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-22681

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the June 2022 publication, Equalities & Wellbeing in Manufacturing Working Group: Recommendations Report, how it plans to identify, and work with stakeholders to determine, the best means to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to develop their own inclusivity and flexible working policies.

Actions taken by the Scottish Government to respond to the report’s recommendations are set out in the Equalities and Wellbeing in Manufacturing Working Group Recommendations: One Year Report, which was published on the Scottish Government website on 29 August 2023.

Scottish Government worked in collaboration with industry and flexible working specialists, and provided them with grant funding, to produce a set of 3 flexible working video case studies which are real-life examples of flexible working best practice in SME manufacturers. These popular video case studies are available online and have been well publicised at industry events and shared with business organisations to promote to their members. They have been shared with public bodies such as DWP jobcentres, Scottish Council for Development and Industry, Scottish Enterprise, Food and Drink Federation (Scotland and UK) for use and promotion of flexible working best practice in industry.

Scottish Government published its refreshed Fair Work action plan and Anti-Racist Employment Strategy in December 2022, setting out actions to help promote and support fair and inclusive workplaces across Scotland.

We will continue to work with industry and seek feedback on what further support is required to support SMEs to develop inclusivity and flexible working practices.

Question reference: S6W-22740

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional pupils have accessed free school breakfasts since the beginning of the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6W-22742

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on introducing free school breakfasts for all primary school pupils.

There is a currently a mixed delivery of breakfast provision across Scotland with a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. We have conducted provisional modelling of breakfast provision and have begun work with local authorities and key stakeholders to better understand and map provision in order to identify gaps in provision. This will help us develop a plan for breakfast provision, designed around the needs of children and families.

Question reference: S6W-22741

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many probationer teachers have not completed their probationary year in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-22680

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on implementing the recommendations in the June 2022 publication, Equalities & Wellbeing in Manufacturing Working Group: Recommendations Report.

Link to Equalities and Wellbeing in Manufacturing Report here

Link to Equalities and Wellbeing in Manufacturing: One Year Report here

Question reference: S6W-22745

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the infrastructure cost will be for the implementation of free school breakfasts for all primary school pupils, and which body will be responsible for meeting any such cost.

Breakfasts are being provided across Scotland by a range of service providers including public, private and third sector. We are working with local authorities and key stakeholders to better understand and map existing provision. This will help us develop a plan for breakfast provision, designed around the needs of children and families, which will include estimated costs and appropriate delivery models.

Question reference: S6W-22744

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has committed for the introduction of free school breakfasts for all primary school pupils.

Question reference: S6W-22746

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the ongoing annual cost of providing free school breakfasts for all primary school pupils will be.

Question reference: S6W-22773

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to meet its tree planting and coverage targets.

In June this year, a delivery action plan was announced aimed at ramping up tree planting levels. This included a £1 million investment by Scottish Forestry to provide comprehensive training for its staff to speed up the woodland creation application process.

Other measures announced include increasing the level of support for smaller scale woodland projects, providing more advice and support for farmers, refreshed community engagement guidance and more support for riparian planting.

I will chair a Woodland Creation Summit on 12 December, with industry leaders and stakeholders directly involved in woodland creation, which will look at the opportunities for growing more trees and also look at overcoming any associated barriers in meeting the woodland creation targets.

To date this year, Scottish Forestry has provided regulatory approval for over 11,200 hectares worth of new woodland applications, which already exceeds last year’s total, with more approvals expected.

Question reference: S6W-21986

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the conclusions of the Audit Scotland report, Investing in Scotland's infrastructure, and, in particular, the stated change in status of the Borders railway decarbonisation project to "Paused", alter the status of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan's objective to electrify the Edinburgh to Dundee and Aberdeen mainline by 2035, and whether it can confirm that the Edinburgh to Dundee and Aberdeen mainline will be fully electrified by 2035, as committed to in the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan.