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-02337

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent media reports, whether it can confirm that Police Scotland has halted all training of Sri Lankan police, and under what circumstances such training would resume, and whether it will commit to publishing in full the outcome of the current review of Police Scotland’s training in Sri Lanka.

Question reference: S6W-02339

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether Sri Lanka is on Police Scotland’s International Development and Innovation Unit’s list of countries for which ministerial approval is required for training to take place there, and, if not, whether, for any other reason, ministerial approval is required for Police Scotland to provide training to Sri Lankan police.

Question reference: S6O-00106

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that patients and staff at Old Aberdeen Medical Practice are consulted on the future provision of its GP services.

Question reference: S6W-01894

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) considerations it made and (b) measures it took to act in accordance with the National Marine Plan when deciding the fishing vessel licence variations announced on 23 July 2021.

On 23 July 2021, the Scottish Government set out the catch limits that would apply in the various management areas for the North Sea handline mackerel fishery. The notifications took effect on 0001 hours on 25 July 2021.

This change was a routine adjustment for these longstanding fisheries and did not constitute a new activity or change in policy in Scottish seas. No new licences were issued.

Catch limits for the handline mackerel fishery and the other 10 metre and under non-sector fisheries are managed in line with the strategic objectives of the Scotland’s Future Fisheries Management Strategy (Scotland’s Future Fisheries Management Strategy 2020-2030) and the National Marine Plan.

The handline mackerel fishery is a distinct pool fishery. Due to the nature of the fishery, including the migratory nature of the species, Marine Scotland allocates and manages this stock by four separate geographic areas to take account of variation in the pattern of the fishery and the level of uptake. The fishery is an important income source for many hundreds of inshore vessels across the east coast and Northern Isles of Scotland.

Our long-standing policy intention in the management of the 10 metre and under handline mackerel fishery is to balance the requirement to ensure that we do not fish outwith sustainable limits with maximising socio-economic return in the fishery. The Scottish Government attempts to ensure that the fishing opportunity is utilised while seeking to ensure the opportunity extends as long as possible throughout the year and maximise market conditions for the fishery.

To deliver this, the Scottish Government analyses the uptake for the various areas and where necessary seeks to engage with local stakeholders.

Question reference: S6W-01646

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 12 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of appointments to public boards by (a) gender, (b) age, (c) socio-economic status, (d) disability status and (e) ethnicity; what its response is to reports that women appointed to public boards are paid less than their male counterparts, and what steps it will take to address any gender pay gap on public boards.

Statistics providing a breakdown of those appointed to regulated public body Boards as requested can be found within the Ethical Standards Commissioner Report on Public Appointments 2019 – 20. [ ESC Annual Report on Public Appointments 2019-20.pdf]

Currently 51.7% of all regulated public appointments are held by women. Of these 39% of Chair roles are held by women, an increase from 29.4% in 2019.

The daily fee for a Board Chair attracts a higher rate of remuneration in recognition of the additional responsibilities placed upon them. The Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018 sets a ‘gender representation objective’ for listed public authorities that 50% of its non-executive members are women. The Scottish Government is committed to improving gender equality on public boards and the 2018 Act also requires public boards take steps to encourage women to apply for board vacancies including Board Chair roles. The Scottish Government are also taking steps towards closing the gender pay gap through the Gender Pay Gap Action Plan.

Question reference: S6W-01367

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending the use of recorded warnings from the possession of small amounts of cannabis to the possession of small amounts of all drugs controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Recorded Police Warnings are an alternative disposal option that are available to police officers that allow them to deal more quickly and efficiently with a range of offences which already commonly result in non-court disposals, including for small quantities of specified controlled drugs. The types of crime covered by the Recorded Police Warning scheme are a matter for the Lord Advocate as part of her independent role as head of the system of prosecution therefore it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on this.

Question reference: S6W-01333

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 19 June 2021 regarding the establishment of an Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) business park adjacent to Aberdeen South Harbour, on what basis this project was chosen for funding; whether there is a requirement for projects such as this to demonstrate that they have considered all possible sites and have chosen the one that has the least environmental and social harm, and what action it is taking to ensure that people living in deprived communities in the vicinity of the ETZ will continue to be able to access the existing biodiverse green spaces in the area, including St Fittick's Park.

The project was chosen for funding through engagement with regional partners including the Oil and Gas and Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group and the North East Regional Economic Strategy Group as part of the wider Energy Transition Fund support package to help deliver net zero and help the energy sector recover from the dual economic impacts of Coronavirus and the oil and gas price crash.

The location of the ETZ is primarily a matter for local partners, and the planning authority, in the first instance, not the Scottish Government.

Recognising the value of green space to local communities, a critical success factor of the project is that the ETZ must offer communities societal benefits including coastal access, open space, landscape and biodiversity enhancements and that project owners are able to demonstrate meaningful engagement with local communities as the project develops.

Question reference: S6W-01358

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 6 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) extending the concessionary travel scheme to people engaging in one or more substance misuse services, which submit data to the national Drug and Alcohol Information System (DAISy), on terms no less favourable than those available to people with mental health difficulties, (b) extending authority to sign off eligibility certificates such as NCT002 to professional staff in all substance misuse services that submit data to DAISy, regardless of whether they are in the statutory or third sector and (c) conducting a spend-to-save analysis of the financial implications of these policy changes.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the barriers that prevent people from accessing treatment and services, including travelling to those services. We will consider all options in how we can best support people to access the treatment and support they need, when they need it.

We know that for many people, problematic substance use co-occurs with mental health problems and we are committed to improving integration between mental health and addiction recovery services.

The decision on which organisations can sign off eligibility certificates for the national concessionary travel scheme is taken at a local level, by local authorities. Any extension to the existing eligibility criteria of the National Concessionary Travel Scheme may require amending legislation.

The Scottish Government is considering options that could improve access to drug and alcohol services through supporting people to travel to those services.

Question reference: S6W-01359

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 6 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave, as part of its revised alcohol and drug treatment policy, to the importance of services assessing the needs of clients for concessionary travel support and proactively signing off NCT002 forms as an integral component of a recovery-oriented system of care.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the barriers that prevent people from accessing treatment and services and ensuring that people are able to access the treatment and support they need, when they need it.

We know that for many people, problematic substance use co-occurs with mental health problems and we are committed to improving integration between mental health and addiction recovery services.

The Scottish Government is also considering options that could improve access to drug and alcohol services, such as supporting people to travel to services and addressing digital exclusion.

NCT002 forms are used for mental health applications for concessionary travel and better integration between mental health and drug and alcohol services is an important part of ensuring that those who are eligible under existing concessionary travel scheme criteria are accessing the support they are entitled to.

Question reference: S6W-01368

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 6 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-34320 by Angela Constance on 20 January 2021, and in light of the work of the overdose prevention service in Glasgow, which did not attract prosecution by the Lord Advocate, and did not require UK Government support or new devolved powers to implement, by what date it will enable such overdose prevention facilities to operate as part of NHS Scotland's health provision.

The Scottish Government supports piloting supervised safe consumption facilities in Scotland given the evidence from other countries over the past 30 years.

The Misuse of Drugs Act (1971) is reserved to the UK Government, but we will continue to seek constructive engagement to move matters forward. The Minister for Drugs Policy, Angela Constance, has written to the UK Government on a number of occasions this year to engage with them on the evidence.

We are working with services to leave no stone unturned to overcome the existing legal barriers to implement safe consumption rooms in Scotland.