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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 40769 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-14258

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the (a) First Minister, (b) Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, (c) Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training and (d) Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants' Rights last visited an independent school.

Question reference: S6W-14290

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will increase the funded childcare entitlement to the equivalent of 50 hours a week.

Since August 2021 the Scottish Government has funded 1140 hours of high-quality early learning and childcare (ELC) for all eligible children. Scotland is the only part of the UK to offer 1140 hours a year of funded ELC to all three- and four-year-olds - and eligible two-year-olds regardless of whether their parents are in work or not, putting children first. If families paid for this offer themselves, it would cost them around £5,000 per eligible child per year.

We have already set out ambitious plans to expand our childcare offer further this Parliament. The Strategic Childcare Plan published last October explained how we will approach building a system of school age childcare, offering care before and after school and in the holidays, and developing an offer to provide funded early learning and childcare to all one- and two-year-olds, starting in the course of this Parliament with families who will benefit most.

Question reference: S6W-14242

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13542 by Humza Yousaf on 20 January 2023, how many non-executive board members have completed the e-learning module on the Public Sector Equality Duty and the Equality Act.

Question reference: S6W-14472

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the efficacy of Architecture and Design Scotland.

Architecture and Design Scotland operates in line with an agreed Framework Document which sets out the basis within which the organisation operates. The Framework Document requires the organisation to produce an Annual Report on its activities and submit accounts to the Scottish Parliament each year. The Framework Document for Architecture and Design Scotland and Annual Reports can be accessed at https://www.ads.org.uk/our-corporate-documents

The relevant Scottish Government Minister meets the Chair of Architecture and Design Scotland annually to discuss the efficacy and operations of the NDPB. Monitoring of the efficacy of the organisation also takes place via regular meetings between Scottish Government officials and the senior leadership of Architecture and Design Scotland. Scottish Government’s Chief Planner meets annually with the Chair and Chief Executive of Architecture and Design Scotland and the Scottish Government’s Chief Architect meets with the Chief Executive on a 6 weekly basis. Scottish Government officials conduct monitoring and liaison meetings with Architecture and Design Scotland on a monthly basis to discuss the operations and efficacy of the NDPB.

Question reference: S6W-14490

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the Public and Commercial Services Union industrial action, on 1 February 2023, on the work of Bòrd na Gàidhlig.

Question reference: S6W-14477

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants employed by Architecture and Design Scotland are working on its Climate Action Towns project, and what the total cost of this civil service resource has been for each year since the project began.

Architecture and Design Scotland staff are not civil servants, however their pay and conditions are analogous with Scottish Government civil servants.

The Climate Action Towns project commenced in September 2021. The number of Architecture and Design Scotland staff working on the Climate Action Towns project is as follows:

Year	Staff numbers	Staff cost (£)
2021-22	4	94,000*
2022-23	5	228,000

*commenced from Sept 2021.

Question reference: S6W-14065

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to co-ordinate a whole-government approach to tackling health inequalities, as referred to by the recent Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Tackling health inequalities in Scotland, and The Health Foundation report, The state of health and health inequalities in Scotland.

We recognise the need for a whole-government approach if we are to drive forward progress in reducing health inequalities.

The government is already involved in proactive, cross-portfolio discussions on what a ‘whole of government’ preventative approach might look like. Our Care and Wellbeing Portfolio is the principle strategic reform vehicle in Health and Social Care, which is being designed to promote a ‘health in all policies’ approach. The portfolio will shape and strengthen cross-government collaboration on key and critical issues that contribute to the goal of reducing health inequalities. As part of this, we have begun working with other programmes across the government including those relating to Child Poverty, the Promise, Economic Transformation, Climate Change and Net Zero.

Question reference: S6W-14306

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to proposals from Midlothian Council to remove free musical instrument lessons for some pupils.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the removal of fees associated with instrumental music tuition so income is not a barrier to children and young people taking up an instrument. Access to instrumental music tuition is for local authorities to determine depending on local circumstances and priorities.

Councils are autonomous and it is their responsibility to agree their annual budgets taking into account their statutory duties and national and local priorities.

Question reference: S6W-14315

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it permits the shooting of wildfowl from locations immediately next to public footpaths.

Question reference: S6W-14380

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of people with type 1 diabetes have had access to flash glucose monitoring in each year since 2007.