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: S6O-04604

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential impact on Scotland of the Rosebank and Jackdaw oil and gas developments not proceeding, including on jobs, GDP, tax revenue and funding for public services from the UK Government.

Question reference: S6O-04560

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that gulls can cause serious human injury, whether it will direct NatureScot to issue licences to control the birds and help prevent such injuries.

Question reference: S6O-04503

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 1 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will direct NHS Highland to return vaccination services solely to GPs, in light of reported calls for this to happen on the basis that it could deliver a safer, more efficient and less expensive health provision delivered locally.

The model of Health Boards being responsible for delivering vaccinations is working well across Scotland, but I recognise the need for flexibility to account for specific circumstances that might negatively affect vaccine uptake.

That is why I have agreed to Highland HSCP putting in place a mixed model for vaccinations.

GP delivery will be key in some aspects of this model, however, the aim here is to take a collaborative approach to delivering vaccines.

The Scottish Government and Public Health Scotland continue to engage with Highland HSCP to support a flexible and responsive immunisation service.

Question reference: S6O-04523

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware that, prior to NHS Highland taking over responsibility for vaccination services from GPs, there were reported concerns that the NHS board’s system did not allow GPs to know their patients’ vaccination status and that this could lead to a heightened patient risk.

Question reference: S6W-35071

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on whether the Lord Advocate plans to name the Advocate Depute who has lead responsibility in relation to consideration of possible proceedings resulting from Operation Branchform; if it has this information, whether it will provide the name of the Advocate Depute, and, if not, for what reason it is not able to provide this information.

As head of the system for the prosecution of crime as Lord Advocate, I remain accountable and responsible for every case, regardless of not being personally involved.

Prosecutors take decisions independently, free from political influence or external interference, relying on evidence and the law in accordance with the principles set out in the Prosecution Code.

It is standard procedure that the identity of prosecutors considering individual cases is not publicly known until a case progresses to court.

Question reference: S6W-35070

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the reasons for the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General having recused themselves from any role in relation to consideration of possible proceedings resulting from Operation Branchform.

Question reference: S6W-34350

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported comment of its former Permanent Secretary, Leslie Evans, at a recent Institute for Government conference, that, in the civil service, the "middle management is often quite weak".

Question reference: S6W-34508

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-34507

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-34505

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 11 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what system is being used to select the new head of the civil service in Scotland; who and which organisations are involved; whether it will set out the procedure in detail, and what the timespan for the appointment is.

All civil service appointments are governed by the Civil Service Commission (Civil Service Commission (independent.gov.uk)) whose remit is to ensure that selections for appointment to the UK Civil Service are made on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. The Commission’s Recruitment Principles (paragraphs 44 – 48) explain that Permanent Secretary competitions are chaired by the First Civil Service Commissioner (or nominee), who will be responsible for ensuring that Ministers are fully involved in competitions in which they have an interest and that their views are relayed to the panel, and taken into account.

In the case of the appointment of the Scottish Government Permanent Secretary, the process is run by the Cabinet Office, with close co-operation from the Scottish Government People Director. The First Minister is consulted throughout the process and makes the final selection decision from the appointable candidates, in consultation with the Head of the Civil Service and the First Civil Service Commissioner. The recruitment process is currently underway and is expected to be concluded by the end of February 2025.