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-22780

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide for exemption schemes in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill for children and young people.

As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.

Question reference: S6W-22629

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve awareness of home energy upgrades and retrofit schemes, in light of reported data from the Chartered Institute of Buildings, which found that two in five residents cannot afford these upgrades and that 39% of those surveyed had not heard of any Scottish Government incentive schemes.

Our home energy upgrade and retrofit schemes provide high levels of support. For example, eligible households can access up to £15,000 in grants and interest free loans to install clean heating systems and energy efficiency measures. Up to £18,000 is available for those households living in rural areas.

We run regular marketing campaigns to promote awareness of the support available and to raise awareness of the need to take action to reduce emissions and contribute toward net zero objectives. Earlier this year we ran a marketing campaign promoting the support on offer via our newly launched Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme. During the campaign we saw a 23% increase in applications compared to the previous month.

Currently we are running a nationwide marketing campaign promoting the offer of support available from Home Energy Scotland. In the new year we will launch a new targeted awareness raising campaign targeting households who are able to consider installing a heat pump. This will be complemented by bolstered activity under our Let’s Do Net Zero marketing campaign which will highlight the benefits of making changes such as installing insulation or a climate friendly heating system.

The Energy Savings Trust, who manage Home Energy Scotland, also regularly promote the Loans and Grants scheme through their own channels including digital promotion via the advice centre network.

By the end of this year we will publish our Heat in Buildings Public Engagement Strategy setting out how we will work with stakeholders to increase public awareness and understanding of clean heating systems, the different technological options available and how to access advice and support.

Question reference: S6W-22670

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide (a) further information on the demographics of the 1,900 funding offers through the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme since its launch in August 2023 and (b) a breakdown by (i) the age of applicants, (ii) the median household income of applicants and (iii) local authority area.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme was launched in December 2022. The figures provided show the number of heat pump funding offers issued between this launch date and the end of August 2023.

The Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme is available to all domestic owner occupied households in Scotland, therefore data on household income and age of applicants are not collected during the application process. In the following table, the data requested has therefore been supplied for local authority area only.

Local Authority Area	Heat Pump Funding Offers
Aberdeen City	32
Aberdeenshire	144
Angus	62
Argyll and Bute	218
City of Edinburgh	132
Clackmannanshire	8
Dumfries and Galloway	71
Dundee City	21
East Ayrshire	25
East Dunbartonshire	33
East Lothian	45
East Renfrewshire	25
Falkirk	21
Fife	104
Glasgow City	36
Highland	237
Inverclyde	7
Midlothian	31
Moray	68
Na h-Eileanan Siar	37
North Ayrshire	28
North Lanarkshire	38
Orkney Islands	48
Perth and Kinross	93
Renfrewshire	26
Scottish Borders	80
Shetland Islands	34
South Ayrshire	40
South Lanarkshire	75
Stirling	45
West Dunbartonshire	7
West Lothian	52
TOTAL	1923

Question reference: S6W-22656

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to creating a funding scheme to assist with ongoing maintenance costs of renewable heating solutions installed under the current government capital support schemes for (a) housing associations, (b) private homeowners and (c) landlords.

The purpose of the current capital support schemes is to offer applicants funding to support the installation of energy efficiency measures and zero emissions heating.

We recognise that our supply chains will have to grow substantially to meet the future demand for both installation and maintenance. Our Heat in Buildings Supply Chains Delivery Plan sets out practical steps that we will take to support the growth of the green heat sector. We continue to work in partnership with the sector to ensure that the appropriate support and training provision are aligned at a local level with business needs and future local demands.

Question reference: S6W-22674

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its publication, Heat in Buildings: progress report 2023, how much funding was available for the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme, and what the total spend in the form of grants and loans was, in the 2022-23 financial year.

For the budget and spend relating to the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme (formerly HES Loan and Cashback) in 2023-23, please see the following:

Budget allocation – I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13676 on 19 January 2023.

Budget Spend – I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-19954 on 9 August 2023.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-22610

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have participated in clinical trials for haematological conditions in each year since 2017.

Data from the NHS Research Scotland Haematology Specialty Group and Cancer Research Network presented in the table below show the number of patients who have been recruited to clinical studies, including clinical trials, for non-malignant and malignant haematology conditions, respectively in each year since 2017.

Year	Non-malignant	Malignant
2017	2103	133
2018	1849	238
2019	1743	187
2020	242	74
2021	214	108
2022	552	138
2023 (complete to 31/10-2023)	613	113

Question reference: S6W-22570

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the projected figures for (a) Additional Inpatient and Day case Activity, (b) Outpatient activity, and (c) Additional Diagnostic Procedures, as outlined in the NHS Recovery Plan, and in light of the commitments included in its Programme for Government 2023-24, (i) what modelling was used in preparing the data, (ii) whether the projected estimates for the financial year 2022-23 were delivered and (iii) whether revised projected figures will be published.

The 2023 annual NHS Recovery Plan progress update is being finalised and will be issued in the coming weeks.

The Plan sets out commitments to implement improvements and new models of care by increasing NHS capacity as soon as possible. Inpatient and Day case activity increased by 39% from 2020-2021 to 2021-2022 and a further 16% increase to 2022-2023. New Outpatient activity increased by 44% from 2020-2021 to 2021-2022 and a further 4% increase to 2022-2023 demonstrating our continued recovery from the pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-02773

Asked by: Keith Brown, MSP for Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress towards addressing the reported concerns raised by local residents about HMP Stirling.

Question reference: S6O-02779

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with third sector agencies to improve outcomes for vulnerable people.

Question reference: S6O-02775

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants worked on the production of the latest Building a New Scotland paper on immigration and EU policy.