travel funding will need to be considered in this context for 2024-25. As the active and sustainable travel funding referred to in the Cabinet Secretary for Finance’s Pre-Budget Fiscal Update had not been allocated, no organisations nor local authorities will see their previously confirmed 2024-25 funding reduced as a result.

Question reference: S6W-29759

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether an official from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) was present at the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Minister for Defence of Ireland on 6 September 2024, as per the established protocol that ministerial meetings have an FCDO official present.

Question reference: S6W-29315

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when Scotland's Mental Health First Aid: Young People (SMHFA: YP) courses will be available, following the reported pausing of the programme in 2020.

The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) holds the national licence for Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid: Young People- (SMHFA:YP). Following COVID, PHS took the decision to pause the delivery of the SMHFA: YP, due to the content of the course being considered out of date, given changes to the social and cultural context in which young people live in Scotland (for example, content in relation to alcohol and drugs and bullying). There are no current plans to update the content or reverse the current pause on this programme; as many alternative and up-to-date sources of advice are available to adults who support children and young people.

A new professional learning resource for school staff, supported by the Mental Health in Schools Working Group, was published in 2021. The resource provides essential learning required to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The resource is free and can be found at: CYPMH – Professional Learning Resource. A number of education resources linked to Curriculum for Excellence are also available to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in schools and other settings. Just this week, a new resource will be launched – One Good Adult:Job Description. This was designed by children and young people to help those around them provide the support they need.

In addition, Public Health Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland have developed further digital resources aimed at those supporting the mental health, self-harm and suicide prevention needs of young people. These can be found at: Informed level of practice | Turas | Learn (nhs.scot)

Interactive training is also available on specific topics. For example, Self-Harm Network Scotland provides free training sessions, in-person or online. Anyone can sign up for these sessions, and there are a range of options offered, with more in-depth sessions for professionals. Since these started in early 2023, the service has already trained over 2,500 people.

These sources of advice complement expanded provision of supports and services for children and young people – with access to counselling available through every secondary school; over 300 community-based mental health and wellbeing supports for children and young people now in place across Scotland; and advice for young people themselves available through the investment we have made in the likes of Young Scot’s Aye Feel website.

Question reference: S6W-29989

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to share the analysis of the responses submitted to the Energy Performance Certificate reform consultation, and what opportunities there will be to build the learning from that consultation into its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.

Our Programme for Government 2024-25 set out that we will bring forward a Heat in Buildings Bill that is deliverable and affordable for households and businesses, setting the long term direction of travel and, in turn, providing certainty to building owners and the supply chain.

Given the important relationship between our consultations on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill and to reform Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs), we are considering responses to both at the same time. We intend to publish our responses to the Heat in Buildings Bill and EPC reform consultations at the same point later this year.

Question reference: S6W-29710

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether public health campaigns will be reduced or stopped as a result of the reported reductions to its marketing.

A number of public health campaigns will continue to run. Public Health Scotland will continue to undertake targeted communications work for vaccine programmes, including Winter Flu, to ensure those who are eligible for vaccinations are aware and encouraged to take them up. The Scottish Government’s Detect Cancer Early and Dementia campaigns are currently running and a number of public health topics continue to be supported by social media, public relations and partner marketing, which is delivered directly by the Scottish Government Communications Directorate.

Question reference: S6W-29268

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28109 by Jenni Minto on 25 June 2024, what steps it has taken to assess the adherence of NHS boards to the standards outlined in the (a) National Specification for the Delivery of Psychological Therapies and Interventions and (b) Core Mental Health Quality Standards.

The Scottish Government published the National Specification for Psychological Therapies and Interventions and the Core Mental Health Standards in September 2023.

We have made a commitment to take a phased approach to implementation, to ensure the Standards and Specification would be implemented effectively in light of existing pressures across the health and social care system.

Assessment tools to assess and support adherence to the Specification and Standards were developed and piloted in spring 2024 and will be rolled out across all boards in 2024-25.

Additionally, Public Health Scotland have reviewed the publication of the Mental Health Quality Indicator Framework and will be publishing this in interactive dashboard format including new Board and HSCP level data from 26 November 2024. This will provide transparency of key access and quality indicators relevant to the Specification and Standards in one place, with the intention to expand this collection in due course.

Question reference: S6W-29286

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28559 by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2024, whether it considered negotiating a deal with Microsoft when it was first made aware of the withdrawal of Office 365 A1 Plus licenses from schools in August 2023.

The removal of A1 Plus was a change enforced by Microsoft, applied to all customers globally. In effect, that licence tier has been retired by Microsoft, therefore there was no option to negotiate a deal to continue to provide A1 Plus for Glow users. Officials pressed Microsoft to afford some flexibility in regards to the A1 Plus licence withdrawal date. However, Microsoft responded that this was not possible.

The A1 licence in Glow remains in place and will continue to provide access to the web-based version of Microsoft Office until the contract end-date in September 2027. Scottish Government has commissioned Education Scotland to undertake a review of needs for any national digital provision in the future.

Question reference: S6T-02111

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported announcement that issues with the gearbox of the MV Caledonian Isles have been identified, resulting in a further delay to its return to service on the Arran route.

Question reference: S6T-02115

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding whether the early release scheme for prisoners has been a success.

Question reference: S6F-03383

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2024

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government plans to embed domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms, similar to plans announced by the UK Government for England and Wales.