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-27035

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact on local economies of the decision to close all VisitScotland information centres.

Question reference: S6W-27034

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline any research underpinning the decision to close all VisitScotland information centres.

Question reference: S6W-27018

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects that Modern Apprenticeship contract awards for 2024-25 will take place.

Question reference: S6W-27017

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the minutes of the Regulatory Review Group meeting of February 2024.

Question reference: S6W-27033

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation took place with (a) staff and (b) trade unions before the decision was made to close all VisitScotland information centres.

Question reference: S6W-27019

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to release funding to local authorities for the delivery of No One Left Behind in 2024-25.

Question reference: S6O-03360

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with Petroineos and trades unions about refining capacity at Grangemouth.

Question reference: S6W-26580

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which of Scotland’s trade unions the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy has met with since entering her post, and when.

Since taking on my expanded portfolio as Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, I have formally met with a number of trade unions. I attended a meeting with GMB on 27 February in relation to Ferguson Marine, Port Glasgow. I also met with STUC and a number of affiliate unions (UNISON, Unite, RMT, GMB and Prospect) on 29 February to discuss matters related to energy and Just Transition, and on 28 March I met with STUC, Unite and GMB to discuss union involvement in Grangemouth Future Industry Board Leadership Forum (GFIB).

Additionally, trade unions are often represented on many other forums I engage with such as Scottish Energy Advisory Board and GFIB. My Ministerial colleagues also meet regularly with trade unions and STUC, reflecting their important role as key social and economic partners.

Question reference: S6W-26584

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22036 by Neil Gray on 19 October 2023, what action it has taken in relation to its commitment to improve its collection and reporting of data on how women are supported by Scotland’s business support systems and how its actions are closing the gender gap and widening participation in entrepreneurship.

The Business Support Partnership (BSP) is a commitment from Scottish Government, Scotland’s Enterprise and Skills Agencies, Business Gateway, and Local Government to develop a streamlined, efficient, and effective business support system that drives collaboration at a local, regional, and national level. Partners are committed to including the voice of businesses and communities and delivering inclusive and fair support that is underpinned by shared research, aligned customer surveying and data.

In its Strategic Delivery Plan 2023-2026, the BSP sets out its goal to ensure that the business support system in Scotland is inclusive, accessible and responsive, and that it recognises underrepresented groups, targets priority areas and supports socio-economic growth in response to data and the views of customers.

This is a long term undertaking, but one that is central to closing the gap in entrepreneurial participation. Better collection and reporting of data will provide us with essential information, which will allow us to prioritise and target support to under-represented and under-supported groups and to measure our progress.

Alongside this work we continue to develop our response to the broader recommendations of the Pathways report with emphasis on the establishment of Pre-Start support, with the Pathways Pre-Start Fund awarding £1.3m in partner led programmes aimed at widening entrepreneurial participation in 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-26488

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 23 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Secretary of State for Health and Social Care regarding using the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth as an incentive for the pharmaceutical industry to improve the sustainability of current products in Scotland.

The regulation for the pricing and supply of medicines is reserved to the UK Government. Scottish Government officials worked closely with their counterparts in the UK Government during the 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (VPAG) negotiations with the pharmaceutical industry, however, the devolved administrations were not included in the formal negotiations.

Commitments made on medicines and pharmaceutical manufacturing sustainability in the 2024 VPAG can be found in section 7.11 to 7.14 here: 2024 Voluntary Scheme for Branded Medicines Pricing, Access and Growth (publishing.service.gov.uk) .