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: S6F-03141

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03142

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-27697

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenni Minto on 20 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to respond to the final report of the UK-wide Infected Blood Inquiry, which was published on 20 May 2024.

The Scottish Government welcomes publication of the Infected Blood Inquiry’s final report and thanks the Chair for his work in producing such a comprehensive document. The Scottish Government pays tribute to all those who have been infected, their families and support organisations and reiterates our sincere apology to those who have been infected or affected by NHS blood or blood products. A copy of the Inquiry’s final report is available online at www.infectedbloodinquiry.org.uk/reports/inquiry-report .

The Scottish Government will consider this report fully and is setting up an Oversight Group to help consider the Inquiry’s recommendations for Scotland. That group will involve senior staff from NHS Boards and the Scottish Government, along with charities representing the infected and affected.

Question reference: S6W-27296

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will remove the requirements relating to compulsory compliance with minimum energy efficiency and the installation of decarbonised heating systems from its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

In November 2023 Scottish Government published a consultation on Proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill. This included proposals to set a Heat in Buildings Standard, which would prohibit the use of polluting heating systems after 2045 and require homes to meet a minimum energy efficiency standard. The consultation also asked for views on how to monitor and enforce this Standard, including the role for modifications and exemptions. The consultation closed in March 2024 and independent analysis of the c.1650 responses is currently underway. We will use this analysis to help our thinking going forward, and the First Minister will set out his policy and legislative priorities for the remainder of the parliamentary session in due course.

Question reference: S6W-27282

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revise the rules governing political impartiality in schools.

There are no current plans to revise the rules governing political impartiality in schools. This is a matter for local authorities who have the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education.

It is important that our pupils understand the democratic process in Scotland, the UK and further afield. Learning and teaching should be conducted in a non-partisan and non-party political basis. Local authorities also have a role in ensuring their schools can engage confidently with election issues and that balance and impartiality are respected.

Question reference: S6W-27297

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 20 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will drop its proposed changes to deer management, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

We are currently facing a climate and biodiversity crisis. High densities of herbivores such as deer can have a very serious impact on our forests and land by trampling and overgrazing.

Our 2021 response to the report by the independent Deer Working Group (DWG), recognised that a much greater urgency to our efforts to ensure sustainable deer management is required.

As Roseanna Cunningham, then Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform set out in that response, “protection of the massive and essential investments we are making in natural solutions to reduce carbon emissions and to enhance and restore biodiversity in Scotland have to be the main focus of our deer management policy”.

We remain committed to modernising Scotland’s systems of deer management and implement recommendations made by the DWG as set out in both that response and the 2021-22 Programme for Government .

Question reference: S6W-27274

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many individual (a) employers and (b) learners used the Flexible Workforce Development Fund in each year since its inception in 2017-18.

Based on data provided by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) (academic years 2017-2023) and Skills Development Scotland (2020-2023), the number of employers supported in each year since the start of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) is set out below. Please note that the SFC element of the 2022-23 figure is based on interim data which will be finalised in the coming months.

Employers supported by FWDF
Academic year	Total
2017-18	687
2018-19	750
2019-20	741
2020-21	1,753
2021-22	2,051
2022-23	1,642

Based on data provided by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) (2017-2022) and Skills Development Scotland (2020-2022), the number of individuals supported in each year since the start of the FWDF is set out below. Please note that SFC learner figures for 2022-23 are not yet available and will be finalised in the coming months so no figure has been provided for this academic year. The figures on individuals may vary from the published evaluation figures as it is a record of individuals, not enrolments. Some individuals will have enrolled more than once in an academic year.

Individuals on FWDF courses at Scottish colleges by academic year
Academic year	Total
2017-18	7,865
2018-19	19,285
2019-20	19,540
2020-21	22,137
2021-22	29,539

Question reference: S6W-27275

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 20 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the two FAST (Face, Arms, Speech, Time) stroke awareness commitments in the Stroke Improvement Plan 2023, and when it plans to run a FAST media campaign.

There are two commitments relating to FAST In the Stroke Improvement Plan 2023:

1. Establish the current degree of public understanding of FAST stroke symptoms and the action required, and whether certain at-risk groups require different messaging.

2. Support the delivery of FAST campaigns, working with third sector organisations, and ensure messaging reaches all at-risk groups.

Work to establish the existing understanding of stroke symptoms and FAST, including variations across demographics, has been completed via quantitative research.

The findings of this research will help to inform the strategic direction of a future stoke marketing campaign. The Scottish Government does not yet have a finalised timescale for running a campaign.

Question reference: S6W-27281

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to revise any guidance on political activity in schools during a General Election period.

The Scottish Government has no plans to issue guidance on political activity in schools during a General Election period. This is a matter for local authorities who have the statutory responsibility for the delivery of education.

It is important that our pupils understand the democratic process in Scotland, the UK and further afield. Learning and teaching should be conducted in a non-partisan and non-party political basis. Local authorities have a role in ensuring their schools can engage confidently with election issues and that balance and impartiality are respected.

Question reference: S6W-26817

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is regarding mandatory rotation of Ukrainian refugees around hotels in Fife.

The Scottish Government has welcome accommodation across Scotland. These are managed in partnership with relevant local authorities, who advise on where guests are best placed.

We work collaboratively with local authorities such as Fife to ensure that services are person-centred and delivered in a trauma informed way, and which support effective resettlement.

In the Fife Council area there are three welcome accommodation hotels for displaced people on a temporary basis upon arrival in the country.

On arrival, Fife council will make a needs assessment and will consider the availability of council services to support displaced people in determining which hotel is most suited for presenting individuals or families,

There is no mandatory rotation of guests in Fife, or any other part of the welcome accommodation estate housing displaced people.

However, from time to time as a result of contracting, consolidation, changes in local services provision or when an accommodation provider choses to reduce or discontinue the rooms they offer, local authorities may require guests to move to new accommodation and will look to minimise disruption to guests as much as possible.

The Scottish Government remains committed, alongside our Local Authority partners, to supporting Ukrainians access longer-term, sustainable accommodation while they make Scotland their home.