Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-17080

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many court locations managed by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service are (a) fully, (b) partially and (c) not accessible for disabled people.

Question reference: S6W-16634

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic on 30 August 2022.

The Deputy Minister and I had a constructive meeting at the Bled Strategic Forum in August last year during which we discussed the priorities for Czechia’s EU Council presidency.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions. However, Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.

Question reference: S6W-16633

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the UK's Ambassador to Slovenia on 30 August 2022.

The Ambassador and I met on the sidelines of the Bled Strategic Forum in August last year during which she gave an outline of the Embassy’s work in Slovenia and provided me with an update on the political situation in the country.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions. However, Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.

Question reference: S6W-16636

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the UK's Ambassador to Germany on 5 December 2022.

The Ambassador and I had a constructive meeting in December last year during which we discussed green hydrogen and education.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions. However, Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.

Question reference: S6W-16623

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Germany's Federal Foreign Ministry Commissioner for Foreign Energy Policy on 5 December 2022.

Commissioner Hicken and I had a constructive meeting in December last year during which we discussed Scotland’s green hydrogen priorities in Germany.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions. However, Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.

Question reference: S6W-16632

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Katarina Barley MEP, Vice-President of the European Parliament, on 30 August 2022.

Vice-President of the European Parliament Katarina Barley MEP and I held a positive meeting in August last year, in which we spoke about Scottish Government's draft hydrogen action plan.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions, however Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.

Question reference: S6W-16875

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide further detail on the reasons why it could not fully commit to the National Partnership for Culture recommendation that "relevant agencies should be charged with developing a national plan to embed artists and other creative practitioners in all schools, in ways that align with the curriculum".

Fully committing to charging relevant agencies to develop a national plan would contravene the Scottish Government position that Local Authorities and schools have autonomy to take these decisions at a local level.

As set out in our response to the National Partnership for Culture recommendations, we will explore other opportunities to scope whether any of the established initiatives around the Creative Learning Plan could be scaled up.

Question reference: S6W-16872

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work regarding the "scoping of the new youth arts strategy", as outlined in its response to the National Partnership for Culture recommendations.

The Scottish Government will provide an update on this scoping work, as outlined in its response to the National Partnership for Culture recommendations, via the Culture Strategy Action Plan refresh (CSAPR).

The CSAPR will outline our ambitions around culture and creativity in learning, including our plans around collaborating with Creative Scotland on the scoping of a youth arts strategy, following Time To Shine , Scotland’s first national youth arts strategy, which covers the period up to 2023.

Question reference: S6W-16626

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Seamus Boland, of the European Economic and Social Committee, on 1 June 2022.

Seamus Boland of the European Economic and Social Committee and I held a positive meeting in June last year, in which we spoke about Scottish civic society's involvement in the EU’s Domestic Advisory Group.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions, however Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.

Question reference: S6W-16624

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Danuta Hübner MEP on 31 May 2022.

Danuta Hübner MEP and I held a positive meeting in May last year, in which we spoke about the Scottish Government's EU alignment and Energy policies.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions, however Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.

Chamber and committees