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-27217

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that ScotRail reviews its decision to maintain toilet access charges at Glasgow Queen Street station.

Question reference: S6W-27203

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much money it will have to pay Consort Healthcare when the PFI contract for the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh ends.

The project agreement for the RIE was signed in 1998 between NHSL and Consort Healthcare. Consort are responsible for the provision of facilities management and lifecycle maintenance works until the end of the Primary Period in December 2027. The Secondary Period begins automatically following the end of the Primary Period, the exact arrangements for the secondary period, which include the possibility of terminating the agreement, will be determined by the ongoing discussions and decisions taken by NHS Lothian and Consort Healthcare, which have not yet concluded.

Question reference: S6W-27193

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will roll out the Prince of Wales Nursing Cadet Scheme across Scotland.

The Prince of Wales Nursing Cadet Scheme has been successfully piloted in NHS Lanarkshire and NHS Tayside, with evaluations demonstrating positive experiences for both participants and NHS placement staff. Learning and good practice from these pilots has been shared with health boards.

The role of the Nursing Cadet Scheme is being considered by the Nursing and Midwifery Taskforce in anticipation of the Taskforce providing recommendations on, inter alia , opportunities for attracting new entrants into nursing and midwifery careers, to support in building a sustainable and attractive workforce for the future.

Question reference: S6W-27191

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will set out a plan for ensuring there is sufficient protected time for personal development plans to be completed for nurses in addition to exploring further protected time for leadership training of registered staff at all levels.

On 1 March 2024, the Cabinet Secretary for Health confirmed the implementation of the Agenda for Change Review Recommendations including the implementation of a consistent approach to Protected Learning Time across all NHS Scotland Boards. This includes the completion of statutory, mandatory and profession specific mandatory training within working hours, including for Nurses. These changes took effect from 1st April 2024

The Scottish Government presented to the Scottish Workforce and Staff Governance Committee (SWAG) on further work in relation to Protected Learning Time, on 23 April. Following this, it is the intention that SWAG will convene a sub-group to oversee delivery of work to map time requirements for statutory, core mandatory and professional mandatory training.

Question reference: S6W-27148

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding the £90 million Green Hydrogen Fund to support hydrogen pathfinder projects up to 2025-26, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.

The Scottish Government is clear that hydrogen has a key part to play as a renewable and low carbon source of energy to help meet our net zero ambitions. We remain committed to delivering the strategic approach and actions required to support the development of the hydrogen economy in Scotland over the course of this Parliament.

We are committed to delivering on our Hydrogen Action Plan, and to a hydrogen investment programme. Whilst there are currently no plans to open a call for applications to the Green Hydrogen Fund as a direct result of the UK Government imposed 10% cut to the Scottish Government capital budget, we continue to support hydrogen projects across Scotland on a case-by-case basis and will engage with projects as they come forward. In doing so, we will be working with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, South of Scotland Enterprise and other stakeholders.

We also continue to support hydrogen innovation through our Hydrogen Innovation Scheme and, alongside Scotland’s academic researchers and industry, facilitate collaboration and develop impactful R&D projects including work on establishing the case for pipeline transportation of hydrogen from Scotland to Europe.

Question reference: S6W-27160

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made with electricity and gas network operators to realise system benefits of hydrogen, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.

Scotland’s huge potential for renewable electricity generation, and hydrogen’s utility, means that it can also act as a vector for energy storage and a balancing service to the electricity grid. It can additionally act as a vector for transportation, particularly considering grid constraints.

We are engaging closely with the UKG, OfGEM, and National Grid ESO ahead of the launch of the National Energy System operator this Summer to underline the need for strategic planning and to ensure that hydrogen production, storage and system utility is considered and other areas such as progressive approaches to flexibility reform and grid connection timelines, as they affect the viability of hydrogen projects, are reflected in our engagement in strategic programmes such as the Review of Electricity Market Arrangements (REMA) and Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) and the ESO Constraints Collaboration project which is seeking solutions for thermal constraints, which can reduce costs to the consumer or reduce the curtailment of renewable generation.

Question reference: S6W-27158

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on what progress has been made by SGN and National Grid to understand the role that hydrogen can play in meeting its heat decarbonisation targets, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.

Scottish Government officials are engaging with National Grid on the Project Union initiative exploring the phased repurposing of the UK’s natural gas National Transmission System (NTS) to create a UK hydrogen backbone carrying 100% hydrogen. Decisions on the future of the Gas Grid are a reserved matter and are expected to be made in 2026 by the UK Government. We continue to routinely engage with UKG on a range of hydrogen policy matters including recent consultations on Transport and Storage Hydrogen Business Models

SGN are core members of the Scottish Hydrogen Industry Forum.

Question reference: S6T-01989

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in the event that the reported legal action raised against it by Biffa and any potential actions by other companies that incurred expenditure in expectation of the Deposit Return Scheme being implemented are successful and lead to any financial losses, whether it will consider suing the UK Government in respect of any such losses, in light of its reported position that the UK Government is responsible for the scheme not proceeding in Scotland.

Question reference: S6T-01985

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent BMA Scotland survey, which found that 30 GP practices consider their position to be "precarious" following the pausing of the GP Sustainability Loan Scheme.

Question reference: S6T-01982

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the Scottish Men's Sheds Association could collapse due to the withdrawal of Scottish Government funding.