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-16185

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential of introducing advanced treatments, such as catalytic treatment and photo- or UV-based oxidation, to degrade pharmaceuticals that are reportedly contaminating water.

The methods used to treat sewage is a matter for Scottish Water to consider to ensure regulatory standards are met in an efficient manner. I refer the member to the answer for S6W-16184 on 11 April 2023 for further information on the discussions regarding the potential presence and impact of pharmaceuticals in water.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-16124

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14445 by Neil Gray on 7 February 2023, what discussions it has had with officials at Aberdeen City Council to try and maintain the six libraries scheduled for closure at the end of March 2023, and what its position is on how any such closures would impact Aberdeen City Council's ability to fulfil its statutory duty to secure the provision of adequate library facilities for all persons resident in its area.

Library policy is devolved to local authorities, who have a statutory duty to ensure there is adequate provision of library services for their residents.

Scottish Government officials work closely with the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), which provides leadership and advice to Scottish Ministers, local authorities, and the wider libraries sector. SLIC is in ongoing conversations with Aberdeen Council on this issue.

Any decision around public libraries must be considered extremely carefully and we would encourage local authorities to work in partnership with communities to explore ways of delivering services, based on need.

Question reference: S6W-16065

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of cuckooing have been (a) reported to and (b) identified by Police Scotland in each year since 2017 and what steps it is taking to tackle this activity.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to tackling serious and organised crime and strongly condemns the illegal practice of ‘cuckooing’ and the subsequent misery it causes victims.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the operational intelligence on incidents involving cuckooing. This information should be requested from Police Scotland directly.

The Scottish Government is working with partners on the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce to disrupt cuckooing and County Lines networks.

Question reference: S6W-16535

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Finance will next meet with each chief executive of Scotland’s enterprise agencies.

Question reference: S6W-16252

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a requirement for Scottish firms to be included within the supply chain before developers that have been offered exclusivity agreements, as part of the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing process announced on 24 March 2023, are granted a full seabed lease.

Crown Estate Scotland are responsible for the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing process.

INTOG developers will be required to submit a Supply Chain Development Statement (SCDS) before they enter an Option Agreement, as set out in the Crown Estate Scotland Offer document (August 2022). As with ScotWind, the SCDS will outline the nature and location of any intended supply chain activity, including details on people and skills linked to their proposed project.Option Agreements will be signed following adoption of the Scottish Government’s Sectoral Marine Plan for INTOG in 2024. Projects which then meet all the requirements of the Option Agreement, including consents, will be offered a full seabed lease.

Question reference: S6W-16170

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on (a) what the average wait time was for customers calling Scottish Water’s customer helpline and (b) how many calls were handled, in each year since 2016.

The Scottish Government is not required to hold this information. As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked Douglas Millican, Chief Executive, to respond. His response is as follows:

The average wait time for customers calling Scottish Water’s customer helpline between 1st April 2022 and 1st April 2023 was 19 seconds. The chart below provides information about how many calls were handled by Scottish Water in each year since 2016.

2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
291,453	302,925	307,146	300,825	176,176	324,939	320,906

Question reference: S6W-16156

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15763 by Maree Todd on 22 March 2023, in light of the reported increase in vaping-related illnesses and disorders among young people, whether it will consider recording and holding the data that was requested.

Parliamentary question S6W-15763 asked “how many patients under 18 have been admitted to an NHS facility for vaping-related illnesses or disorders in each year since 2019”. At that time (March 2023) Public Health Scotland (PHS) responded that these data were not currently held. However, PHS are now carrying out work to identify the number of individuals with vaping related illness in Scotland and will publish figures in July 2023.

Question reference: S6W-16219

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans (a) last visited a police station, and where that police station was, and (b) next plans to visit (i) a police station and (ii) Police Scotland's headquarters.

Question reference: S6W-16123

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15236 by Neil Gray on 1 March 2023, what support it will provide to Aberdeen City Council, in light of the announcement that it proposes to close six libraries by the end of March 2023.

We are aware of Aberdeen Council’s decision and acknowledge how difficult this is for the libraries, their staff and the communities they serve. The Scottish Government places great importance on public libraries and we believe everyone should have access to library services. As set out in response to S6W-16124 , l ibrary policy is devolved to local authorities, who have a statutory duty to ensure there is adequate provision of library services for their residents.

We recognise the financial challenges that local government are facing and the difficult choices they had to make to balance their budgets. In the most challenging budget settlement since devolution the Scottish Government is providing nearly £13.5 billion in the 2023-24 Local Government Settlement. Following the flat-cash position set out in the Resource Spending Review, we have listened to councils and are now increasing the resources available to Local Government next year by over £793 million.

In 2023-24, Aberdeen City Council will receive £436.9 million to fund local services, which equates to an extra £27.1 million to support vital day to day services or an additional 6.6 per cent compared to 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-16089

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15590 by Keith Brown on 14 March 2023, whether it will provide the data that it holds on forced marriage-related offences in Scotland in each year since 2016.

	2015-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22
Forced marriage under the Anti-social Behaviour, Crime and Policing Act 2014	0	0	0	0	3	0	1
Breaching a forced marriage protection order	0	0	0	0	0	0	0