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-18857

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the employability and individual training account budgets will be confirmed and announced.

The 2023-24 budgets for employability programmes, including No One Left Behind and Fair Start Scotland were confirmed by the Deputy First Minister on 25 May, with Grant Offer Letters issued to local authorities on 30 May for No One Left Behind. The budget for Individual Training Accounts has now been confirmed and the scheme will re-open during the week commencing 19 June 2023.

We are currently considering the budget for the Flexible Workforce Development Fund in 2023-24 through colleges and the Open University in Scotland and will provide a further update once budget discussions have concluded.

Question reference: S6W-18888

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what planning rules are in place, relating to proximity to communities and individual dwellings, for the siting of future wind farm developments.

All planning applications must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), adopted in February this year, forms part of the statutory development plan alongside the relevant Local Development Plan (LDP).

NPF4 places climate and nature at the centre of our planning system and makes clear our support for all forms of renewable, low-carbon and zero emission technologies, including onshore wind.

NPF4 policy 11 makes clear that potential impacts on communities, nature and other receptors remain important considerations in the decision-making process. Additionally, the policy requires that project design and mitigation will demonstrate how impacts on communities and individual dwellings, including residential amenity, visual impact, noise and shadow flicker will be addressed. All applications are subject to site-specific assessments, including Environmental Impact Assessment where applicable.

Question reference: S6W-18870

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to introduce Education, Health and Care Plans (EHCPs), which are currently in place in England.

In Scotland, children and young people's needs are met by planning for their learning and support through an individualised educational programme or Additional Support Plan. These set out targets for learning and the support to be provided. For children and young people who have complex or multiple needs, which require significant support from education and another agency or agencies, a statutory co-ordinated support plan (CSP) may be required. The purpose of the CSP is to support co-ordinated multi-agency planning to meet pupils' needs.

Question reference: S6W-18847

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on any investigations that the Scottish Chamber Orchestra has undertaken to determine whether any of the buildings that it manages were fitted with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete; whether any public funding was used to conduct any necessary repairs, and, if this is the case, what the cost was, broken down by building.

Question reference: S6W-18846

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on any investigations that Scottish Ballet has undertaken to determine whether any of the buildings that it manages were fitted with reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete; whether any public funding was used to conduct any necessary repairs, and, if this is the case, what the cost was, broken down by building.

Question reference: S6W-18742

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many seasonal rangers have been employed by Forestry and Land Scotland in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-18650

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the pay of police officers is not outstripped by inflation.

The Scottish Government’s 2023-24 Public Sector Pay Strategy (PSPS) sets the framework to deliver fair and affordable pay awards. It takes into account the impact of high inflation on households and governments, whilst balancing the need for sustainable public finances.

The Police Negotiating Board (PNB) provides the negotiating forum for the pay and conditions of service of police officers in Scotland. While police officers are not subject to PSPS, PNB negotiations are guided, but not bound, by its parameters, alongside a range of other evidence, as part of its ongoing considerations and negotiations around officer pay. As the pay claim for 2023-24 has been submitted, in line with PNB protocols, it is not appropriate to comment further.

Question reference: S6W-18615

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue the Scottish Prison Service has received through charging inmates for access to telephones or telephone usage in each year for which data is available.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The following table provides detail on the revenue generated from telephone usage over the last 10 years within public prisons, measured against the expenditure associated with operating the prisoner PIN telephone system which is inclusive of contracted maintenance costs, line rental and call charges across all 13 public sector prisons. The detail below does not include any costs for prisoner mobile phones.

Year	Revenue	Expenditure	Contribution
2022-23	£437,236.41	£505,530.80	-£68,294.39
2021-22	£509,405.02	£516,412.59	-£7,007.57
2020-21	£844,075.00	£561,838.50	£282,236.50
2019-20	£1,097,852.35	£578,160.04	£519,692.31
2018-19	£1,104,825.69	£556,613.13	£548,212.56
2017-18	£1,146,572.54	£522,903.03	£623,669.51
2016-17	£1,152,647.55	£584,778.16	£567,869.39
2015-16	£1,177,615.60	£588,928.21	£588,687.39
2014-15	£1,131,496.42	£570,991.50	£560,504.92
2013-14	£1,113,667.12	£581,483.14	£532,183.98
2012-13	£1,089,660.33	£552,194.44	£537,465.89

Question reference: S6W-18475

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to decarbonise the rail network between Aberdeen and the Central Belt.

No date has been set for the decarbonisation of the lines between Aberdeen and Edinburgh, and Aberdeen and the electrified network at Dunblane. However, in line with the Rail Decarbonisation Action Plan, these routes are under consideration for decarbonisation through electrification by Transport Scotland, with plans at an early stage of development.

As out in the Decarbonisation Action Plan, the order and pace in which decarbonisation is undertaken will depend on business cases and available budgets.

Question reference: S6W-18474

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 16 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects contracts to be awarded totalling at least £200 million as part of the rail enhancement project to reduce the average journey times between Aberdeen and the Central Belt by 20 minutes by 2026.

Year	Number of Seasonal Rangers
2021	26
2022	32
2023	24