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-22852

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the BSL National Plan Implementation Advisory Group will be formed, and how often it will meet.

Question reference: S6W-22880

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken in light of the report of the review of the Victim Notification Scheme, which was published in May 2023.

The Scottish Government commissioned an independent review of the VNS in spring 2022 to ensure that the scheme was working well for victims. The review published its report and an easy read summary in May this year. It made 22 recommendations for change of the scheme, including in relation to data, evidence and reporting, the information available and communications.

Since that time, we have been considering the report in collaboration with a range of stakeholders, including criminal justice agencies and victim support organisations. We have used the information gathered from this programme of stakeholder engagement to inform development of our formal response to the review’s report.

We intend to publish that response towards the end of this year, or early next year, and for it to include information about what stakeholders have said to us on the recommendations, and our strategy for reform of the VNS.

Question reference: S6W-22908

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has asked Police Scotland to return to it in each financial year since 2019-20, including 2023-24 to date.

In accordance with the guidance contained within the Scottish Public Finance Manual, grant in aid funding to public bodies should not be paid in advance of need. Due to this requirement, the Scottish Government has not asked the Scottish Police Authority or Police Scotland to return any funding since their creation in 2013.

Despite UK Government austerity, we have increased police funding year-on-year since 2016-17, investing over £11.6 billion since the creation of Police Scotland in 2013.

Question reference: S6W-22884

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which bodies have been contacted or consulted regarding the development of a national digital academy.

Scottish Government are currently developing options for a National Digital Academy.

Initial conversations have been held within the National e-Learning Offer Working Group (which includes representatives from the RICs, EIS, e-Sgoil, WestOS and Education Scotland). In addition, a Discovery process has been undertaken with all 32 local authorities regarding the future of Glow – the National Learning and Teaching Platform which will inform considerations. Further engagement with these parties and others (including direct user research with teachers and learners where required) will take place during the development of the options.

Question reference: S6W-22894

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the National Marine Plan 2 will include spatial plans for all activities, including fisheries, for all appropriate locations in inshore waters.

The National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) will be developed with stakeholders to achieve sustainable management of our seas, support coastal communities, safeguarding of existing sectors and protection of the marine environment.

The NMP2 is in the early stages of development. It will continue to provide the overarching planning framework for coordinating sustainable development out to 200 nautical miles. Options for spatial planning policies in NMP2 will be considered with stakeholders, and will be developed in accordance with the National Spatial Strategy, set out in Scotland’s fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) (2023)

Question reference: S6W-22886

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22203 by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding how much of the £140 million to support the roll-out of digital devices in the Capital Spending Review has been allocated to date; for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer, and, if it has not allocated any of the £140 million to date, whether it will confirm that.

Question reference: S6W-22882

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ask SEPA to provide advice to local authorities on the screening criteria for air quality impact assessments in relation to any whisky storage facility planning applications, in light of the final report, Review of the Human Health and Environmental Impacts of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compound Emissions from Malt Whisky Maturation in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-22889

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants are currently working on the development of a national digital academy.

Question reference: S6W-22888

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has carried out and (b) is undertaking any progress reports on the development of a national digital academy, and, if so, where they are published.

Question reference: S6W-22856

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what extra support is given to teachers and school staff who work with a deaf pupil.

Under the Additional Support for Learning Act 2004, local authorities have duties to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils, including those who are deaf or deafblind. Local authorities are supported in implementing their duties under the 2004 Act through the statutory code of practice on additional support for learning. Where a teacher wholly or mainly teaches a pupil who is deaf or deafblind, local authorities have a duty to ensure they are appropriately qualified.

The Scottish Government funds the Scottish Sensory Centre to provide advice and training to school staff on support for children and young people with specific communication and sensory needs. Education Scotland has also developed a professional learning resource which seeks to support staff to engage more effectively with BSL users.

On 6 November, we published the BSL National Plan 2023 to 2029, which includes an action focussed on increasing the opportunities for Teachers of the Deaf to gain the highest possible qualification in BSL. Progress will be overseen by the BSL National Plan Implementation Advisory Group. An update report will be published in 2026.

The Scottish Government has also outlined in our Programme for Government 2023-24 that Ministers will work with teachers to provide additional professional learning opportunities while seeking to build on the Additional Support for Learning Action Plan.