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-16610

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken with (a) COSLA and (b) local authorities to develop national standards for council tax collection.

Council Tax is a local tax, and each council is financially and administratively accountable to their electorate.

However, we recognise the desirability of the best practice in council tax collection being adopted by all local authorities. I therefore raised the issue of Council Tax Debt and Recovery, including highlighting the recommendations of the Improvement Service and Stepchange Scotland’s May 2022 report on Collaborative Council Tax Collection, with the COSLA President, Vice President and Resources Spokesperson at a meeting of the ‘Joint Working Group on Sourcing of Local Government Funding and Council Tax Reform’, on 22 March 2023.

Question reference: S6W-16366

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether imprisoning violent offenders is an effective method of violence reduction.

Protecting victims and the public from harm is the Scottish Government’s absolute priority.

Prison will remain a necessary option, particularly for those who pose a risk of serious harm, in removing the individual from the community and reducing the likelihood of further offending for the duration of their sentence. As reflected in our National Strategy for Community Justice, there is also clear evidence that community-based sentences can be more effective in reducing reoffending and assisting with rehabilitation than short term custodial sentences, while protecting the public and robustly managing risk.

Overall, taking an individualised approach is therefore critical. Sentencing decisions in each individual case are, of course, a matter for the independent courts to make within the legislative framework set by Parliament, taking all the relevant facts and circumstances of each case into account.

Question reference: S6W-16344

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scotch whisky industry regarding the inclusion of glass in the Deposit Return Scheme, and what the outcomes were of any such meetings.

The Scottish Government meets regularly with representatives of the Scotch whisky industry to discuss Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). The Scotch Whisky Association is a member of the DRS System Wide Assurance Group which meets often to monitor the progress of the scheme’s implementation.

Most recently, on 20 April this year, the First Minister and the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy, and Biodiversity, met with industry leaders, including representatives from the Scotch Whisky Association and other producers and retailers to discuss DRS and how all parties can work together to ensure a successful launch on 1 March 2024.

Question reference: S6W-16543

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to understand more fully any changes in the behaviour of taxpayers in Scotland following tax increases, and whether it has developed a strategy to address any such changes.

Evidence on behavioural responses is an essential consideration for tax policy decisions.

The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the risks and benefits arising from behavioural responses to changes in devolved taxation policy, and actively works with stakeholders, such as HMRC, and subject matter experts, to monitor and continually improve the evidence base to help inform policy development. We will consider opportunities to update Parliament in the future, when appropriate.

In line with our Framework for Tax, and to further transparency and public debate, HMRC and the Scottish Government published studies on the Scottish Government’s 2018-19 Income Tax reforms which showed limited evidence of Scottish taxpayers lowering their taxable income in response to increasing tax rates.

Alongside regular monitoring of the tax base, the Scottish Government also works with tax administration authorities to proactively consider and address any possible emerging compliance issues.

Question reference: S6T-01336

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent report by Friends of the Earth Scotland, which suggests that additional investment is required in public transport if the Scottish Government is to meet its target of reducing car kilometres by 20% by 2030.

Question reference: S6T-01332

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the SQA regarding the preparations for this year’s exams.

Question reference: S6T-01335

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent report by NUS Scotland, which stated that more than a fifth of international students in Scotland have experienced homelessness during their studies.

Question reference: S6F-02053

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that published NHS waiting times for treatment are accurate.

Question reference: S6F-02048

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to Alcohol Focus Scotland’s emergency call to urgently take action to prevent further deaths and reduce harm from alcohol.

Question reference: S6F-02046

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 April 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to new Police Scotland statistics showing that the number of recorded rapes has increased to its highest level in six years.