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-30273

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to limit free bus travel for any young people who abuse it for the purposes of engaging in shoplifting and other forms of antisocial behaviour.

The vast majority of passengers travelling under the National Concessionary Travel Schemes behave appropriately. However, there is a minority of people, of all ages, who abuse their entitlement, including to commit offences, and which can result in serious harm to bus employees and passengers. That is simply not acceptable.

Bus operators can already restrict access to their services in line with their own conditions of carriage and Transport Scotland is working with operators and other stakeholders to develop further sanctions and preventative measures including temporary suspension of concessionary cards, although this does have some complexities.

Question reference: S6W-30272

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with community organisations, schools or youth groups to gather feedback on any misuse of free bus travel and how to address it.

Our one year evaluation of the Young Persons Free Bus Travel Scheme, included the views of over 10,000 young people, their parents and input from children’s and families’ organisations. This evidence is being used to inform our work to ensure that appropriate options to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour on the public transport network are available at the local and national level.

At a strategic level, the Independent Working Group on Antisocial Behaviour, has been established, bringing experts and practitioners together to consider a long-term strategic approach to antisocial behaviour. The transport sector recently fed into the Group’s engagement work which is expected to report its findings and recommendations by the end of 2024.

Question reference: S6W-30274

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether any consultations have been held with local transport operators or law enforcement to address the reported issue of young people using free bus travel for disruptive or illegal activities.

Transport Scotland is working with the Confederation of Passenger Transport to facilitate the sharing of best practice between bus operators, to ensure that the legal protections which allow drivers to refuse travel to passengers who breach conditions of carriage are well understood by operators, staff and passengers, and that bus drivers feel safe and supported to enforce these rules and to report unacceptable behaviour.

Wider engagement with other key stakeholders such as Police Scotland, local authorities and unions is also taking place as we seek to ensure that a full and effective range of preventative measures and sanctions are in place to tackle antisocial behaviour on the bus network.

Question reference: S6W-30287

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider continuing to fund the Timberlink shipping service at its current rate of approximately £945,000 per annum, rather than potentially passing on the cost of 30% to the businesses that use the service.

Question reference: S6W-30173

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 8 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government by what date the palliative and end-of-life care strategy will be published.

Question reference: S6W-30174

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 8 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase funding for hospices in order to support staff wage increases.

The Scottish Government is keen to support independent hospice organisations where possible. I recently met with the chair of the Scottish Hospice Leadership Group, and Hospice UK to discuss this matter. I have agreed that officials will work with the sector to understand estimated costs on increased funding associated with staff wage increases in line with Agenda for Change (AfC) uplifts.

However, it is for Integration Joint Boards (IJBs) to govern, plan and resource adult palliative care in their areas, including independent hospice care, using the delegated budgets under their control. We would encourage hospice colleagues to continue to engage with IJBs to help ensure that the needs of the local population are met.

Question reference: S6W-30175

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 8 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the long-term future of the independent hospice sector.

The Scottish Government is committed, through our draft palliative care strategy, to work with Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) and adult independent hospice organisations to develop a national guidance framework to support and improve consistency of local planning and commissioning of independent hospice services.

The Scottish Government continues to work with Integration Joint Boards (IJB) Chief Officers and adult independent hospice organisations to support longer-term sustainable planning and commissioning for the sector, and officials will take forward plans to develop a new national guidance framework.

Question reference: S6O-03826

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported reduction in the number of legal aid solicitors.

Question reference: S6W-30098

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 1 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the £10 occasional licence fee was last reviewed, and what factors were considered in determining the current fee level.

The purpose of the occasional licence is to cater for events which take place on premises which are not 'fully' licensed but feature the sale of alcohol. These include events arranged for the benefit of local communities such as local community fetes, wedding receptions and arts events. The Licensing (Fees) (Scotland) Regulations 2007 (SSI 2007/553) set the fee for making an occasional licence application at a flat rate of £10 for all applicants. While the supporting documents for SSI 2007/553 do not make clear the reasons for setting the fee at £10, it may be one reason is the nature of those who seek occasional licences are often charitable organisations within local communities.

As noted in the answer to question S6W-30096 on 1 October 2024, the Scottish Government previously consulted in 2019 on whether the current £10 occasional licence fee should be reviewed, and also whether the Scottish Ministers should make regulations setting limits on the number and duration of occasional licences granted.

A summary of the responses received to the consultation can be viewed on the Scottish Government website.

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-30096

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 1 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any representations from local authorities, other than South Ayrshire Council's Licensing Board, requesting a review of the occasional licence fee, and what its response has been to any such requests or concerns.

The administration of the alcohol licensing regime in Scotland, as set out in the Licensing (Scotland) Act 2005 is devolved to independent Licensing Boards. This is, in effect, the 32 Scottish local authorities. They undertake their day-to-day duties within the licensing legal framework.

In 2019 the Scottish Government consulted on whether the current £10 occasional licence fee should be reviewed, and also whether the Scottish Ministers should make regulations setting limits on the number and duration of occasional licences granted.

Those Licensing Boards that responded to the consultation generally commented that the £10 fee did not cover the administrative costs of processing occasional licence applications. Some Boards also highlighted the burden that the processing of these applications places on them. Some concerns were expressed by respondents in terms of any reforms avoiding any undue impact on certain events where occasional licences are regularly sought e.g. local gala days.

In total seventy six responses were received to the consultation, with sixty six respondents consenting to the publication of their response online. Those published responses, including from Licensing Boards, can be viewed on the Scottish Government Citizen Space website.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with local authority Licensing Board representatives through direct engagement with the Society of Local Authority Lawyers and Administrators in Scotland (SOLAR) about a variety of licensing policy issues, including the occasional licence fee and wider policy changes to the occasional licence regime. The Scottish Government is planning further engagement in the next few months with SOLAR and other licensing stakeholders to consider how policy in respect of occasional licences can be developed including assessing the various views offered.