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-29212

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 12 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether aquaculture companies are required to be part of the direct food supply chain to be eligible to apply to the Aquaculture Hardship Fund that has been set up in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Question reference: S5O-04403

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that public transport is safe and practicable for people using it during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Question reference: S5O-04386

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 May 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to help reduce flytipping and littering.

Question reference: S5O-04348

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on what scientific evidence regarding a threat to public health the health secretary and First Minister have based the decision to continue the lockdown measures, and how this has been balanced against a threat to the economy.

Question reference: S5W-28161

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 20 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what guidelines there are for a household with a person who has a high risk of contracting COVID-19 regarding non-residential contact between a child in that household and a parent who lives elsewhere.

During this unprecedented situation, it is expected that everyone should be staying at home wherever possible. One of the exceptions set out in the Health Protection (Coronavirus)(Restrictions)(Scotland) Regulations 2020 for leaving the house is if children don’t live with both parents. However, this does not mean they must move between homes.

The Lord President has issued guidance on compliance with contact orders during the Coronavirus crisis. The Scottish Government has also published information on the parent club website on compliance with court orders and more informal arrangements.

Question reference: S5W-28068

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities to discuss the expansion of council tax relief during the COVID-19 outbreak.

My officials have been in regular contact with COSLA and local authorities concerning the covid 19 pandemic and council tax. Through this we have put in place measures to ensure those directly impacted by current events are not asked to pay council tax they cannot afford. These measures include asking local authorities to allow telephone and online applications for the Council Tax Reduction (CTR) scheme; encouraging local authorities to use existing flexibility to backdate a CTR application; and to avoid taking enforcement action against a household until a local authority is satisfied that the household's income has not been impacted by COVID 19, and the household are not likely to be entitled to CTR. The well-established CTR scheme means nobody has to endure hardship because they have lost the ability to pay their council tax. We already provide £351m to fund the CTR scheme, and have established a further £50m reserve to provide additional funding for the CTR scheme and Scottish social security benefits.

Question reference: S5W-28067

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the delivery of contingency plans on free school meals during the COVID-19 outbreak varies between local authorities.

Free school meals are a vital measure for families, children and young people across the country and the Scottish Government is very grateful for the work that local authorities have already done, by quickly putting measures in place to ensure that children and young people who rely on free school meals will continue to receive them.

On Thursday 26 March, the Scottish Government issued guidance to all local authority Chief Executives and Directors of Education regarding support to vulnerable children and young people.

The guidance included a specific section on free school meals which recognises that local authorities will continue to adopt different approaches depending on their individual circumstances and in response to local need. This will ensure that local authorities have maximum flexibility in approach in order to meet the needs of all free school meal eligible children and young people.

Question reference: S5W-28025

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 3 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the current Chief Executive of Social Security Scotland will leave his post, and by what date his successor will be in place.

There are no plans for the current Chief Executive of Social Security Scotland to leave his post. Under the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles of appointment by fair and open competition, the role was advertised across the UK Civil Service recently. However, in view of the current situation regarding COVID-19, all non-essential Scottish Government recruitment activity has stopped for the foreseeable future and that advert was cancelled. Mr Wallace therefore remains in the role.

Question reference: S5W-28006

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 2 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether, in light of COVID-19, it will consider allocating funding to NHS Borders to allow for the continued operation of the Borderline helpline service during the outbreak.

Question reference: S5W-28010

Asked by: Michelle Ballantyne, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 31 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the impact of non-domestic rates on its plan to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.