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-26555

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what further steps it is taking to ensure that bus operators improve the (a) punctuality and (b) reliability of services for bus users.

The responsibility for licensing and regulating operators of public service vehicles (PSVs) and local bus services sits with the Office of the Traffic Commissioner. It is for their office to take action against a vehicle operator, bus service operator or driver of a bus or minibus and they can impose financial penalties on registered bus service operators who are unable to maintain the conditions of the licence of the registered route including punctuality of services.

Transport Scotland also provides funding for Bus Users Scotland (BUS) to support this. BUS conduct compliance monitoring to check bus services are running where and when they should be. They also focus on working with government, local authorities, special interest groups, and bus companies to make sure the views and interests of passengers are properly represented.

Additionally, the Scottish Government’s recently published Bus Taskforce report outlines the positive steps taken by operators to address bus driver shortages which can be a factor impacting the reliability of services. The report can be found at https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/bus-taskforce-summary-report/

Question reference: S6W-26520

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding support for the bus building industry in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-26513

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to further support local authorities to address any antisocial behaviour in social housing.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the problem of antisocial behaviour in our communities. Local authorities (as landlords) and Registered Social Landlords have a wide range of powers to deal with antisocial behaviour by their tenants that occurs in, or in the vicinity of the tenancy. A breach of tenancy conditions could ultimately lead to eviction as a last resort where the circumstances are sufficiently serious.

Social landlords as part of their requirement to meet the estate management and antisocial behaviour related outcome in the Scottish Social Housing Charter work in partnership with other agencies, to help to ensure as far as reasonably possible that tenants and other customers live in well-maintained neighbourhoods where they feel safe.

We recognise that no single approach will tackle all antisocial behaviour. Our national strategy is based on prevention, early intervention and positive diversionary activities. Police Scotland and local authorities lead on responses, using powers and options available to them to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour. We are committed to ensuring all agencies have the powers and resources needed to tackle antisocial behaviour and crime.

Question reference: S6W-26522

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 15 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered amending the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 to include local resilience structures for MSPs in their constituencies or regions, including notifications and communications with all relevant partners.

The Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA) and the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 is the legislation which identifies categorised responders, and their duty to prepare for civil emergencies within Scotland.

The CCA divides responders into two categories, category 1 and category 2. The CCA imposes a set of duties on each category of responders. It does not confer any powers upon the categorised responders.

Under the terms of the amendment regulations, the structure which supports multi-agency co-ordination is the Regional Resilience Partnership (RRP). Currently there are three such groups in the North, West and East of Scotland. Within each RRP area are a number of Local Resilience Partnerships (LRPs) determined by the RRPs themselves.

The RRPs and LRPs bring together all the relevant organisations in an area to develop an effective approach in dealing with emergencies in accordance with the principles of subsidiarity and proportionality.

The Scottish Government does not currently have any plans to review the accompanying regulations to the CCA to include MSPs as a categorised responder under the CCA.

Question reference: S6W-26518

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide specialist planning advice and guidance, in partnership with local authorities and electricity transmission networks, in order to meet its net zero targets through infrastructure projects.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with all stakeholders to ensure that the planning system is better equipped to deal with current and future challenges, and supports our net zero ambitions. Work is underway to deliver the commitments from the Onshore Wind Sector Deal relating to the standardisation of relevant templates, such as Environmental Impact Assessment Reports. Similarly, a Transmission Network Short Life Working Group provided recommendations to increase and develop resources to ensure planning authorities and statutory consultees are well equipped to accelerate decisions on grid applications.

Question reference: S6W-26517

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider any further planning or regulatory assistance that could be put in place for the electricity transmission networks in Scotland in relation to infrastructure projects.

Transmission Owners in Scotland have worked with Scottish Government officials to consider the challenges around the consenting of major grid developments through a short life working group established in October 2022. The group made multiple recommendations including setting out clear steps to enable the determination of applications within 12 months and the need for legislative changes to the UK Electricity Act 1989. The UK Government has committed to a review of Scottish consenting processes under the UK Electricity Act 1989, and we are working closely with them as they consider the scope of the review.

We have also laid a statutory instrument in the Scottish Parliament which introduces new measures to simplify the planning process and extend the existing Permitted Development Rights (PDR) for electricity undertakings. Subject to parliamentary scrutiny, the changes are expected to come into effect on 24 May 2024.

Question reference: S3W-40158

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what costs are associated with the cervical screening programme.

NHS boards currently meet the costs associated with the Scottish cervical screening programme, therefore this information is not held centrally.

However, as part of a cervical cytology laboratory review a detailed exercise took place to identify and allocate costs to cervical laboratory services. The total estimated costs across the cervical cytology laboratories only, as of May 2010, was calculated at £5,849,159.

Question reference: S3W-40154

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive who the members are of the sub-group of the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group who will review the integration of human papilloma virus (HPV) testing in the cervical screening programme.

Question reference: S3W-40156

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to introduce triage for human papilloma virus (HPV) into the cervical screening programme in order to reduce the number of women requiring repeat screening after detection of borderline abnormalities.

In January 2011 the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group recommended that a sub group be established to consider HPV testing within the cervical screening programme in Scotland. The sub-group will use its expertise to consider the available evidence and will provide advice to the Scottish Government. The remit, membership and timeline for the sub-group to report will be agreed shortly.

Question reference: S3W-40155

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2011
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 March 2011

To ask the Scottish Executive when the sub-group of the Breast and Cervical Screening National Advisory Group will report its findings on the review of the integration of human papilloma virus (HPV) testing in the cervical screening programme and when the findings will be published.