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: S6O-02271

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that its taxation policy, including in relation to businesses, will have on the strength of the economy.

Question reference: S6O-02274

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on implementation of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019.

Question reference: S6O-02265

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting public bodies to implement Fair Work principles.

Question reference: S6O-02261

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what rules and incentives are central to a wellbeing economy.

Question reference: S6O-02262

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to bring people with children back into work.

Question reference: S6W-17812

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that Ukrainians who have (a) recently arrived and (b) already settled in Scotland have access to the guide, Scotland for Ukrainians: a guide for displaced people, which was published on 2 May 2023.

The Scottish Government has undertaken a range of measures to promote the guidance for displaced people from Ukraine. At the point of publication, the guidance was issued via direct mailing to a wide range of stakeholders and delivery partners, including local government and third sector. It has also been promoted on Scottish Government social media channels including Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. We have engaged with external stakeholders such as ScotHosts, Help Ukraine Scotland and Barnardo’s to have the guidance promoted directly on their social media channels. This ensures the guidance is sent directly to Ukrainians as well as Hosts who support Ukrainian families.

In addition, Scottish Government subsequently published a stakeholder toolkit to support our partners to further promote the guidance. This, too, was issued to a wide range of stakeholders and delivery partners. The toolkit, which is available online to download, contains information on the guidance alongside a range of assets for use, including key messages, social media posts and videos focusing on accommodation, showcasing Scotland, and rights and protections.

The Scottish Government has produced posters promoting the guidance and worked closely with local authorities and our partner organisations such the Scottish Refugee Council, Association of Ukrainians in Great Britain and Volunteer Edinburgh to have the posters displayed at arrival points, in welcome accommodation, or other places where our partners meet with people displaced from Ukraine.

The guidance was also promoted in Scottish Government’s Scottish Government: ‘Supporting Ukraine’ monthly newsletter, with a call to action for those subscribers to share the content widely.

We are grateful to our partners for their work in helping to ensure displaced people from have access to the guide and we are committed to continuing to work in partnership to further promote it widely.

Question reference: S6W-17807

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of Ukrainians in Scotland are registered with a GP.

Question reference: S6W-17667

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its commitment, announced on 23 April 2023, to support affordable housing for key workers in rural areas, whether it plans to make funds available for community-led housing projects in rural areas that aim to provide affordable housing to key workers.

Development Trusts and others taking forward community led housing already have access to the demand-led £30 million Rural and Islands Housing Fund. This fund already supports community organisations to bring forward new housing projects, or to renovate empty homes or to convert commercial or non-domestic premises into residential accommodation to meet local housing needs including through the attraction or retention of economically active households.

Question reference: S6W-17670

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding in total is still available to applicants through the (a) Rural Housing and (b) Islands Housing Fund.

Question reference: S6W-17620

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to making the provision of swimming lessons to children a statutory requirement.

There is no mandatory curriculum within Scottish schools. Local authorities have the flexibility to decide upon the content of their lessons, taking account of the needs and circumstances of children and young people in attendance at their schools. This also applies to PE lessons.

We nonetheless recognise the significant physical and mental health benefits that physical activity brings and believe that every child should be given the opportunity to learn to swim. Swimming is a life skill. We have therefore been working with Scottish Swimming, Education Scotland, sportScotland and Scottish Water to pilot bespoke interventions and approaches within local areas to provide opportunities for more children to become confident, safer and competent swimmers.