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-17154

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many homes have been returned to use with support from the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership since 2022, and whether it can provide a breakdown of the information by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-17136

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve infrastructure in order to enable all-year access to snowsports venues.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with the Scottish Snowsports sector and our economic agencies to contribute to the sectors financial sustainability.

Independent research commissioned by the Scottish Government ( Snowsports sector - Economic, Social and Cultural Impact: Research - Technical Report) was published in April 2023 and explored ways in which mountain resorts may improve their financial sustainability. In addition to improvements to the winter offer provided at resorts the research highlighted the need to expand the range of activities/sports which could be provided by venues all year round.

Financial support is available to snowsports venues via Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Scottish Enterprise. Both economic agencies provide support for capital investments with specific intervention rates applied. The necessary due diligence is carried out and all proposed projects are assessed on an individual business case.

Question reference: S6W-17194

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15995 by Christina McKelvie on 11 April 2023, when the working group will next meet.

Question reference: S6W-17152

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made along with NHS Grampian of the potential for further slippage in the delivery of The Baird Family Hospital and The ANCHOR Centre Project regarding any redesign that is needed following the issues raised in the latest Key Stage Assurance Review.

The Scottish Government work closely with NHS Grampian and NHS Scotland Assure on all capital investment projects. The priority is ensuring that a safe, high quality healthcare facility is delivered and the Key Stage Assurance Review (KSAR) process has been recently introduced to ensure that happens. NHS Grampian are preparing an action plan to address the issues identified in the KSAR and we will review timelines once that exercise has been completed.

Question reference: S6W-17071

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the decision of Glasgow City Council to write off school meal debt, and whether it will commit funding to help other local authorities introduce similar measures.

Question reference: S6W-17070

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with (a) COSLA and (b) local authorities to discuss school meal debt.

Question reference: S6W-17026

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on maintenance services for socially rented properties in each year since 1999.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested. Individual social landlords are responsible for their own maintenance costs.

Social landlords are required, under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, to keep houses they let fit for human habitation and ensure that any repairs are carried out when they are needed.

We work closely with social landlords in our shared ambition to provide quality, affordable social homes and continue to have constructive engagement with them on a range of matters.

Question reference: S6W-17147

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the findings of the literature review, The development of cognitive and emotional maturity in adolescents and its relevance in judicial contexts, which was submitted to the Scottish Sentencing Council in January 2020, in relation to policy areas that engage the wellbeing and welfare of young people, including (a) education, (b) health and (c) equalities.

The literature review 'The development of cognitive and emotional maturity in adolescents and its relevance in judicial contexts' was commissioned by the independent Scottish Sentencing Council to inform its work in developing a sentencing guideline on young people. Its conclusions specifically relate to those aspects of adolescents and young people's cognitive and emotional development and maturity which are relevant to judicial decision-making with a particular focus on its relevance to decisions about the sentencing of young people convicted of criminal offences.

As the report focuses specifically on how evidence about the development of cognitive and emotional maturity in adolescents and young adults is relevant to decision making in judicial contexts, the Scottish Government has not undertaken a formal assessment of its findings' relevance in other policy areas.

Question reference: S6W-17163

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the delays to the two new hospital buildings in Aberdeen that have resulted in an increase in the overall budget costs for these projects, how much additional capital it has had to provide in total to NHS infrastructure projects, due to delays to the operational date, in each of the past five years.

The Scottish Government publishes an update on progress on all major capital investment projects every 6 months in its Infrastructure Investment Plan and includes information on the following the projects:

NHS Grampian - Aberdeen Baird Family Hospital and ANCHOR Centre
National Waiting Times Centre Board - Hospital Expansion Programme - Phase 2
NHS Lothian - National Treatment Centre
NHS Highland – National Treatment Centre
NHS Forth Valley - National Treatment Centre
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde - North East Hub
NHS Ayrshire & Arran - Foxgrove (National Secure Adolescent Inpatient Service)
NHS Tayside - Ninewells Electrical Infrastructure Zone 3
NHS Ayrshire & Arran - National Treatment Centre - Ayrshire & Arran

The full report is published here:

Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Major capital projects progress update (September 2022) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-17240

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan – Update November 2022, what communications have taken place with stakeholders, to date, to ensure that the independent review of qualifications and assessment "fully considers the needs of children and young people with additional support needs".

The Independent Review is continuing to seek views from stakeholders from across the education landscape on how a system of qualifications and assessment can uphold the rights of all learners, including those with additional support needs.

I am aware that Professor Hayward has met Angela Morgan, Chair of the Review of Additional Support for Learning Implementation, and has visited a range of schools where additional support needs have been specifically discussed. In addition, Professor Hayward has also spoken directly to young people with additional support needs.

The Review is scheduled to report to the Scottish Government by the end of May 2023.