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-20489

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its report, A Caring, Compassionate and Human Rights Informed Drug Policy for Scotland, which are the further changes to drugs policy “not dependent on constitutional change” that it has identified.

The Scottish Government committed an additional £250 million in the term of this parliament to deliver the national mission on drugs. We also committed in January 2023 to delivering a cross government plan that addresses the systemic stigma that keeps people from seeking support as well as a number of initiatives designed to make it easier for people who use drugs to access all the services they might need to improve their lives.

Question reference: S6W-20400

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many households have received Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan funding for secondary improvements in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-20386

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the support offered by Business Gateway, since 2018-19, by (a) sector, (b) business size and (c) whether the business is a start-up or existing business.

Question reference: S6W-20481

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any research into regulated markets for the reduction of harm and the safe control of substances.

The Scottish Government, in preparation for it's Paper " A caring compassionate and Human Rights Informed Drug Policy for Scotland" published on July 7th 2023, researched a wide range of sources and consulted with a number of international partners to learn what other models of drug policy exist and what the evidence is for their efficacy. This included administrations who have fully or partially regulated their markets for drugs. We will continue to learn from best practice around the world to ensure Scottish Government Policies are based on the best evidence available.

Question reference: S6W-20402

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been distributed through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme for secondary improvements in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-20399

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many households have received Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan funding for energy efficiency measures in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-20384

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, what data it holds on the number of schools that are over-capacity, such that parents are unable to send siblings to the same school; in which local authorities any such schools are situated, and what action it is taking to either expand capacity or find solutions.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on whether schools are over-capacity, i.e. have no places for additional pupils in a stage of education.

Data on physical capacity in all local authority primary and secondary schools in Scotland is published annually in the School estates supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . However, this has to be combined with other information, including the number of teaching staff in each school and whether there are any temporary buildings, to understand the available places for pupils.

All local authorities in Scotland have a statutory responsibility to provide a school place for all the children in their area, and will seek to match school capacity to demand in each area. Where schools are over-subscribed, local authorities will offer places according to their admissions policy, which may include priority for siblings.

The Scottish Government’s £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme is being delivered in partnership with local authorities and will benefit tens of thousands of pupils across Scotland. Scottish Government funding through the Learning Estate Investment Programme is intended to augment - not replace - local authorities own investment in their school estate.

Question reference: S6W-20408

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19712 by Jamie Hepburn on 31 July 2023, whether it can confirm on how many occasions it has taken legal advice when preparing its Building a New Scotland series of papers.

Question reference: S6W-20385

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which schools are currently required to accommodate pupils in temporary modular buildings, broken down by local authority area; for how long such temporary accommodation will be required, and what remedial action it is taking to reduce the requirement for temporary modular buildings in schools.

Question reference: S6W-20401

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 31 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been distributed through the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme for energy efficiency measures in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.