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-15940

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, how many of the (a) 46 diesel vehicles and (b) 16 petrol cars in the fleet that it and its agencies run were purchased in each year from 2018 to 2023 to date.

A list of all diesel and petrol vehicle purchases since 2018 is provided in the following table.

The 2 most recent purchases, a Mercedes Sprinter and Vito Minibus Combo are used for specific business related purposes. The Mercedes is used by Marine Scotland to transport shipping supplies and equipment throughout Scotland, whilst the Vito Minibus is used by our Video Production Team to transport team members and bulky audio visual equipment. At the time of purchase, there were no suitable fully electric (EV) or plug in hybrid (PHEV) alternatives available.

Year	Diesel purchases	Petrol purchases
2018-19	8	0
2019-20	6	0
2020-21	3	0
2021-22	0	0
2022-23	2	0

Question reference: S6W-15977

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many prosecutions there have been of jet ski owners for infringements on Loch Lomond since the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park was established.

The Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database does not hold information on the specific type of vessel involved in charges prosecuted under Loch Lomond Byelaws.

The Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal Service were able to manually search relevant case records and confirmed that as at 21 March 2023 a total of three people have been prosecuted for offences involving a jet ski under Loch Lomond Byelaws 2013 B3.5(1)&3.17 - Knowingly/recklessly/negligently navigate and behaviour of vessel (where vessel involved is a jet ski).

Question reference: S6W-16135

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to ban the use of direct emissions heating systems for existing off-gas-grid properties from 2025.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy confirms our intention to introduce legislation (subject to consultation) prohibiting the use of direct emission heating systems in Scotland’s homes by 2045. We plan to introduce such requirements from 2025 and are developing approaches to phasing in these regulations across the housing stock. As committed to in this year’s Programme for Government, we will consult on our proposals for this legislation this year.

Question reference: S6W-14938

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it expects to appoint a full-time chief executive officer of Scottish Rail Holdings.

Question reference: S6W-15387

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15004 by Richard Lochhead on 23 February 2023, whether it will work with Glasgow City Council to examine the technical feasibility of leasing or selling the air rights above the M8 in central Glasgow for commercial and/or residential development, as an alternative business model to financing the capping or decking over of the west flank of the motorway between St George's Cross, Charing Cross and Anderston Cross (at junctions 17 to 19).

I am aware of Glasgow City Council’s ambitions for a proposed M8 ‘garden cap’. Given that this proposal is about the wider public realm and land-use within the city it is more appropriate that this work is led by the City Council.

Transport Scotland will continue to engage constructively with the City Council where proposals or projects are considered to have a potential impact on transport assets and services owned and or provided by Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S6W-16093

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15024 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 March 2023, whether (a) the Minister for Transport, (b) CMAL and (c) Transport Scotland officials have held meetings with representatives of Pentland Ferries, from 1 October 2022 to date, regarding the chartering of the MV Alfred for the Clyde and Hebrides network, and, if so, when any such meetings took place.

Question reference: S6T-01299

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on targeted counsellor funding for colleges and universities.

Question reference: S6T-01294

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to recent reported analysis by Health Equals, which shows that poverty-driven health inequalities are reducing life expectancy among people who live in the most deprived areas.

Question reference: S6F-01996

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential impact of the anticipated 1 April rise in energy bills on household finances in Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-01981

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the poverty statistics published last week in the report, Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2019-22.