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: S6O-01574

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry to conclude.

Question reference: S6O-01592

Asked by: Marie McNair, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to bus companies that are currently facing driver shortages.

Question reference: S6W-12075

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported data showing that rural areas in the North East Scotland region continue to experience significantly worse broadband access than the Scotland and UK averages.

Despite the area of telecommunications being wholly reserved to the UK Parliament under the provisions of the Scotland Act 1998, the Scottish Government has already stepped in and taken the lead in addressing poor broadband coverage, given its economic importance to Scotland.

Through initiatives such as the Digital Scotland Superfast Broadband (DSSB) and Reaching 100% (R100) programmes, we have connected almost one million properties to faster broadband right across Scotland.

Our R100 programme ensures that all homes and businesses can access a superfast broadband connection delivered through the £600 million R100 contracts, the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme or commercial coverage.

Question reference: S6W-11991

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11608 by Mairi Gougeon on 1 November 2022, whether it will provide a list of the infrastructure that it is, or is planning to, improve with the £4.45 million funding package.

11 projects are being funding through the Islands Programme this financial year. These include a new visitor centre and electric vehicle charging points at Old Man of Storr, nine ‘Island Pit Stops’ at Arran and Cumbrae with better facilities for visitors, a new nursery at Kirkwall to replace an existing building earmarked for demolition and improvement of critical sea front infrastructure at Tobermory. The 11 projects funded by the 2022-23 Islands Programme are:

1. Island Community Halls Digital Hubs, £100,000. Coll, Iona, Islay and Tiree.

2. Tobermory Seawall and Railings Improvements, £250,000. Mull.

3. Ionad Hiort – RIBA Stage 4 design fees, £167,000. Lewis. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar

4. Community Facilities Programme – Uist, £347,781. Berneray, North Uist, Eriskay.

5. Old Surgery Housing Enablement, £72,000. Eigg.

6. The Old Man of Storr, £440,000. Skye.

7. Regeneration of Millport Town Hall – phase 2, £509,450. Cumbrae.

8. Island Pit Stops, £540,000. Arran and Cumbrae.

9. New Kirkwall Nursery, £1,500,000. Mainland Orkney.

10. Aald Skul Enterprise Development £88,095. Mainland Shetland.

11. Papa Stour Kirk Development £252,505. Papa Stour. Shetland Islands Council.

Question reference: S6W-12039

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to maintain active connections between Ukrainian artists (a) inside Ukraine and (b) currently living in Scotland.

Scotland stands with the rest of the UK, Europe and the world in condemnation of Russia’s unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Ukraine is a nation with a rich cultural heritage, and it is of vital importance that this is protected for future generations – which includes working closely with artists and cultural organisations. That is why I recently took part in the Edinburgh International Culture Summit’s Cultural Leadership Dialogue, which brought together political and cultural leaders from countries who share a strong interest in supporting Ukrainian cultural colleagues and institutions affected by the invasion of their country, to consider practical steps for action. The Scottish Government also provided £75,000 to support the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra, comprised of more than 70 displaced Ukrainian musicians, to play a free concert at the Edinburgh International Festival, with special invites extended to the Ukrainian community in Scotland and organisations leading efforts in the resettlement of Ukrainian refugees.

Question reference: S6W-12042

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be an impact on the roll-out of R100 in the Highlands and Islands region from the reported £16 million reduction in Digital Capital Projects announced in its Emergency Budget Review on 2 November 2022.

Budgets have been realigned to take into account the updated plan agreed between the Scottish Government and our R100 delivery partner, Openreach, following on from the 19 August announcement that coverage through the R100 North contract has been extended. This plan will see Openreach align the delivery of the R100 contracts alongside the commercial work that they carry out on a day-to-day basis. This does mean that some properties will receive access earlier than planned, while some properties will receive access later than planned. The £16 million referenced in the Emergency Budget Review is still expected to be spent as part of the overall R100 contracts.

Our address checker at https://www.scotlandsuperfast.com remains the best way to track the most up-to-date connectivity status of individual properties, including the most recent plans and timescales for R100 contract build for eligible properties.

Question reference: S6W-11853

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was recently approached by Scottish Enterprise to assist any potential buyer in the purchase of Stoneywood Mill, Aberdeen.

Question reference: S6W-11980

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is reviewing whether to incorporate provision for “low-noise” or “silent” fireworks into the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 via regulation.

During the development of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 (“the Act”) the possibility of exempting “silent” or “low noise” fireworks from the provisions which aim to address the noise and disturbance associated with fireworks was considered. However engagement with a range of stakeholders, including industry experts, has confirmed that at present there is no recognised standard or specification for identifying, and therefore distinguishing, such fireworks. It is therefore not possible to exempt “low noise” fireworks from provisions within the Act at this time.

The Act does, however, include a regulation making power to enable this to be amended in future should such standards or specifications make this possible. We are continuing to engage with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regarding the results of noise level testing undertaken on common firework products. This will improve our understanding of whether any common firework products can be considered as low noise fireworks, as well as the scope to move towards such recognised standards or specifications.

Question reference: S6W-11970

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide further information on the £1.4 million Island Cost Crisis Emergency fund, which was announced by the Deputy First Minister as part of the Emergency Budget Review on 2 November 2022.

The £1.4 million Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund was developed acknowledging islands are uniquely exposed to the current cost crisis.

In line with due process, the joint Scottish Government/COSLA Settlement Distribution Group will make recommendations on the allocation mechanism for the funding at their next meeting on 15 November. COSLA Leaders will be asked to give their final sign-off on 25 November.

As soon as possible after that date we will be in a position to share further information about allocation of the Fund. However, we can share that we will allow as much flexibility to Local Authorities as possible and support them to complement existing or new measures where appropriate. Any criteria and reporting processes required will be very light touch to minimise the impact on the workloads of Local Authorities colleagues.

Question reference: S6W-11855

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was asked to provide financial assistance to any potential buyer of Stoneywood Mill, Aberdeen, and arrived at the decision not to provide any such assistance.