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: S5W-32398

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 30 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide additional funding to NHS Borders and Scottish Borders Council in the event of a need to bail out the Scottish Borders Integration Joint Board.

The Scottish Government has consistently made clear that we will provide the necessary funding across health and care services to recognise the additional costs of responding to COVID-19 and to ensure that patient safety remains the top priority at all times.

On 29 September the Scottish Government confirmed funding of £1.1 billion across NHS Boards and Integration Authorities. This included funding of £11.4 million for NHS Borders and Scottish Borders Integration Joint Board to support pressures arising from the response to the Covid-19 pandemic. We have also committed to provide additional funding across the sector following further reviews in November and January.

Both NHS Borders and Scottish Borders Integration Joint Board continue to work towards financial balance this year.

Question reference: S5W-32392

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the loss of Borders Buses services on local communities.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of bus services for accessing work, education and seeing family, and the impact of service reductions in rural and semi-rural areas.

I have therefore announced further funding of up to £52.6 million to support bus operators, including Borders Buses, to maintain bus services until 17 January. This is in addition to £109.7 million in funding that the Scottish Government has made available since 22 June to support bus services.

Further details on funding to support bus services are available on the Transport Scotland website: https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/buses/covid-19-support-grant/

Question reference: S5W-32393

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Borders Buses to discuss a funding support package for winter 2020-21.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with bus operators, including via the Confederation of Passenger Transport as operators’ representative body. This includes fortnightly meetings between Transport Scotland and the industry.

On 14 October I announced up to £52.6 million further funding to support bus operators to maintain bus services until 17 January. This is in addition to £109.7 million in funding that the Scottish Government has made available since June to support bus services.

Officials are discussing details of the funding with Borders Buses.

Further details on funding to support bus services are available on the Transport Scotland website: https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/buses/covid-19-support-grant/

Question reference: S5F-04486

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 October 2020

To ask the First Minister whether all flu vaccinations will be completed on time.

Question reference: S5W-31945

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 26 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) commercial energy companies and (b) community energy projects received support from the Energy Investment Fund in (i) 2018-19 and (ii) 2019-20.

In 2018-19, the Energy Investment Fund supported 4 commercial energy companies/projects in the marine and energy efficiency sectors, investing £2.25m with total leverage of £5.38m, and 1 community energy project, investing £0.6m with total leverage of £2.8m.

In 2019-20, the Energy Investment Fund supported 2 commercial energy companies/projects in the marine energy and low carbon biofuel sectors, investing

£8.6m with total leverage of £14.9m , and 1 community energy project investing £1.3m, with total leverage of £4.9m.

The Energy Investment Fund is only one of several sources of Scottish Government funding for renewables, for example, since its inception the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme has supported nearly 600 community and locally owned projects throughout Scotland offering funding of over £50 m. In the past two years alone CARES has offered funding of over £2.5 m to over 80 projects.

Question reference: S5W-32101

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of any gaps in government funding received to implement the expansion to 1,140 hours of funded childcare.

Question reference: S5O-04683

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 October 2020
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the number of jobs in Scotland that rely on frictionless trade across the UK and how this could be impacted by constitutional change.

Question reference: S5W-32295

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it has received regarding safety on the Borders Railway, following reports that the doors on a train did not shut during a recent journey.

Question reference: S5W-31958

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 8 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had since June 2020, both internally and externally, regarding the development of a global underwater hub near Aberdeen.

The Global Underwater Hub (GUH) is a key investment opportunity for the development of the subsea engineering sector and it is a concept that has been discussed on a number of occasions prior to June 2020 through the Oil and Gas and Energy Transition Strategic Leadership Group (SLG) and predecessor Oil and Gas Industry Leadership Group. We had signalled our support in principle early in those discussions and the GUH is one of a number of projects being considered for funding by our £62 million Energy Transition Fund, which was announced in June of this year, incorporating feedback gathered through the SLG, which I chair.

Funding will be conditional on the approval of the GUH business case and, since June of this year, the Scottish Government is working closely with project partners as this business case is developed. This includes ongoing engagement with project partners, Subsea UK and Scottish Enterprise, along with the UK Government (BEIS) who have also been approached by the sector to jointly fund the proposal.

Question reference: S5W-31934

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 2 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the system requirements are for (a) Apple and (b) Android mobile phones in order to download the Protect Scotland app from an app store.