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: S6F-02909

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-25947

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of degraded peatland requiring restoration is on land that is within crofting tenure, and what the approximate acreage is of such land.

There is around 484,000 hectares of Common Grazing land in Scotland that is registered in claims and applications with Rural Payments and Services. Of this, there are an estimated 286,000 hectares of peatland (50cm depth), or around 60% of the total land area. Around two-thirds of this peatland is in a degraded state. The Scottish Government’s Crofting Bill Team and stakeholder group are considering a number of proposals that will make it easier for crofters to use their common grazings for other purposes than agriculture, such as peatland restoration.

Question reference: S6W-25820

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of swimming lesson provision in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools.

Schools in Scotland have the flexibility to decide on the content of their physical education lessons. The Scottish Government does not specifically evaluate the extent to which swimming lessons form a part of those decisions.

We know that some local authorities offer swimming lessons as part of their physical education classes. In other cases, schools may take into account a range of factors, including the time that is required to travel to a swimming pool, in deciding against offering swimming lessons as part of PE.

However, the Scottish Government has been working with Scottish Swimming, Education Scotland and other stakeholders to develop interventions and approaches to provide opportunities for children to become confident, competent and safer swimmers.

Question reference: S6W-25819

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many age-appropriate inpatient mental health beds for children and young people each NHS board currently has.

There are currently 54 Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) inpatient beds across Scotland for children and adolescents.

Forty eight of these beds are commissioned on a regional basis. These are split across:

North of Scotland Region - Dudhope Young People’s Inpatient Unit - 12 beds;
South and East Region - Melville Young People’s Mental Health Unit - 12 beds;
West Region Skye House Adolescent Inpatient Unit - 24 beds.

These units admit children and young people from Health Boards in that region, with the flexibility to admit from other regions if the unit closest to a child or young person is full.

Additionally, the National Child Psychiatry Inpatient Unit in the Glasgow Royal Hospital for Children has 6 beds for children under 12 years and admits children from across Scotland, based on clinical need. This includes one to two national beds for children with profound learning disabilities and mental health disorders.

The National Adolescent Secure Inpatient Unit, Foxgrove, is due to open later in 2024 and initially will provide 4 beds for young people who require care in an inpatient setting with medium levels of security.

Question reference: S6W-25619

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the funding that it provides to bus companies to subsidise the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme, for what reason local authorities are reportedly unable to access this, or similar, funding to meet school transport costs, and whether it will consider allowing local authorities to access such funding to meet these costs.

The National Bus Travel Concession Scheme for Young Persons provides free travel on local registered bus services and long distance bus services throughout Scotland. Dedicated school transport services do not fall within the definition of eligible services set out in the legislation as they are generally not registered as local bus services or available to members of the public. Local authorities receive funding via the local government block grant to enable them to meet their statutory obligations, including the provision of home to school transport.

Question reference: S6W-25815

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects that its digital strategy for education will be published.

Question reference: S6W-25469

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in opening up the school estate to ensure that local groups can access this resource as a community space.

Question reference: S6W-25488

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) current value and (b) status is of the fund that has been set aside for the costs associated with the job evaluation of college support staff.

Question reference: S6W-25875

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that there are 15 separate dog microchipping databases that are compliant with the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), and that every dog in the UK must be microchipped once they are eight weeks old, what discussions it has had with DEFRA regarding having a UK-wide microchipping database, and what the estimated cost is of the Scottish Government developing a standalone Scottish database to enable the traceability of all dogs and their owners and/or breeders in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the benefits of having a single point of access to microchipping data to aid with the identifying and reuniting owners and their pets and Scottish Ministers remain committed to working jointly with other administrations where it is both sensible and logical to do so in the interests of animal welfare.

Officials had discussions with DEFRA and other UK administrations regarding the possibility of a single UK-wide microchipping data base and other possible database reforms when Defra consulted on microchipping in 2022. We have not costed a Scotland-only database as we are seeking a consistent UK approach to database reform.

The Microchipping of Dogs Regulations (Scotland) 2016 requires database operators to provide and share information with persons authorised by Scottish Ministers or a local authority.

Question reference: S6W-25803

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Part H of its publication, Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010: guidance - updated, published on 23 December 2020, in particular the paragraph titled "Local Authority bye-laws", what its position is on the possible introduction by local authorities of bye-laws to ban XL Bully-type dogs from public places, such as parks and open spaces, including when the dog is muzzled, on a lead and has not been allowed to stray, and whether it plans to publish guidance for local authorities on the introduction of any such bye-laws.

Under powers contained in the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, it is for local authorities to consider byelaws as provided for in section 201 of that Act. The Act provides that local authorities ‘… may make byelaws for the good rule and government of the whole or any part of the their area, and for the prevention and suppression of nuisances therein.’ It is entirely a matter for local authorities to consider whether to make byelaws with confirmation of any byelaws a matter for Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Government is happy to engage with any local authority who wished to consider making any byelaws under the section 201 powers including where such byelaws may relate to XL Bully dogs in public places.