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-01671

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on addressing the reported care staff retention and recruitment challenge within social care.

Question reference: S6O-01641

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address reported declining numbers of National 5 and Higher pupils taking STEM subjects in schools.

Question reference: S6T-00981

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that a discussion of a "two-tier" health service is recorded in draft minutes of a meeting of NHS board chief executives in September.

Question reference: S6O-01578

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on implementing the recommendations of the Institutionalising Participatory and Deliberative Democracy Working Group published in March.

Question reference: S6O-01540

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to independent theatres in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-11670

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an impact assessment on the decision to reduce the budget for apprenticeships, which has reportedly resulted in Skills Development Scotland freezing apprentice places and budgets.

Apprenticeships are a key way for employers to invest in their workforce, providing the skills the economy needs now and in the future. As part of our recovery, we are committed to building back up to 30,000 apprenticeship starts.

There is no freeze on Modern Apprenticeships this year. SDS will continue to deliver at least 25,000 new Modern Apprenticeship starts this financial year to ensure we maintain momentum and build on the progress in 2021-22 as we work back towards our target of 30,000 apprenticeship starts annually.

It is standard practice for SDS to review changing demand for Modern Apprenticeship starts in-year, and they adjust the number of starts allocated to respond as appropriate within their budget. SDS will continue to follow this process and keep under review whether any additional starts can be allocated to providers within this financial year.

Ultimately these are operational decisions for SDS and it remains for them to continue to manage programmes within their budget and in line with Ministers’ expectations.

Question reference: S6O-01519

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported present staffing crisis, how it will ensure adequate staffing for the proposed national treatment centres.

Question reference: S6O-01438

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making to develop its Fire and Rescue Framework for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-10581

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on providing (a) staff bank cover and (b) agency staff cover in each NHS board area in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-10579

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 27 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how it is possible for NHS Tayside to achieve 83.8% of patients seen within the four-hour A&E target, in light of NHS Forth Valley reportedly only achieving 41.7%.