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-30749

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with rail companies whose trains pass through Carstairs railway station but do not stop there about increasing the frequency of rail services from Carstairs.

Question reference: S6W-30750

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to calls for improved regulation of non-healthcare professionals who carry out medical aesthetic treatments, such as Botox and dermal fillers.

Scottish Government officials have been undertaking scoping work with a variety of stakeholders including healthcare professionals (representatives from British College of Aesthetic Medicine and British Association of Cosmetic Nurses), hair and beauty industry representatives, Environmental Health Officers, and Healthcare Improvement Scotland.

This scoping work is informing the development of a consultation that will seek the views of the public on the specific details to ensure that proportionate, robust, flexible and future-proofed further regulation is introduced. This new public consultation will be published by the end of the year.

Question reference: S6W-30748

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are plans to increase rail services from Carstairs railway station.

Question reference: S6O-03889

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported decision by members of the Integration Joint Board of Dumfries and Galloway Health and Social Care Partnership to reject the recommendations of an independent review to re-open the Clenoch Birthing Centre at the Galloway Community Hospital in Stranraer for in-hospital births.

Question reference: S6O-03866

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to fully implement the recommendations of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review in relation to the A77.

Question reference: S6W-30495

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what planning guidance it issues in relation to the proximity of large-scale solar farms to housing.

Scotland’s fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) states that, when considering development proposals for renewable energy generation, potential impacts on communities, nature and other receptors will be important considerations in the decision-making process. NPF4 Policy 11 requires project design and mitigation to demonstrate how impacts on communities and individual dwellings, including residential amenity, will be addressed. All applications are subject to site specific assessments.

Question reference: S6W-30089

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £8 million that the UK Government reportedly committed to providing to carry out a feasibility study on the A75 it has received.

The previous UK Government had committed £8m of Union Connectivity funding for the Scottish Government to take forward design development and assessment of options for the realignment of the A75 around the settlements of Springholm and Crocketford. This funding was over the period of 2024/25 to 2026/27 of which £1,480,500 was received for 2024-25.

However, the UK Chancellor in her recent statement announcing £22 billion of cuts, also included a number of investment projects that will now no longer proceed as planned but will need to wait for the conclusion of forthcoming spending review process.. The earliest point at which we will know whether or not the UK Government is able to commit to this funding over the relevant future financial years, allowing the design development and options appraisal for these by-passes to be concluded is Spring 2025. We have therefore been offered no guarantee that such funding will be available.

The Scottish Government is disappointed that this lack of commitment by the UK Government is impacting on our ability to make meaningful and demonstrable progress for the people and businesses of the South-West of Scotland who rely on this vital route.

Transport Scotland officials have progressed a robust procurement process to appoint a technical advisor to take forward the design development and assessment work, however, re-confirmation of the UK Government’s funding position is awaited prior to awarding the contract.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving safety, resilience and reliability on the A75 for all users traveling on this important route to benefit not just the people of Scotland but those from the wider UK too. As such, the Scottish Government will continue to engage positively and collaboratively with the UK Government on our shared priorities for transport.

Question reference: S6W-30090

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the proposed feasibility study on the upgrade of the A75.

Question reference: S6W-30077

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was aware that there were ongoing police investigations into the companies referred to in the BBC’s recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing sector when it awarded any funding to those companies.

Question reference: S6W-30076

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence was carried out prior to it providing any funding to the group of companies referred to in the BBC’s recent reporting on modern slavery in the Scottish fishing sector.