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-32618

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there have been reported above-inflation increases in the budgets for most of its international offices at a time of reductions in the budget of some domestic services.

The increase in budget for our international network of 2.0% overall is primarily to fulfil the pay agreement applied across the Scottish Government. In most cases, programme budgets to deliver events and undertake outreach work were static or slightly reduced.

In 2025-26 our network of international offices will account for less than 0.02% of the Scottish Government’s overall resource spending plans as set out in the draft Scottish Budget.

Question reference: S6W-32344

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB) on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the cost of maintaining the Parliament's bees has been in each of the last five years.

The total cost of maintaining the Parliament’s bees on-site for the last five years in total is £20,219.68. This includes the installation and maintenance of 15 beehives since March 2020.

The costs per year are given in the table below:

Hoods Honey Costs per year
Year	Ex VAT	Gross Amount
2023/24	£ 4,349.90	£ 5,219.88
2022/23	£ 3,199.92	£ 3,839.90
2021/22	£ 3,199.92	£ 3,839.90
2020/21	£ 3,600.00	£ 4,320.00
2019/20	£ 2,500.00	£ 3,000.00

Question reference: S6W-32606

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost-effectiveness of maintaining its network of international offices.

The Scottish Government’s international network delivers tangible benefits to our people, businesses and organisations, including higher education institutions and those in the cultural and creative sectors. From attracting overseas investment and growing exports, to facilitating cultural exchanges, our active engagement on the global stage supports the delivery of Scotland’s domestic policy objectives.

The International Network annual report 2023-24 was published on 18 November 2024. Using case studies, as well as trade and investment figures from SDI, it demonstrates how our network delivered impact across the three main pillars of work set out in the International Strategy: economy, trade and investment; climate change, biodiversity and renewable energy; and reputation, influence and relationships.

Publication of this report forms part of our process to monitor the effectiveness of our international offices and ensure transparency and accountability on the impact their activity has for the benefit of Scotland’s people, businesses and organisations.

The International Network annual report is available at the following URL: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-international-network-annual-report-2023-24/

Question reference: S6W-32600

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has consulted with (a) unions and (b) industry stakeholders regarding the reported delayed timeline for the decarbonisation of the railway network.

Question reference: S6W-32256

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB) on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, further to the answer to question S6W-31550 by Claire Baker on 11 December 2024, how many email and domain accounts for MSP spouses who are not in paid employment by MSPs there are on the Parliament IT system, and what the average annual cost is of administering any such accounts.

Question reference: S6W-32234

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB) on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how much it has spent on electric hand dryers in the Parliament building in each of the last three years.

The general maintenance of hand driers is included within the Building Maintenance Contract and the only spend is on replacement parts or replacement hand driers if they fail. Below is spend for last 3 financial years and note on current year.

· 21/22 – No Spend

· 22/23 – No Spend

· 23/24 – £1560.87 – Spend is on parts & machines only as labour is included within planned maintenance.

· 24/25 – No spend to date.

Question reference: S6W-32594

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the revised railway decarbonisation plan includes specific targets for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.

Question reference: S6W-32634

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure that community input is incorporated into flood resilience planning decisions.

Scottish Government promotes community-led action and works to embed community resilience through a number of connected policy areas which enable collaboration between community resilience groups, voluntary sector organisations, Government and statutory responders. Scottish Government has committed up to £5.5 million, in 2024-25, to fund a network of Climate Action Hubs to transition to low carbon, reduce emissions, and improve resilience in the face of ongoing climate change and extreme weather events. Community groups, charities and social enterprises lead climate action hubs across Scotland.

The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, sets out the minimum requirements for SEPA and local authorities to consult as part of the Flood Risk Management Planning Process. It also sets out the specific requirements for consultation related to flood protection schemes.

More broadly Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4 is clear that our places can only work for everyone if the views of all users are properly understood.

Planning authorities are preparing new local development plans (LDPs). Planning authorities should consider how these plans can best meet the needs and aspirations of the different people who have an interest in a place. Requirements for community engagement are set out in detail in the LDP Guidance. That guidance makes clear that the planning authority is expected to involve a range of people at all stages in the preparation of the LDP. The authority must engage with the public at large as well as specific organisations and societal groups.

The Scottish Government encourages use of the National Standards on Community Engagement as best practice.

Question reference: S6W-32574

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that public subsidies to ScotRail are delivering value for money for taxpayers.

Question reference: S6W-32609

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to determine the budgets for its international offices.

The majority of the budget for each office in the international network is staffing costs. This comprises both Scottish Government civil servants posted on diplomatic assignment, and country-based staff employed by FCDO on terms appropriate for the local labour market. The small component for programme delivery is considered through annual budgeting procedures taking into account priorities in each country and elsewhere in the portfolio.