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-36042

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-35824

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made with the implementation of each of the 55 recommendations in the report, Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland, which was published on 25 August 2023, broken down by what (a) action it has taken in each case and (b) date each will be fully implemented, and what the reasons are for any delays.

A significant amount of work has been undertaken to date, to progress the implementation of the 55 recommendations made as part of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland, involving a wide range of stakeholders across the public and third sector. We continue to work with the NHS, Third Sector and private providers to identify and cost an appropriate model of community care for any future service reform and ensure that the voices of those with lived experience inform this work.

A report outlining how each of the 55 recommendations set out in the Independent Review have been closed or transitioned, and the rationale for that, will be provided to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee imminently and will be made available on both the Committee website and https://www.all-ears.nhs.scot/

Question reference: S6W-34513

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the previous announcement by the former First Minister, Humza Yousaf, in October 2023, what analysis it has undertaken on any governance changes that would be required to enable it to have a credit rating, if government bonds were to be issued.

As with the answer to S6W-34511 on 6 March 2025, I will update parliament at the appropriate time on the work towards a future credit rating and bond issuance during the course of the 2025-26 financial year.

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-34636

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many people in Scotland paid (a) between £100,000 and £499,999, (b) between £500,000 and £999,999 and (c) £1,000,000 or over in income tax in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-34658

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what skills and training programmes it supports for the video game development industry, and how much funding has been allocated to these in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-34654

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to video game development companies in each of the last five years, broken down by (a) funding stream and (b) local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-34661

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what partnerships it has established between the video game industry and education providers to support training and upskilling.

The Scottish Government and Education Scotland have provided funding in 2022 and 2023 to support Scottish Games Week, which included an Education Symposium. This event brings together video game industry and education providers with an aim to share learning and establish partnerships.

Education Scotland has also supported (through attendance and delivery) the Scottish Games Education Symposium in 2024 and inaugural Scottish Esports Education Conference in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-34659

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available to support access to training pathways for careers in video game development, including apprenticeships and further education courses.

Video games development covers a range of skills and careers from the technical to the creative development so there are multiple routes into the industry. A college or university course in Computer Games Development is one pathway into the sector, but Apprenticeship pathways in Creative & Digital Media or Software Development will also provide transferable skills and knowledge.

Information on funding available for further and higher students can be found on the Student Information Scotland webpage.

Skills Development Scotland administers Scottish Apprenticeships on behalf of the Scottish Government, which incorporates Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs), Modern Apprenticeships (MAs) and Graduate Apprenticeships (GAs). Information on what funding is available to support access to apprenticeships can be found on the apprentices.scot webpage.

Question reference: S6W-34653

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available to the video game development sector, broken down by (a) grants, (b) tax relief, (c) loans and (d) other funding mechanisms.

Question reference: S6W-34660

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) colleges and (b) universities in Scotland offer courses related to video game development, and what financial support it provides to these institutions.

Universities and Colleges are autonomous institutions, and the Scottish Government does not intervene in subject provision, or hold information on the number of courses related to video game development. The upcoming budget is providing over £2bn for colleges, universities and the wider skills system.

Latest data published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), shows that for 2022-23, 6 (out of 19) universities in Scotland have enrolments on courses under the subject classification 'Computer games and animation'. (source: Table 49 - HE student enrolments by HE provider and subject of study 2014/15 to 2022/23 | HESA)

While information provided by the Scottish Funding Council, based on course title analysis, indicated that for the 2022-23 academic year 14 (out of 24) colleges in Scotland ran courses relating to video game development.