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-20871

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 26 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce adult illiteracy rates.

Strong literacies skills help people fulfil their potential, achieve their goals, and take advantage of opportunities and the Scottish Government wants every citizen in Scotland to have the literacy capabilities necessary to bridge the poverty gap, to understand and shape the world they live in, and to enjoy the rich knowledge and benefits that being able to read, write and use numbers can bring.

Scotland has its own adult literacies guidance and action plan contained within Adult Literacies in Scotland 2020 which encompasses numeracy. Its impact will be reviewed as part of the Adult Learning Strategy for Scotland, this will produce recommendations on next steps for adult literacies within the context of the Adult Learning Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-20686

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 26 September 2023

The Public Bodies Climate Change Reporting 2021-22 Analysis Report , page 15, shows grid electricity consumed by around 180 public bodies which have reported annually since 2015-16 on compliance with their statutory climate change duties. Reporting years are 12 months to 31 March rather than calendar years.

Total grid electricity consumed by reporting public bodies is set out in the following table.

Year

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

Grid electricity

consumed GWh

(Gigawatt hour)

3,147.79

3,070.41

2,981.08

2,850.84

2,779.86

2,579.81

2,702.83

As set out on page 18 of the report, greenhouse gas emissions from electricity use by reporting bodies have fallen from 1,550,894 tCO2e (tonnes of CO2 equivalent) in 2015-16 to 623,147 tCO2e in 2021-2022, a reduction of 59.8%, with the principal influence being decarbonisation of the electricity grid.

As set out on page 31 of the report, public bodies also generate renewable energy (electricity and heat) on their own estates.

Total renewable electricity generated by reporting public bodies is set out in the following table.

Year

2015-16

2016-17

2017-18

2018-19

2019-20

2020-21

2021-22

Renewable electricity

generated GWh

(Gigawatt hour)

103

105

103

113

Question reference: S6T-01555

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent reports that treatment for ovarian cancer is a postcode lottery and has left some women with no option but to pay for private healthcare.

Question reference: S6T-01559

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that students at Scottish universities receive their degree classifications.

Question reference: S6F-02411

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the use of antidepressants in Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-02415

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the work that the Scottish Government is undertaking to support the establishment of a pilot safer drug consumption facility.

Question reference: S6F-02405

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to some members of the judiciary expressing opposition to juryless rape trials.

Question reference: S6F-02404

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to reports of widespread contamination at many of Scotland’s outdoor swimming sites.

Question reference: S6F-02400

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02399

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.