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-36074

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of recommendations from fatal accident inquiries have related specifically to health and safety improvements in workplaces in each of the last five years, broken down by sector.

Question reference: S6W-36076

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many fatal accident inquiries in each of the last three financial years have specifically addressed concerns regarding workplace safety.

Question reference: S6W-36117

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it considers appropriate for balancing the cost, visual impact, and safety when assessing major electricity infrastructure projects that run through prime agricultural land.

Question reference: S6W-36047

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much liquefied natural gas (LNG) has been required to supply the MV Glen Sannox in each month since December 2024, and what its position is on the long-term fuel supply strategy for the vessel.

The following table provides the amount of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) consumed by the MV Glen Sannox for the period covering December 2024 until March 2025.

	December 2024	January 2025	February 2025	March 2025	Total
LNG consumption by the MV Glen Sannox (MWh)	218	1,349	1,209	1,049	3,825

The long-term fuel strategy will be determined following a suitable period of operation to allow gathering of sufficient operational data.

Question reference: S6W-35891

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the UK Government's consultation, Building the North Sea’s Energy Future, regarding the potential impact in Scotland, whether it has assessed the consultation’s proposals for supporting oil and gas workers in transitioning to new energy sectors; how it plans to engage with stakeholders, including trade unions and local communities, in finalising any policy responses; what assessment it has made of the potential economic and energy security implications of implementing any recommendations arising from this consultation; whether it has had any discussions with the UK Government regarding any reserved or shared competencies relevant to these proposals, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with a wide range of stakeholders on energy policy matters, including business and industry, trade unions and communities.

Offshore oil and gas licensing, as well as consenting and the associated fiscal regime, are all matters that are currently reserved to the UK Government.

The Scottish Government is taking the appropriate time to carefully consider the UK Government’s current consultation on Building the North Sea’s Energy Future, and its potential outcomes.

Question reference: S6O-04566

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it will publish the outcome of the latest A96 corridor review.

Question reference: S6W-36050

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 15 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many fatal accident inquiries have not yet commenced more than (a) one year and (b) two years after being mandated, in each of the last three years.

At the end of the reporting year 2024-25, there were 246 mandatory Fatal Accident Inquiries where a First Notice had not been lodged with the Sheriff Clerk. Of those 246 cases, 92 were less than one year old (from the date the death was reported to COPFS), 75 were more than one year old and 79 were more than two years old.

At the end of the reporting year 2023-24, there were 250 mandatory Fatal Accident Inquiries where a First Notice had not been lodged with the Sheriff Clerk.

At the end of the reporting year 2022-23, there were 218 mandatory Fatal Accident Inquiries where a First Notice had not been lodged with the Sheriff Clerk.

For the reporting years 2022-23 and 2023-24, we hold no data on the age profiles of those cases.

Question reference: S6W-36059

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 15 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of fatal accident inquiries have involved public bodies in each of the last three years, broken down by type of organisation.

In relation to concluded Fatal Accident Inquiries where the Determination was published in 2024-25, 74% featured public bodies as interested parties. The public bodies were as follows: Scottish Prison Service (53% of all FAIs), NHS boards (50%), Prison Officers’ Association of Scotland (17%), Police Service of Scotland (6%), Scottish Ambulance Service (4%), Health and Safety Executive, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, The British Army and the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland (all 2%).

In relation to concluded Fatal Accident Inquiries where the Determination was published in 2023-24, 80% featured public bodies as interested parties. The public bodies were as follows: NHS boards (51% of all FAIs), Scottish Prison Service (46%), Prison Officers’ Association of Scotland (20%), Police Service of Scotland (9%), Scottish Ambulance Service, Health and Safety Executive and Home Office (all 3%).

In relation to concluded Fatal Accident Inquiries where the Determination was published in 2022-23, 62% featured public bodies as interested parties. The public bodies were as follows: NHS boards (50% of all FAIs), Scottish Prison Service (45%), Prison Officers’ Association of Scotland (24%), Police Service of Scotland, Health and Safety Executive, Scottish Fire & Rescue Service, Glasgow City Council, Maritime & Coastguard Agency, Orkney Islands Council and the Attorney General of the Republic of Cyprus (all 2%).

Question reference: S6W-36084

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 15 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that consistent standards are applied across Scotland in relation to deciding whether discretionary fatal accident inquiries should be held.

COPFS staff take into account the terms of Section 4 of the Inquiries into Fatal Accidents and Sudden Deaths etc. (Scotland) Act 2016 when identifying cases where it may be appropriate for a discretionary Fatal Accident Inquiry to be held.

In addition, detailed guidance is available for COPFS staff to assist them in identifying such cases. That guidance applies in relation to all deaths in Scotland that have been reported to COPFS.

To further ensure consistency in decision-making, decisions on Fatal Accident Inquiries are taken by a pool of experienced Crown Counsel.

Question reference: S6W-36102

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 15 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential environmental impact, whether it has raised or plans to raise any concerns with Ofgem regarding the adequacy of the Accelerated Strategic Transmission Investment standards, particularly the minimum height requirement for overhead power lines in areas of prime agricultural land.