Chamber and committees

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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-29549

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28112 by Shona Robison on 20 June 2024, whether it will provide (a) an update on the final audited reserves held by each local authority at 31 March 2024 and (b) the percentage increase in reserves for each local authority since 31 March 2014.

Final audited reserves data for 31 March 2024 is not currently held by the Scottish Government.

As far as possible, where audited reserves figures are available for 31 March 2024, these will be published in February 2025 as part of Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics 2023-24.

The following table shows the cash and real terms value of Local Authority General Fund reserves at 31 March 2014 (final audited) and 31 March 2024 (now updated with provisional outturn data from POBE 2024 dataset). Please note that the information requested on reserves is not held prior to 2007.

Due to small numbers in many of the VJBs and transport authorities, real-term percentage changes in reserves have only been calculated for Councils and Strathclyde Passenger Transport.

Adjustments for inflation have been made using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators for March 2024 (available at: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

Further information on Local Government Finance Statistics can be found at: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

General Fund Reserves (in £ millions) as at 31 March
Sources: LFR 23 for 31 March 2014 (audited data), POBE 2024 for 31 March 2024 which is provisional outturn data provided in early 2024.

	Cash Terms		Real Terms (2023-24 Prices)		Percentage Increase
Local Authority	31-Mar-14	31-Mar-24	31-Mar-14	31-Mar-24	Real Terms
	Final Audited	Provisional Outturn	Final Audited	Provisional Outturn
Aberdeen City	57.1	85.9	75.2	85.9	14%
Aberdeenshire	57.5	65.4	75.7	65.4	-14%
Angus	19.8	71.2	26.1	71.2	173%
Argyll & Bute	44.0	86.4	58.0	86.4	49%
City of Edinburgh	123.3	265.9	162.3	265.9	64%
Clackmannanshire	12.0	21.0	15.8	21.0	32%
Dumfries & Galloway	58.4	86.4	76.9	86.4	12%
Dundee City	8.1	56.6	10.6	56.6	433%
East Ayrshire	28.0	49.1	36.9	49.1	33%
East Dunbartonshire	11.3	47.7	14.9	47.7	220%
East Lothian	9.2	26.4	12.1	26.4	118%
East Renfrewshire	14.9	52.1	19.6	52.1	165%
Falkirk	25.8	49.7	33.9	49.7	47%
Fife	85.0	216.1	111.9	216.1	93%
Glasgow City	32.8	277.4	43.2	277.4	543%
Highland	40.3	131.8	53.1	131.8	148%
Inverclyde	42.9	27.4	56.5	27.4	-51%
Midlothian	20.5	35.0	27.0	35.0	29%
Moray	21.4	45.7	28.1	45.7	62%
Na h-Eileanan Siar	18.3	30.0	24.1	30.0	24%
North Ayrshire	25.2	110.1	33.1	110.1	233%
North Lanarkshire	75.0	249.9	98.8	249.9	153%
Orkney Islands	23.8	28.5	31.3	28.5	-9%
Perth & Kinross	48.2	69.7	63.5	69.7	10%
Renfrewshire	52.9	127.4	69.7	127.4	83%
Scottish Borders	17.1	49.6	22.6	49.6	120%
Shetland Islands	13.9	72.0	18.2	72.0	295%
South Ayrshire	22.9	47.7	30.2	47.7	58%
South Lanarkshire	13.4	150.3	17.6	150.3	753%
Stirling	13.3	29.9	17.5	29.9	71%
West Dunbartonshire	10.1	29.1	13.3	29.1	118%
West Lothian	22.6	57.1	29.7	57.1	92%
Ayrshire VJB	0.2	0.7	0.3	0.7
Central VJB	0.8	0.4	1.0	0.4
Dunbartonshire& Argyll & Bute VJB	0.5	0.8	0.6	0.8
Grampian VJB	0.2	0.7	0.3	0.7
Highland & Western Isles VJB	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2
Lanarkshire VJB	-	1.7	-	1.7
Lothian VJB	-	1.3	-	1.3
Orkney & Shetland VJB	-	0.0	-	0.0
Renfrewshire VJB	0.5	0.8	0.6	0.8
Tayside VJB	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Tay Road Bridge	1.2	1.2	1.5	1.2
HITRANS	0.2	0.1	0.3	0.1
NESTRANS	0.0	3.6	0.0	3.6
SESTRAN	-	0.2	-	0.2
SPT	12.5	109.7	16.5	109.7	565%
SWESTRANS	-	0.0	-	0.0
TACTRAN	-	0.1	-	0.1
ZetTrans	-	0.0	-	0.0
Scotland	1,085.4	2870.0	1,428.8	2,870.0	101%

VJB = Valuation Joint Board
GDP Deflator	75.97	100.00

Question reference: S6W-29474

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the palliative and end-of-life care strategy steering group.

The Strategy Steering Group for Palliative Care (SSG), representing the wide range of partners involved in palliative care, chaired by a National Clinical Lead for Palliative Care, and supported by a Clinical and Professional Advisory Group (CPAG), has been crucial in the development of our new Palliative Care Strategy.

The Strategy Steering Group last met on 20 June 2024, to consider the latest version of the draft Palliative Care Strategy and provide further feedback. We anticipate that the draft Palliative Care Strategy and associated consultation will be published in the coming weeks.

Question reference: S6W-29259

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-29221 by Fiona Hyslop on 21 August 2024, which refers to "delivering smart concessionary travel for young people and on our ferry services to Orkney and Shetland", for what reason such concessionary travel does not include young people on other islands.

Young people aged 16-18 (or 19-25 for full time volunteers) who live on the Western Isles, Orkney, Shetland, plus islands in North Ayrshire, Argyll and Bute and Highland Council areas are entitled to receive ferry vouchers.

Transport Scotland has been undertaking a project to modernise ferry concessions by introducing digital vouchers which are stored on a National Entitlement Card. This was rolled out to cardholders in Orkney and Shetland in April 2024.

Whilst we intend for digital ferry concessions vouchers to be used on any Scottish ferry route in time, the initial focus has been introducing the digital vouchers in Shetland and Orkney as a pilot area. At present, all other eligible cardholders continue use paper vouchers.

Question reference: S6W-29493

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of how many full-time equivalent prison officers there will be in 2025-26.

Question reference: S6W-29510

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Marine Scotland regarding the upgrades of harbours owned by (a) CMAL and (b) local authorities required by the (i) Small Vessel Replacement Programme and (ii) draft Islands Connectivity Plan.

Question reference: S6W-29411

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of mobile phone signal blackout spots for (a) 3G, (b) 4G and (c) 5G services on train routes in the Highlands and Islands region.

The Scottish Government does not collect or hold, nor has assessed data on current 3G, 4G and 5G mobile notspots or areas with coverage, alongside train routes in the Highlands and Islands region. Overall policy relating to telecommunications, including mobile communications, is reserved to the UK Government.

Ofcom produces an annual Connected Nations report including coverage and performance of mobile networks across Scotland and at local authority and constituency levels. This is accessible at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/infrastructure-research along with underlying datasets.

Question reference: S6W-29472

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the reduced ScotRail timetable to be removed.

Question reference: S6W-29471

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage modal shift from car to rail, in light of the peak fares removal pilot ending.

Question reference: S6W-29461

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to upgrading the Delmore passing loop.

Question reference: S6W-29440

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the SQA's consultation with young people in relation to the exam results appeals process for (a) 2023 and (b) 2024.