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-18336

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring wider strategic alignment between the Scottish AI Alliance and its (a) Digital Strategy and (b) Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review.

The Scottish AI Alliance continue to align their work with the delivery of Scotland’s Digital Strategy and the Scottish Technology Ecosystem Review (STER) programme, to realise potential synergies in areas such as infrastructure, skills, and investment. In particular, In July 2022, the Scottish Government awarded a five-year £42m contract to Codebase for the delivery of a national network of Tech Scalers. Tech scalers are a major piece of infrastructure designed to support the creation of more tech start-ups in Scotland, and to help them to grow to scale.

Similarly, while use of AI attracts a set of AI-specific ethical questions, the Scottish Government recognises that the ethical challenges and opportunities of using data and digital technologies are interlinked. Work is currently underway across several Government directorates to identify synergies and to explore how to bring the different aspects of ethics in the digital world together while ensuring responsible use of data.

We meet regularly with colleagues from across government and further afield to ensure our work is joined up and responsive.

Question reference: S6W-18342

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Faculty of Public Health, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-18404

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what metrics it plans to use to review the (a) impact in general, (b) financial impact on (i) businesses, (ii) consumers and (iii) the wider economy and (c) environmental impact of the Deposit Return Scheme.

A set of impact assessments including an Equalities Impact Assessment, Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment, Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment and Island Communities Impact Assessment were published alongside the original DRS Regulations in 2020. The financial assumptions contained within the related Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) showed the projected cost of compliance with Scotland’s DRS regulations which were passed by this Parliament. These have been updated to reflect previous amendments and we will shortly publish revisions to these in light of the amendments laid in May.

Following the UK Government’s decision not to provide a full exclusion to the Internal Market Act I have announced in parliament that we will be pushing the launch of the DRS back to October 2025.

Question reference: S6W-18410

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the ministerial statement on Ferguson Marine on 16 May 2023, what costs were incurred as part of the due diligence process that determined “that the narrow value for money case has not been made” for vessel 802.

Details of all contracts relating to the provision of independent expertise to enable completion of due diligence upon the delivery of MV Glen Sannox and Hull 802 can be found via Public Contracts Scotland.

The assessment of the value for money case was one output from the overall due diligence work undertaken. We have not received the final invoices for the entirety of our due diligence work but estimate the total costs to be around £620,000.

Question reference: S6W-18411

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any discussions took place with Cemre Marin Endustri shipyard in relation to constructing a replacement for vessel 802, and what the outcome was of any such discussions.

Question reference: S6W-18357

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the development of a National Pharmaceutical Agency, broken down by the specific purpose.

Question reference: S6W-18359

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what impact NHS Pharmacy First Scotland has had since it was launched, and what evidence it can provide to support this.

Since its introduction in July 2020, over 3 million NHS Pharmacy First Scotland consultations have taken in place across Scotland.

In the annual Dispenser Payments and Prescription Cost Analysis publication, Public Health Scotland reported that in financial year 2021-22 alone, a total of 2,954,181 Pharmacy First consultations were undertaken with 95% providing advice on self-care or treatment at the point of contact, therefore removing the need for unnecessary visits to GP practices, Out of Hour services or Emergency Department for everyday self-limiting conditions.

Consultations using PGDs in 2021/22 accounted for 4% (119,728) with 84% (100,182) being treated by the community pharmacy instead of requiring a GP/Out of Hours appointment.

Public Health Scotland has also reported that in 2021/22, 23% of the Scottish population (1,242,801 people) accessed Pharmacy First services at least once.

Question reference: S6W-18361

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants are working on NHS Pharmacy First Scotland, broken down by (a) headcount and (b) full-time equivalent figure.

Question reference: S6W-18409

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which shipyards or maritime experts were consulted as part of the process to determine that May 2027, as stated by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy during his ministerial statement on Ferguson Marine on 16 May 2023, was the earliest delivery date for a new vessel, if vessel 802 had to be retendered.

Question reference: S6W-18417

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the additional financial cost is to continue to build vessel 802 at Ferguson Marine rather than retender and build it at another shipyard.