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-16449

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Age Scotland’s Annual Impact Report 2022, which was published in March 2023, and when it next plans to meet with Age Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-16072

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scotland-specific findings in the Night Time Industries Association report, Electronic Beats, Economic Treats - The benefits of the electronic music industry to the UK, which was published on 9 February 2023.

The Scottish Government values the contribution the electronic music industry makes to our cultural and economic offer in Scotland. Those in the industry are talented and skilled artists, and are held in high regard. According to the Night Time Industries Association report, Scotland’s electronic music industry is worth £550 million to the economy and asks questions on support, regulation, education and promotion of the sector.

The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting the sustainable recovery of the night-time industry, as we have throughout the pandemic. We have backed our economic recovery with more than £1.7bn since March 2020 – on top of over £4.7bn provided in Covid-related business support. Some £256 million in Covid support funding was also provided to help cultural organisations to navigate the challenges brought on by the pandemic.

We are committed to working with the business community to ensure the smooth application of regulation and have established a Joint Taskforce with COSLA, local authorities, our regulatory agencies and business to consider the differing impacts of regulation on business.

Culture and creativity is also recognised within our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) under ‘Productive places’ to sit alongside economic and sectoral policies as part of a joined-up response to the priorities of the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

We are in regular dialogue with business organisations and leaders to monitor impacts of the cost crisis. We will continue to engage with the night-time industry and monitor the evolving impacts, while pressing the UK Government to help businesses and ensure sustainable development within the night-time economy.

Question reference: S6W-16222

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an estimate of the number of spaces currently available for bike storage (a) within and (b) immediately outside of its buildings, such as bike racks and bike-specific structures.

The following buildings have dedicated cycle parking spaces:-

Building	No of Cycle Parking Spaces
4 Atlantic Quay, Glasgow	10
5 Atlantic Quay, Glasgow	41
Bothwell House, Hamilton	4
The Courtyard, Callendar Business Park, Falkirk	5
Cameron House, Oban	4
Denholm House, Livingston	4
Endeavour House, Dundee	12
Freshwater Laboratory, Faskally	12
Governor’s House, Edinburgh	10
Hamilton House, Hamilton Business Park	6
Inchbraoch House, Montrose	4
Longman House, Inverness	18
Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen	56
Russell House, Ayr	4
SASA, Roddinglaw, Edinburgh	16
Saughton House, Edinburgh	74
St Andrew’s House, Edinburgh	128
Scotland House, London	6
Strathbeg House, Thurso	6
Strathearn House, Perth	26
Tankerness Lane, Kirkwall	6
Thainstone Court, Inverurie	6
Tweedbank, Galashiels	10
Victoria Quay, Edinburgh	392

Question reference: S6W-16081

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 12 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15289 by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2023, whether it will list the 56 railway stations equipped with defibrillators, and what plans it has to increase the number of defibrillators in public spaces.

Stations fitted with defibrillators to date are:

• Aberdeen	• Croy	• Insch	• Morar
• Airdrie	• Dalmarnock	• Inverkeithing	• Motherwell
• Alexandria	• Dalry	• Inverness	• Mount Florida
• Alloa	• Dingwall	• Kilwinning	• Newton
• Arbroath	• Drumry	• Kings Park	• Newton grange
• Ardlui	• Dundee	• Kintore	• North Queensferry
• Ardrossan South Beach	• Edinburgh Waverley	• Kirkcaldy	• Oban
• Argyle Street	• Exhibition Centre	• Kyle of Lochalsh	• Paisley Gilmour Street
• Aviemore	• Falkirk Grahamston	• Larbert	• Perth
• Ayr	• Fort William	• Largs	• Port Glasgow
• Bathgate	• Glasgow Central (HL)	• Leuchars	• Queen Street
• Bishopbriggs	• Gleneagles	• Linlithgow	• Rutherglen
• Charing Cross	• Haymarket	• Livingston South	• Stirling
• Corrour	• Helensburgh Central	• Mallaig	• Yoker

Plans for the further installation of devices across the network are currently being developed.

Question reference: S6W-16645

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many electric vehicles the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) has access to, and how many electric vehicle chargers are available for use by SCTS staff on or within SCTS premises.

Question reference: S6W-16646

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on repairs and maintenance, as outlined in the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service 2022-23 maintenance project list, to (a) Greenock Sheriff Court, including (i) door soundproofing, (ii) court room redecoration and (iii) boiler replacement, (b) roof access and bird netting at Ayr Sheriff Court and (c) Paisley Sheriff Court, including (A) car park relining and (B) the court room fan.

Question reference: S6W-16614

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many properties inspected by the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) were found not to have met the repairing standard, broken down by local authority area, in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-16219

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans (a) last visited a police station, and where that police station was, and (b) next plans to visit (i) a police station and (ii) Police Scotland's headquarters.

Question reference: S6W-16156

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15763 by Maree Todd on 22 March 2023, in light of the reported increase in vaping-related illnesses and disorders among young people, whether it will consider recording and holding the data that was requested.

Parliamentary question S6W-15763 asked “how many patients under 18 have been admitted to an NHS facility for vaping-related illnesses or disorders in each year since 2019”. At that time (March 2023) Public Health Scotland (PHS) responded that these data were not currently held. However, PHS are now carrying out work to identify the number of individuals with vaping related illness in Scotland and will publish figures in July 2023.

Question reference: S6W-16157

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it is considering to reduce teenage vaping, in light of the Health and Wellbeing Census Scotland 2021-22 finding that one in 10 school pupils in S4 regularly vape.

The results of the Health and Wellbeing Census Scotland 2021-22, and reports from schools and parents about young people vaping, are of great concern to the Scottish Government.

Vapes are an age restricted product and should not be sold to anyone under the age of 18. In October 2022 we wrote to all registered retailers of these products to remind them of their duty of sale and we regularly meet with Trading Standards on enforcement.

Our recent consultation proposed restrictions on vaping products and we are aiming to bring forward new regulations in 2023. Any action we seek to take will build on the regulations already in place to restrict the marketing, promotion and sale of vaping products to under 18s.

We will publish our refreshed Tobacco Action Plan this year, which will include actions to reduce vaping among young people.

We are reviewing vaping education for young people in schools and have also funded ASH Scotland to work with a range of youth organisations on the risks associated with vaping.