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-17935

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many outstanding cases of human trafficking have yet to lead to a prosecution due to court backlogs.

The Scottish Government does not hold the requested information.

Any form of human trafficking is completely unacceptable. Through the Victim Centred Approach Fund, we are providing record funding of more than £9 million over the period 1 April 2022 – 31 March 2025 to organisations supporting victims of human trafficking.

We have a strong track record on court investment, and continue to prioritise supporting justice partners to address the backlog.

The 2023-24 budget allocates £42.2 million for justice recovery, which includes over £26 million for the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) to maintain enhanced court capacity. We have also increased SCTS’s resource funding by £5 million, and provided record resource funding for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

Question reference: S6W-17924

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage NHS boards to adopt the coeliac disease clinical pathway, in line with the Once for Scotland approach.

In 2018, a new national evidence-based pathway for coeliac disease was launched across four health boards (NHS Lothian, NHS Lanarkshire, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and NHS Tayside). It was funded by Scottish Government’s Modernising Patient Pathways Programme (MPPP) and co-produced in partnership with key stakeholders including Coeliac UK, and people living with coeliac disease and clinicians.

We recognise that more needs to be done and we expect all Health Boards to fully implement the pathway in order to improve services and ensure that, with dietetic person-centred support, people with coeliac disease take control of their condition and manage its impact on their health and quality of life.

We continue to support NHS Boards on the adoption of the pathway through our representation on the Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Elective Care Group (EUDECG) which includes representation from all key stakeholders to support delivery, including NHS Boards and Endoscopy units across the country, in line with our Once for Scotland approach.

Question reference: S6W-17958

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16779 by Patrick Harvie on 27 April 2023, who will be responsible for managing the coordination of suppliers at local level, to ensure that they have the skills and quality marks required, in time for the roll-out of delivery plans, and what it anticipates will be the role of local authorities in this.

Ensuring that we have a suitably qualified workforce in place will be imperative for delivering a smooth rollout of energy efficiency and zero emission heating measures which will support us to achieve our net zero ambitions.

We currently offer support to the sector through a number of schemes which includes the Low Carbon Skills Grant which is available to heating and plumbing apprentices’ to undertake heat pump training as part of their qualification.

To further ensure the quality of works carried out we also provide funding to assist Scottish SMEs installing heat pumps in achieving MCS certification for the first time through the MCS Certification Fund.

We will continue to keep our offers of support under review to ensure that they are aligned at a local level with business needs and future local demands.

Delivery partners for each scheme, including local authorities where relevant, are currently responsible for the coordination of suppliers to ensure they have sufficient capacity in place to deliver schemes. It is likely that this arrangement will continue but we are committed to working with delivery partners to support the development of local and national supply chains and skills.

Question reference: S6W-18164

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the extension of the Delivering Equally Safe Fund until March 2025, whether it has taken steps to ensure that rape crisis centres are able to apply for additional funding before the introduction of its proposed new funding model for specialist services for women and girls affected by gender-based violence.

In March 2022, the Scottish Government agreed that the Delivering Equally Safe (DES) funding period should be extended beyond September 2023, to allow suitable lead in time for a new funding model to be developed, following the conclusion of the Independent Strategic Funding Review.

Rape Crisis Scotland (RCS) and its centres will continue to receive Delivering Equally Safe (DES) Funding until March 2025, along with all the other DES funded projects.

Ministers will consider the Funding Review findings when they are published on 6 June.

Question reference: S6W-17978

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many ATM sites have benefitted from 100% rates relief through the Small Business Bonus Scheme.

Table 1 shows the number of ATM sites in receipt of 100% rates relief through the Small Business Bonus Scheme since 2018.

Table 1: ATM sites in receipt of 100% Small Business Bonus Scheme relief

Year	Number of ATM sites
2018	45
2019	61
2020	65
2021	53
2022	35

Source: Billing Snapshot 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022.

The Billing Snapshot dates were 1 June 2018, 31 May 2019, 1 July 2020, 1 June 2021, and 1 July 2022.

In rural areas, the sites of ATMs are exempt from rating, including buildings in which the ATM is situated if the building is used only for the purpose of the ATM.

Question reference: S6W-17736

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date its More Homes Division next plans to publish an updated Affordable Housing Supply Programme: process and procedures guidance note, and for what reasons it did not do so at the beginning of the current financial year.

Question reference: S6W-17996

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with the Scottish Event Campus (SEC) management team regarding financing for its proposed expansion, which secured planning permission in principle from Glasgow City Council in June 2021, and what its position is on whether the proposed investment in expanded facilities (a) would offer a positive return on investment and (b) is critical to maintaining the international competitiveness of Glasgow as a global conference and events destination.

There have been no discussions with the SEC management team specifically on the financing of the proposed expansion since it was raised with the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture in April 2022. Due to budgetary pressures, we are unable to provide a capital finance package to fund the planned expansion. However, we continue to engage with the SEC, which has an excellent track record and reputation for hosting conferences and events, to build on their success.

Question reference: S6W-17995

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether (a) retaining Glasgow Prestwick Airport in public ownership and control under Prestwick Aviation Holdings Limited is (i) in the public interest and (ii) the best way to realise the long-term economic and industrial development potential of the site and (b) the site is strategically important for the Scottish economy.

The Scottish Government intervened to secure the future of Glasgow Prestwick Airport when the business was under threat of closure. It was in the public interest to secure the continued operation of Glasgow Prestwick Airport as an asset of strategic importance to Scotland.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport has performed well in a highly competitive aviation market and is now a profitable business, however we remain committed to returning the airport to private ownership at the appropriate time. Any decision to sell Prestwick Airport must be informed by what is right for the long-term success of the business and it's contribution to the local and Scottish economy.

There is considerable potential for Glasgow Prestwick Airport to drive economic development as the anchor of an aerospace cluster in South Ayrshire. The Scottish Government will work with all relevant parties to make the most of this opportunity.

Question reference: S6W-18020

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have been reimbursed by NHS Scotland for private surgery in other parts of UK in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-18018

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current levels of public debt in the public sector.

Every Public Body publishes an Annual Report and Accounts which will include details of amounts owed to them. These annual accounts will normally be available online on the website of the individual organisation.

The Scottish Government continues to support struggling households, which is why both last year and this, we have allocated almost £3 billion to support policies which tackle poverty and protect people as far as possible during the ongoing cost of living crisis. We will also allocate at least £11 million in 2023-24 to support free debt, welfare and income maximisation advice.