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-17700

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on reimbursement for the cost of medical equipment in people’s homes (a) in total and (b) in each year, since 1999, also broken down by NHS board area.

Question reference: S6W-17056

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is, regarding the potential impact in Scotland, on the response of the Chairwoman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission to the UK Minister for Women and Equalities that “a change to the Equality Act 2010, so that the protected characteristic of ‘sex’ means biological sex, could bring clarity in a number of areas”.

I have written to the Equality and Human Rights Commission to highlight that the Scottish Government should be fully consulted on any proposed material changes to the Equality Act 2010, including on the current definition of ‘sex’, if there would be any impact on devolved matters. Any proposed changes to the 2010 Act must be fully consulted on with the public and stakeholders before being legislated on.

Question reference: S6W-17466

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the redevelopment of the Institute of Neurological Sciences in Glasgow as an opportunity to establish a Centre of Excellence for brain tumour research in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-16986

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Transport will meet with communities in Orkney to discuss their transport needs.

Collaboration and engagement is a cornerstone of all transport activity and there is community engagement at all levels of transport decision making. My predecessors and I, and Transport Scotland officials, have engaged with communities in developing and implementing strategies and on specific projects such as the Islands Connectivity Plan and Project Neptune, and will, of course, continue to do so in the future.

The previous Minister for Transport and the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands met with the Islands Strategic Group (ISG) on 9 March 2023. The ISG was established in 2016 to consider issues affecting our inhabited island communities, and to ensure greater involvement of the relevant councils in helping identify and design solutions to the unique needs and challenges we know these communities face. The next ISG, which includes the Islands Transport Forum, that I chair, is scheduled to meet next month.

In addition, in May I met with the leader of Orkney Islands Council, Councillor James Stockan, following the grounding of the MV Pentalina. In our discussion, I informed Councillor Stockan that I, and the Government, will continue to monitor the situation. Following discussions, I am pleased to confirm that NorthLink will be increasing sailings across the Pentland Firth to 4 sailings initially for three nights a week, with a review to assess on-going demand as we move further into the summer season.

Furthermore, the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands launched the Young Islanders Network (YIN) on Orkney on the 31 August 2022 on behalf of the Scottish Government, providing children and young people with a platform to support meaningful contributions to National Islands Plan (NIP) delivery and to their current and future life on islands.

YIN members are empowered to set their own agenda – based on how they want to address the local and national priorities that matter to them the most.

Question reference: S6W-16987

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Transport will meet with communities in Shetland to discuss their transport needs.

Question reference: S6O-02227

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last spoke with COSLA regarding what action local authorities are taking to improve bus service provision.

The Scottish Government is committed, in conjunction with bus operators and local authorities, to looking at ways of improving services to ensure that everyone has accessible public transport. We have increased the tools available to local authorities to revitalise bus networks, through Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, in addition to their existing powers to subsidise services that are not provided on a commercial basis. Transport Scotland discuss bus matters with COSLA on a monthly basis at regular bus stakeholder meetings. In addition, COSLA are members of the Bus Taskforce.

Question reference: S6W-17473

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to reduce the rates of alcohol-related deaths, in light of reports that they are at their highest rate for over a decade.

My deepest sympathy goes to all those affected by the loss of a loved one through alcohol. In the most recent data, we are starting to see the profound impact the pandemic has had on those with problematic alcohol use. We will use this information to understand how we can better support those who need it.

We are working collaboratively with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) across Scotland to understand and help resolve local issues and support them in identifying ways to improve services, such as monitoring waiting times. Last year, £106.8 million was made available to ADPs, and nationally there is ongoing work including the upcoming UK Alcohol Treatment Guidelines, development of alcohol treatment targets for April 2024 and the expansion of our Residential Rehab capacity by 50% by the end of the current Parliament.

We remain determined to reduce alcohol-related harm. That is why we have introduced initiatives such as Minimum Unit Pricing, which recent research estimated has saved more than 150 lives a year and led to 411 fewer hospital admissions.

Question reference: S6W-17464

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to establish a Centre of Excellence for brain tumour research in Scotland, in line with the existing network of four such centres in England.

The Charity Brain Tumour Research currently funds five Centres of Excellence for Brain Tumour Research (at the Institute for Cancer Research in Surrey, the University of Plymouth, Queen Mary University London, Imperial College London, and the University of Portsmouth).

Centres of Excellence | Brain Tumour Research

Brain Tumour Research has a UK-wide remit and Scottish Institutions are eligible to apply for Centre of Excellence status.

Centre of Excellence designation is awarded by Brain Tumour Research based on a process of independent expert review. This process is not a matter for the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6O-02259

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assist any businesses that are struggling to recruit skilled workers.

Question reference: S6O-02254

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Head of Housing Services at Fife Council and what was discussed.