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-21427

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20844 by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2023, whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of each property in the applications received and approved (a) prior to and (b) since the announcement on 19 July 2023.

The following table shows the number of applications received and homes formally approved prior to, and since 19 July 2023 by local authority in 2023-24. It should also be noted that discussions have taken place to support additional acquisitions with other providers but formal applications have either not yet been received or are in the process of being approved:

Date Range	Local Authority Area	No. of Applications	No. of Homes Applied for	No. of Homes Approved
1 April 2023 to 18 July 2023	Aberdeen City	1	4	4
	Angus	1	1	1
	Argyll and Bute	1	1	1
	Clackmannanshire	1	8	8
	Dundee City	2	2	2
	Falkirk	1	5	5
	Fife	1	25	25
	Glasgow City	2	2	2
	Highland	4	4	4
	Inverclyde	1	6	6
	North Lanarkshire	1	50	50
	Stirling	1	30	30
Sub-total		17	138	138

19 July 2023 to 18 September	Dundee City	3	3	3
	East Renfrewshire	1	10	10
	Fife	2	27	27
	Glasgow City	2	2	2
	Highland	23	27	27
	Inverclyde	1	20	20
	Shetland Islands	1	1	1
	West Dunbartonshire	1	4	4
Sub-total		34	94	94
Total		51	232	232

Question reference: S6W-21432

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Prison Service is responding to reported concerns from independent prison monitors that an estate-wide issue regarding the capacity of GEOAmey to transport prisoners, including those at HMP and YOI Grampian, has meant that prisoners have been unable to attend hospital appointments on multiple occasions.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

It is clear the Geo Amey contract, which SPS leads on behalf of justice partners, is not working as it should and causing disruption. The SPS with justice partners and Scottish Government is working to resolve the issues.

SPS are determined to ensure that the care, welfare, and service delivery on non-court elements of the contract are supported and delivered with equal priority as the management of court operations and the secure escorting of those in custody.

The National Prison Care Network has also written to NHS Board Medical Directors requesting that patients are not removed or reprioritised on waiting lists if failure to attend an appointment has been the result of any transport cancellation.

Question reference: S6W-21321

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering a Norwegian-style system where vessels would be required to report the coordinates of lost fishing gear when such a loss occurs, if it occurs in the offshore region outwith the 12 nautical mile limit, so that the gear could be recovered during an annual summer “clean up” organised by its Marine Directorate.

Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government is not considering a Norwegian-style system of funding and running an annual clean-up of fishing gear reported as lost. Scottish vessels are required to carry retrieval equipment aboard unless working exclusively within 12 nautical miles or never more than 24 hours at sea. Vessels must attempt to retrieve lost gear in a timely manner if it is safe to do so. Any gear that remains lost must be reported to the UK Fisheries Monitoring Centre. Fishing licence holders have been reminded of these responsibilities with a fact sheet from fishery offices.

Question reference: S6W-21435

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the minutes of the Women's Health Plan Implementation Programme Board for the meeting on 17 May 2023 will be published on the Scottish Government's website, and when the Board will next meet.

Question reference: S6W-21449

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what strategies are being implemented to support palliative care delivery in rural and remote areas.

Question reference: S6W-21443

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20825 by Fiona Hyslop on 12 September 2023, how many kilometres of rail track were electrified in each of the last five years.

Electrification is commissioned at the completion of works and last schemes to be commissioned were Shotts Line Electrification (74km) and Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa Electrification (110km). Work on the development, design and construction of further electrification has continued throughout the 5 year period and a further 23 km will be commissioned this year on the Glasgow - Barrhead line. Work is also under way on the East Kilbride route.

Question reference: S6W-21420

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consequences there are for local authorities that do not meet its commitment to provide every school pupil with their own laptop or other digital device.

We are committed to ensuring that every school-aged child has access to a device to support their learning by the end of this parliament in 2026.

We continue to work with COSLA and local authority partners to develop delivery plans. This includes consideration of funding, monitoring and reporting, as well as the development of a digital strategy for education to ensure that digital provision supports the broader aims of the education system.

Question reference: S6W-21431

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is a requirement for CCTV in state hospitals to capture or record audio, and, if not, whether there are plans to require this in the future.

Under the Mental Health (Safety and Security) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 there is no requirement for CCTV in The State Hospital to capture or record audio.

The Scottish Government does not currently have any plans to require that CCTV captures or records audio. Should there become a clear need for this requirement that cannot be addressed through other methods we will consider whether it would be appropriate to introduce this.

Question reference: S6W-21396

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will review its ban on alcohol consumption on ScotRail services.

Question reference: S6W-21445

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to develop and publish a new national strategy for palliative and end of life care.

The Scottish Government remains committed to developing and delivering a new Palliative and End of Life Care Strategy. We have established a Strategy Steering Group to oversee the development and delivery which has now met six times. We have also established a number of working groups to gather evidence to inform the strategy and progress areas in parallel with the development of the wider strategy.