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-19914

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 1 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people who have disembarked the MS Victoria since 26 July 2022 have moved into (a) local authority and (b) private rental accommodation, and what proportion of those who have moved into local authority accommodation are in accommodation within the City of Edinburgh Council area.

The Scottish Government routinely publishes the latest data and information on the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland, including the number of people who have disembarked welcome accommodation on the MS Victoria since it became operational on 26 July 2022.

By 5 June, 1,215 guests had disembarked M/S Victoria since 26 July 2022. The contract for M/S Victoria ended on 11 July 2023, with the MS Victoria being successfully disembarked by 4 July 2023.

See Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics - June 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) for full details and notes.

Work to collate and improve operational data on disembarkation destinations from MS Victoria including breakdowns by local authority and property type is ongoing with a view to publishing these data as experiential statistics in due course, in line with guidance from the Office for Statistics Regulation.

Question reference: S6W-20050

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 1 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many Ukrainians, who received visas through the Super Sponsor Scheme, arrived in the UK but never came to Scotland or registered with a Scottish local authority.

The Scottish Government do not hold this information. Under the current constitutional arrangements in the United Kingdom immigration is fully reserved to the UK Government and is dealt with by the Home Office. If a displaced person from Ukraine has been issued a visa, they are free to travel anywhere within the UK or to leave and re-enter the UK when they wish, as long as they are meeting the conditions within their visa. The UK Government’s Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities publish data on arrivals in the UK, with a Scottish Sponsor Visa: Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme: Visa data by country, upper and lower tier local authority - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

The Scottish Government publish the latest Scotland-level data and information on people displaced by the war in Ukraine coming to Scotland through the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme. This data can be found on our website via: Ukraine: analysis and statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Question reference: S6W-19688

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the NHS National Services Scotland safety action notice issued on 22 February 2023, whether it has a copy of any NHS board contingency plans in place to deal with an adverse incident involving reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete planks should it occur.

Question reference: S6W-19681

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has (a) made any estimate and (b) had any discussions regarding the cost of (i) managing the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in public sector buildings and (ii) removing RAAC from any such buildings entirely, and how much has been spent to date on addressing RAAC in public sector buildings.

We are engaging with public sector organisations to seek reassurance of both their awareness and of any action identified on this issue.

From our discussions with local authorities regarding RAAC to date, West Lothian Council indicated that addressing RAAC issues across its estate could cost around £76.8m, whilst East Lothian Council advised that costs relating to one affected school are estimated at around £3.8 million. The current information gathering exercise offers the opportunity to identify similar assessment made by other local authorities.

NHS Scotland Assure are conducting a survey programme which will confirm how many buildings in the NHS estate contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Work undertaken as part of the programme has included a desktop review, pilot and prioritisation exercises by an appointed survey partner at a cost of just over £150,000 to date. It is not currently possible to assess costs until this survey work is complete.

Question reference: S6W-19675

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has issued to (a) local authorities, (b) NHS boards and (c) other public sector bodies regarding reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

The Scottish Government has issued guidance on reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) to Local Authorities via the Scottish Heads of Property Services and the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland.

NHS Scotland Assure, which is leading the national RAAC survey programme of the NHS estate on behalf of Scottish Government, issued a Safety Action Notice to Health Boards in February 2023 on the risk of catastrophic structural failure of RAAC planks in building roofing, walls, and flooring. This guidance note included recommendations on identification, risk management, monitoring and replacement of RAAC planks where necessary.

Question reference: S6W-19670

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers last met with NHS boards to discuss the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in buildings and action to (a) manage and (b) remove it.

The Scottish Government is working closely with NHS Scotland Assure and all NHS Boards to establish the current position with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC). Once the survey programme has assessed properties that may contain RAAC and it's extent within the NHS Estate has been determined, the Health Infrastructure and Sustainability Division within Scottish Government will consider whether Ministerial meetings with NHS Boards are required.

Question reference: S6W-19687

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any risk posed to the effective operation of public services by any future disruption caused by (a) managing and (b) removing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, and how any disruption will be minimised for (i) children and young people learning in school, (ii) patients undergoing treatment and (iii) other groups of people using public services.

It is the statutory duty of local authorities, the NHS and other public service providers to manage and maintain their estate. We have been in close contact with local authorities, the NHS and others and expect contingency plans to be in place to minimise any potential disruption to services. We will continue to engage across sectors to direct public and private sector organisations towards guidance and good practice with regards to identifying, assessing and managing reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Question reference: S6W-19685

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the availability of qualified structural engineers with specific experience in reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete to undertake survey work, as required by NHS National Services Scotland in its safety action notice issued on 22 February 2023.

Question reference: S6W-19683

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports on 14 June 2023 that the UK Government has launched an expanded government-wide inquiry into the use of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, whether the Scottish Government has any plans to launch a similar programme of investigations and reporting.

Question reference: S6W-19676

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in (a) public sector buildings and (b) privately owned buildings in Scotland.