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-27897

Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-27909

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received the pre-election propriety advice from the permanent secretary, which was referred to during First Minister’s Questions on 23 May 2024.

Pre-election guidance, informed by UK general election guidance and consistent with the devolved administrations, was published on the Scottish Government Website on 24 May: UK General Election 2024: guidance for civil servants - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

In addition, the Permanent Secretary wrote to me on 27 May outlining the impact of this guidance on the Scottish Government’s planned business: https://www.gov.scot/publications/pre-election-period-advice-letter-to-the-first-minister

This advice means that during the restricted period which extends until 4 July, strategic policies due for publication, including the Programme for Government, the Medium Term Financial Strategy, the Scottish Government’s draft tax strategy and the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, should be deferred.

Question reference: S6W-27586

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26769 by Jim Fairlie on 29 April 2024, whether it will reallocate the remaining £473.1 million of the £500 million originally allocated to the Bus Partnership Fund, and, if so, when.

Budget is allocated on an annual basis, therefore the £500m long term investment in bus priority infrastructure was not allocated in one budget to the Bus Partnership Fund.

Capital budget is allocated to the Scottish Government as a total and then set against agreed priorities as part of the budget process on an annual basis. Future funding availability will be considered as part of annual budget setting processes and prioritisation exercises.

Question reference: S6W-27618

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the assessment of the National Autistic Society Scotland that "while there are instances when part-time timetables could be beneficial, we know they are being used as a ‘sticking plaster’ for existing inadequacies in ASN provision".

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people get the support they need to reach their full learning potential, including those with autism.

It is for local authorities to determine the most appropriate educational provision for pupils, taking into account both their legal responsibilities and the individual circumstances and wishes of children, young people, and their families.

The decision to adopt part-time learning should be taken in agreement with the school and the local authority and should also take into account the circumstances of the individual learner including existing planning arrangements in place for the child or young person.

The Scottish Government continues to work in partnership with Education Scotland and a range of stakeholders to improve professional understanding of, and support for autistic learners in all settings.

Question reference: S6W-27641

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it ceased the Mode Shift Revenue Support scheme.

Question reference: S6W-27604

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its long-term labour market strategy.

Helping people into fair, sustainable jobs is central to delivering on the ambitions set out in Scotland’s National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

We are taking action to address labour and skills shortages, including better aligning the education and skills system with the needs of employers and the economy.

Our No One Left Behind approach to employability support is an all-age, place-based, person-centred model to support people further removed from the labour market to move towards, into and to remain in work.

While employment law is reserved, through our Fair Work Action Plan we are helping to create fairer workplaces, address structural inequalities, and enhance workers’ rights, so that Scotland’s labour market offers good quality and rewarding jobs for everyone.

All of this supports the interconnected priorities this government is working towards - of growing a fair, green economy, to invest in sustainable public services, tackle the climate emergency and eradicate child poverty.

Question reference: S6W-27536

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in situations where wayleaves cannot be satisfactorily concluded with landowners, what processes are in place to overcome any such issues, and what is considered a reasonable period within which to conclude such negotiations.

Scottish Ministers have no role in the conclusion of voluntary wayleaves in relation to electricity infrastructure and are only able to act on applications made by licence holders for Necessary Wayleaves under the Electricity Act 1989.

Telecommunications is a reserved matter to the UK Government and the framework for wayleaves is legislated for in Schedule 3A of the Communications Act 2003 (The Electronic Communications Code). The Code gives Code operators rights to apply for a wayleave agreement to be imposed by the courts if one cannot be reached voluntarily with a landowner.

Question reference: S6W-27546

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the delivery of 10% of new affordable housing in rural areas, as set out in its Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan, is an equitable figure, in light of reports that 17% of Scotland’s overall population lives in rural areas.

Our 110,000 affordable homes target includes that “at least” 10% of those homes will be delivered in rural and island areas. We allocate Affordable Housing Supply Programme funding to local authority areas based on our Strategic Housing Investment Framework agreed with COSLA in 2012. Local authorities then prioritise the use of this funding as outlined in their Strategic Housing Investment Plans. This includes the size, tenure and location of homes.

We are investing in rural and island areas through both our mainstream Affordable Housing Supply Programme as well as demand-led funds including the Rural and Island Housing Fund and the Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund which are part of our approach to addressing the specific housing issues that rural and island areas face. From 2016-2017 to 2022-23 we have supported the delivery of 10,094 affordable homes in rural and island areas. This accounted for 16% of homes delivered over this time period.

We will invest nearly £600m in affordable homes this year including our demand-led Rural and Islands Housing Fund and Rural Affordable Homes for Key Workers Fund.

Question reference: S6W-27523

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to ensure equity of palliative care services for children.

One of the key aims of the Scottish Government’s new strategy on palliative care, which is currently being developed, is that children living with a life-shortening condition, anywhere in Scotland, will have equitable and timely access to the general and specialist palliative care services they may need.

The development of the strategy has been informed by representatives of palliative care for children and young people on the Strategy Steering Group. A Children and Young People’s Working Group, including experts in neonatal and paediatric palliative care, is developing new actions to address equity and continuity of access to paediatric palliative care across all places of care for babies, children and young people, including care around dying or transition to adult services.

Question reference: S6W-27513

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent findings from The Scotsman investigation, which reportedly found multimillion pound spending on PR and consultancy bills by NHS bodies.