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-26094

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 26 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the number of employers offering apprenticeships.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council to maximise apprenticeship opportunities and ensure that employers wishing to take on an apprentice are supported and able to do so.

Scottish Apprenticeship Week (SAW) is an annual campaign coordinated by Skills Development Scotland, which took place 4-8 March 2024, providing the opportunity to highlight the benefits of apprenticeships to individuals, employers and learning providers. For employers who have not engaged with apprenticeships, SAW is a chance to discover how work-based learning can develop their workforce, improve performance and productivity and contribute to business growth.

The Developing the Young Workforce Employer-led Groups also facilitate engagement between employers and schools to highlight the importance of vocational pathways, including the range of apprenticeship opportunities available, and support young people to transition into work.

Question reference: S6W-26095

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve mental health support in schools, in light of the Centre for Social Justice report, Drowning not Waving: Discussions with Scottish Small Charities, which states that all of the respondents to its poll "reported significant increases in mental health issues in school age children", and that the situation was described as "an epidemic".

The Scottish Government takes the findings of the report very seriously. The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government.

We continue to support our local authority partners with £16 million in funding to ensure that every secondary school has access to counselling services. All school pupils aged 10 and above have access to school counselling services.

The Scottish Government has also provided guidance and professional learning for school staff to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in schools.

Finally, we are also providing local authorities with £15 million per annum to provide community-based mental health and wellbeing supports and services for children and young people, with many of these delivered through primary and secondary schools.

Question reference: S6W-26090

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to data reportedly showing that over 7,300 patients waited longer than 24 hours for emergency treatment in Scottish hospitals in 2023.

As set out in answer S6F-02918, I emphasise again that all long waits are unacceptable. We continue to work hard with health boards to reduce delays for patients.

A and E performance is impacted by pressures from right across the wider health and social care system, which is why our unscheduled care collaborative programme is taking a whole systems approach as we work with health boards in delivering sustained improvement. Through the programme, a range of actions is being taken to improve patient flows in order to reduce A and E delays. Those include actions to strengthen arrangements to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions, such as same-day emergency care services; expanding our hospital-at-home services; and optimising flow navigation centres. Those actions support patients, to ensure that they receive the right care in the right place while also reducing pressure on our very busy acute sites.

Question reference: S6W-26089

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 22 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Creative Scotland, in light of reports that the organisation awarded £85,000 to a theatre company creating explicit content.

The Scottish Government is in close dialogue with Creative Scotland.

Creative Scotland are reviewing this allocation as they have been clear that what has been reported simply does not meet what the funding was applied for – it is considerably more explicit in its execution that was indicated in the original application.

I can see no way where what has been described should be in receipt of public funding and I welcome Creative Scotland’s decision to withdraw the funding for this project.

Question reference: S6W-26091

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 22 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it remains committed to its target for all buildings in Scotland to have emissions-free heating systems by 2045.

The Scottish Government remains committed to ensuring that all buildings in Scotland move to clean heating by 2045. We are currently analysing the responses to our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, which would prohibit the use of polluting heating systems in Scotland’s private homes and other buildings by 2045, and our consultation on proposals for a similar standard for social housing.

Question reference: S6W-26092

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to EY’s UK Regional Economic Forecast, from February 2024, which predicts that the average employment growth rate in Scotland for 2024-27 will be the lowest regional rate at 0.8%.

The EY Regional Economic Forecast for 2024 suggests that Scotland will have a similar annualised employment growth rate to several regions and nations of the UK between 2024-2027, including Wales, Northern Ireland, the North East of England and the West Midlands. EY also indicate that Scotland had lower economic inactivity than Northern Ireland, the North East of England, Wales, the North West of England and East Midlands in 2023.

Employment growth is influenced by many factors including job creation and labour supply, with the latter reflecting demographics, migration, and participation in the labour market. Of those factors, Scotland has near record levels of payrolled employees at 2.46 million in February 2024.

The EY report identifies the importance of reducing economic inactivity and supporting people into employment. The Scottish Government is undertaking a range of action to address Scotland’s labour market challenges. For example, the Scottish Government will invest up to £90 million in devolved employability services No One Left Behind in 2024/25, to support those facing structural barriers to entering employment, alongside investment in childcare and support for those experiencing ill-health to remain in the labour market. The Scottish Government will also launch Scotland’s Migration Service during the course of 2024 to support inward investors and Scottish employers to use the immigration system to meet their skills and labour needs.

Question reference: S6O-03273

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government at what specific annual income any individual would start to pay more income tax in Scotland than they would elsewhere in the UK under its new Scottish income tax levels.

Question reference: S6W-26093

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 19 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review Creative Scotland's processes for awarding funds to independent arts projects.

As the national arts development body, Creative Scotland operate at arm’s length from the Scottish Government.

As per the legislation, this means that neither Scottish Government nor Scottish Ministers have a role in funding processes and decisions made by Creative Scotland for individual projects. Creative Scotland are rapidly reviewing their funding allocation to Rein as they have been clear that what has been reported simply does not meet what the funding was applied for.

I look forward to Creative Scotland sharing its conclusions with the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-25932

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 15 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to monitor and enforce the conditions set by its Reporter regarding the planned construction of Comsol Energy's solar farm on the Isle of Cumbrae.

Enforcement of planning control is a matter for the planning authority, in this case North Ayrshire Council. There are a wide range of enforcement powers in planning legislation and planning authorities have discretion to determine what power, or combination of powers, to use in any particular situation.

In this case the reporter accepted the proposed planning conditions suggested by the council with minor alterations.

Question reference: S6W-25930

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 15 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the potential environmental impact of the planned Comsol Energy solar farm on the Isle of Cumbrae, including any impact on the area's topography.

Having regard to the development plan the reporter considered that the determining issues in this appeal were the principle of the development and its potential benefits, including renewable electricity generation; landscape and visual impact and ecological impacts.

The reporter took account of all submissions made on this appeal which included extensive environmental information containing an informal environmental report, landscape and visual impact assessment, extended vegetation survey, hydrological assessment, preliminary ecological appraisal, transport and access statement and a heritage impact assessment.

The reporter concluded the proposal would make a modest but worthwhile contribution towards the achievement of renewable energy generation targets and whilst the proposal would have some negative effects, the reporter found these impacts to be localised in nature, are capable of some mitigation and are outweighed by the benefits of the development.

The reporter takes account of all the evidence submitted by parties involved including those views expressed by consultees and members of the local community.

The reporter concluded that the proposed development accorded with the development plan with regard to ecological and landscape and visual impacts.