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-11484

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm how many (a) apprenticeships and (b) skills opportunities it has created in (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23 in the screen sector.

Screen Scotland, the dedicated public sector agency for the film and television industry in Scotland which is funded by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery, has supported a total of 1,964 trainees between March 2021 and September 2022.

In this time, Screen Scotland has awarded a total of £3.3m through a Targeted Skills Fund and Professional Development Fund. This commitment to developing a skilled and diverse workforce has seen 1,889 people supported, with an average of £1,750 invested in each person looking to enter or step up within the screen sector.

In addition, Screen Scotland’s Production Growth Fund also incentivises the creative of traineeships. 75 trainees were offered training through productions such as Good Omens S2, The Rig and The Lost King.

As part of the second year of the National Transition Training Fund, which ran from April 2021 to August 2022, and as part of support for creative industries recovering from the impact of the pandemic, the RESET Screen Scotland was co-designed, co-funded, and delivered in partnership with Creative Scotland, through which two programmes were delivered by Screen Scotland.

Overall 28 interns were supported through the Animation, VFX, and Games Internship programme which aimed to give those made unemployed during the Covid-19 pandemic an opportunity to retrain for these industries, through a 10-month programme of training and paid industry work placements.

A total of 21 individuals benefitted from an Introduction to Production Accounting, which offered those made unemployed during the Covid-19 pandemic an opportunity to gain practical training in production accounting across the film and TV sector, allowing individuals to develop skills through a 2-day course.

There were a total of 72 Modern Apprenticeship starts in the year 2021-22, related to the Scottish screen industries.

Question reference: S6W-11495

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in (a) supporting and (b) increasing studio space in the screen sector.

The Scottish Government remains focused on strengthening our screen sector and creating the conditions for continued growth through our support for increased studio infrastructure.

Working with Screen Scotland, the Scottish Government has facilitated the delivery of studio facilities across Scotland, including the large-scale film and high-end TV FirstStage Studio in Leith and a multi-camera studio at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow. This is creating the conditions for continued growth across production, development, talent and skills.

Kelvin Hall in Glasgow’s West End, which was part-funded with £7.9m of Scottish Government funding through Screen Scotland, contains a flexible production space, as well as being developed to house a dedicated “entertainment” production facility for comedy, quiz, factual entertainment and “shiny floor” shows.

The Scottish Government also welcomes private and public sector projects to develop film studio infrastructure in Scotland. The enterprise and development agencies are continuing to offer support, with various aspects of business planning, including to secure financing, land and specialist advice, while respecting commercial confidentiality.

Question reference: S6O-01528

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Highland and Islands Enterprise survey in which 76% of people who responded said that "there aren't enough affordable houses for rent or to buy locally".

Question reference: S6W-11584

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 1 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Historic Environment Scotland regarding the flexibility to use its reserves, and whether it has plans to extend any such flexibility to other organisations.

Historic Environment Scotland is a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). Under Treasury rules, any underspends generated by NDPBs within a financial year forms part of the wider Scottish Government budget position. NDPBs cannot hold their own reserves from Grant in Aid.

Please be assured that the Scottish Government engages in regular financial discussions with Historic Environment Scotland, as we continue to monitor the impacts of the pandemic and to work within the constraints around current public spending.

Question reference: S6W-10815

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how long it estimates it will take to complete the (a) medium-term and (b) long-term replacement route for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful, in light of Transport Scotland awarding a contract to Atkins WSP Joint Venture.

On 29 August I announced Transport Scotland’s intention to appoint Atkins WSP Joint Venture to progress design and development work for the route through Glen Croe. The contract represents £25m of Scottish Government investment, an estimate of the overall contract value for undertaking the design, promotion, procurement and construction supervision of medium and long-term solutions.

Ministers share the urgency communities and businesses place on maintaining and improving connectivity of this vital route, which is why we are progressing measures for the short, medium and long term in tandem.

We will bring forward proposals for the medium term by the end of this year, with an announcement on the preferred route option for the long term by Spring 2023.

Question reference: S6W-11489

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm how much tax relief it has provided to (a) the games sector, (b) high-end TV production, (c) children’s TV production, (d) animation, (e) film, (f) theatre and (g) orchestras in (i) 2021-22 and (ii) 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-11422

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd will accept delivery of (a) MV Glen Sannox and (b) Hull 802 even if the vessel does not meet the contractual obligations agreed to by Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd.

CMAL has confirmed that it is not aware of any contractual obligations that would at this time prohibit the successful handover and delivery of MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802. CMAL will only accept the vessels if they are fit for purpose.

In addition, the vessel will not be able to enter service until it has received all clearances required by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency and Class society approval from Lloyds Register.

Question reference: S6W-11423

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the contractual obligations under which Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd may reject the vessel (a) MV Glen Sannox and (b) Hull 802, following its completion.

Question reference: S6W-11259

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an exact date for when the National Records of Scotland will publish the findings of Scotland's Census 2022.

Question reference: S6W-11194

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the National Registers of Scotland will carry out a lessons learned exercise following Scotland's Census 2022, and when it expects those results to be published.