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-22994

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the actions outlined in its publication, A Scotland for the future: opportunities and challenges of Scotland's changing population.

Since publication, the Ministerial Population Taskforce has taken forward a range of priority commitments from the Population Strategy, including the forthcoming Addressing Depopulation Action Plan, Talent Attraction and Migration Service, updating the evidence base on attitudes to family formation, and building new links across government and between stakeholders about issues relating to population and demography.

The Strategy continues to guide our approach to population across Scottish Government, and the purpose of the Taskforce is to drive cross-government delivery from the range of portfolios relevant to the Strategy actions. Minutes from Taskforce meetings, detailing work undertaken, are publicly available on the Scottish Government website.

Question reference: S6W-22993

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any research has been undertaken into the possible reasons for fertility rates in Scottish cities being "substantially lower than cities in England and Wales with comparable age and student profiles", as highlighted in its publication, A Scotland for the future: opportunities and challenges of Scotland's changing population.

In November 2022, we published the report ‘Attitudes to family formation in Scotland’ . The purpose of this study was to update the evidence base with regards to attitudes to family formation and ideal family size, to formulate a current and more nuanced picture with regards to fertility in Scotland. The Ministerial Population Taskforce is currently considering next steps for this strand of work, including comparing this position to other countries, in both urban and rural areas.

Question reference: S6W-22985

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the implementation of the Shared Rural Network plans consider the most appropriate locations to place 4G masts for public benefit, in order to not unnecessarily damage wild land.

The Scottish Government has no formal role in the Shared Rural Network (SRN) programme which is a joint venture between the UK Government and the UK's four main mobile network operators.

However we fully recognise the need to ensure that SRN deployment in Scotland is maximised whilst being cognisant of the importance of Scotland's natural environment. In order to improve communications between SRN programme leads (both UK Government and industry) and key Scottish stakeholders including the National Parks and NatureScot, we have organised and participated in direct discussions with these parties. We encourage the SRN programme to explore these issues with all relevant stakeholders through improved engagement and to determine mutually acceptable outcomes.

We have also shared with the SRN programme our experience and learning gained from our Scottish 4G Infill programme, which has deployed 55 masts to serve rural and island communities. This learning includes the importance of thorough local stakeholder engagement at the mast site selection and acquisition stage.

Question reference: S6W-22843

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it is providing for college courses in the traditional crafts, particularly stonemasonry, at colleges in Edinburgh.

Question reference: S6W-22862

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to protect the lowest paid workers in Scottish Water who may face losing income due to the regrading exercise.

Question reference: S6W-22859

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure that Scottish Water adheres to its commitment to “collectively bargain changes to pay and terms and conditions with our trade unions”, as set out in its Fair Work First Statement.

Question reference: S6W-22842

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it is providing for colleges to deliver courses on the traditional trades.

Question reference: S6W-22860

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make representations to Scottish Water urging it to restart the job evaluation and regrading process with the full involvement of trade unions.

Question reference: S6W-22791

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people have been charged up to double the normal council tax rate for homes that have been empty for 12 months or more, or 24 months where the property is being actively marketed for sale, in each year since 1999, also broken down by local authority.

Local authorities have had the power to charge an empty homes council tax premium of up to 100% since 1 April 2013. The Scottish Government’s statistics show that at September 2022 42,865 homes had been empty for more than 6 months. Of these 27,692 had been empty for over 12 months and of those 20,279 had a council tax discount below 10% or a council tax premium applied.

A further breakdown by local authority for homes empty for more than 12 months is available on the Scottish Government website from 2014 onwards: https://www.gov.scot/publications/housing-statistics-empty-properties-and-second-homes/ .

Question reference: S6W-22924

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21948 by Fiona Hyslop on 26 October 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding how many air quality sensors have been deployed in each year since 2021.

Transport Scotland has contracted Hagar Environmental & Atmospheric Technologies (HEAT) to deploy remote sensing equipment on both local and trunk roads in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Remote sensing equipment uses laser spectroscopy to measure the real-world emissions of vehicle exhaust plumes as the vehicles pass underneath.

This equipment has been deployed in the Glasgow City Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Aberdeen City Council and Dundee City Council areas. As the equipment was at times deployed simultaneously in each city, there were up to four of these sensors deployed in each year since 2021.

The deployment of remote sensing equipment in Scotland from 2021-2023 was the most comprehensive use of this equipment by any country in Europe.

HEAT have partnered with the ICCT (International Council for Clean Transportation) and Element Energy to deliver this project.