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-22068

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to work jointly across the health and culture portfolios to ensure that culture is represented in social prescribing discussions, as set out in its response to the recommendations from the National Partnership for Culture.

As set out in Programme for Government 2023, the Scottish Government is continuing to prioritise working across the Health and Wellbeing portfolio to maximise the contribution of culture to achieving key cross-policy outcomes.

The Scottish Government has set up an internal Health and Culture Working Group to support this work and will continue to ensure that culture is represented in any wider Scottish Government discussions about social prescribing going forward.

Question reference: S6W-22066

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its new youth arts strategy, as set out in its response to the recommendations from the National Partnership for Culture.

Question reference: S6W-22012

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 19 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to develop an artificial intelligence strategy in relation to the culture sector, and how it plans to ensure that any such strategy is safe and ethical in its implementation.

Scotland’s AI Strategy , published in 2021, set out a vision for Scotland to become a leader in the development and use of trustworthy, ethical and inclusive AI. Creative Scotland were represented on the steering committee during its development.

The Scottish AI Alliance is tasked with the delivery of the strategy. They recently hosted a roundtable on encountering AI through art, and continue to host and promote events and engagement around the application and impact of AI in the culture sector.

As such, the Scottish Government has no plans to develop an artificial intelligence strategy specifically in relation to the culture sector.

Question reference: S6W-22065

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 18 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its refreshed Culture Strategy Action Plan, in light of it being delayed from summer 2022 and spring 2023.

As confirmed in my evidence to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee on 5 October, we will publish our Culture Strategy Action Plan Refresh in the coming months, in line with our commitment in the current Programme for Government. The refreshed Action Plan will set out the workstreams we will take forward in response to the challenges that are brought about by the changed landscape the culture sector is now working in.

Question reference: S6W-21873

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect rail services from extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall.

Question reference: S6W-21870

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many young offenders are currently being held in young offender institutions, and how many of those young offenders are under the age of 18.

Question reference: S6W-21528

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm the number of (a) fatal and (b) serious road traffic accidents on the A83 between Arrochar and Campbeltown, in each year since 2018.

The following table presents the number of fatal and serious accidents for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 on the A83 between Arrochar and Campbeltown. Please note that the information on the total number of fatal and serious accidents for 2023 are only available up to the date stated in the table.

Year	Fatal	Serious
2018	2	6
2019	0	16
2020	1	6
2021	1	6
2022	1	7
2023* to 06-09-2023	1	3

Data extracted: 20 September 2023. Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Please note that the information provided is based on the current figures available at the time of retrieving the data from Transport Scotland’s accident manager system. The following are potential reasons for an accident not appearing on our system:

Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland.
Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).
Transport Scotland only holds accident information for the trunk road network.
The accident information Transport Scotland holds is subject to change. E.g. we receive late returns from Police Scotland, who are responsible for recording details of injury accidents.
Annual Scottish accident figures are published by Transport Scotland on a yearly basis and can be found by entering Reported Road Casualties Scotland into your search engine.
From summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious. The evidence from other police forces within the UK that introduced the same system is that this increase will be around 20%. This increase would not reflect an actual change in the severity of accidents occurring on Scottish roads, but would instead reflect more accurate recording.
Statisticians within the Department for Transport have devised a method for adjusting the road casualty figures to ensure that they can be compared over time on a consistent basis. Transport Scotland’s Key Reported Road Casualties and Reported Road Casualties statistics publications will present both adjusted and unadjusted figures.

Question reference: S6W-21534

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many Police Scotland vacancies have not been filled in the last year.

The Chief Constable has responsibility for the recruitment, deployment and HR issues of all police officers and staff under their control.

Around 1480 new police officers have taken the Oath of Office in the past 18 months with the latest intake of 200 recruits commencing training on 18 September. Recruitment to fill police staff vacancies took place up until 9 August 2023, when a recruitment freeze for some roles was put in place by Police Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-21620

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when its proposed Scottish Languages Bill, announced in its Programme for Government 2023-24, will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-21531

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that Education Scotland will complete its work to develop a range of new resources relating to early reading.

For young children, learning to read is foundational to their success across the school curriculum and, importantly, is also linked to a wide range of positive outcomes including those of emotional, social and mental wellbeing.

Through different forms of support and guidance, Education Scotland advises on the most effective research-informed approaches to reading, what they are and how to use them. Education Scotland will publish new guidelines and professional learning resources for teachers (PLRs), focussed on early reading, in early Spring 2024.

These resources are designed to promote teachers’ professional knowledge and understanding of early reading as a complex interplay of skills and background factors. In line with other items of guidance relating to Scotland’s curriculum, the resources are being developed within a broader context which seeks to empower schools to adapt their approach to meet the needs of individual learners. In creating the guidance, Education Scotland officials are working alongside teachers and a range of stakeholders with an interest in early reading in order to use their feedback to inform the development process.