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-01569

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to expand rail infrastructure in the South Scotland region.

Question reference: S6O-01566

Asked by: Marie McNair, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress with its plans to replace Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit.

Question reference: S6O-01570

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that people living in rural communities can access a nearby dentist.

Question reference: S6O-01564

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met NHS Fife, Fife Health and Social Care Partnership and Fife Council regarding winter pressures.

Question reference: S6O-01565

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made an assessment of the impact of carbon offset schemes on rural depopulation.

Question reference: S6O-01567

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what role car clubs can play in reducing the number of private cars in Scotland's cities.

Question reference: S6W-11728

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the launch of a Scotland-wide HIV Testing Week ahead of World AIDS Day.

The Scottish Government is committed to eliminating HIV Transmission in Scotland by 2030.

There are no current plans for a testing week in 2022. However, the Scottish Government commissioned an expert-led HIV transmission elimination proposal. Increased and more effective testing is an important focus of the report, which will be published on World AIDS Day. Plans to take that work forward will be published alongside it, and that work will consider both long and short term steps that can be taken to improve testing uptake.

In the meantime, the Scottish Government continues to provide funding to HIV Scotland to support hivtest.scot, a pilot project which provides postal HIV self-testing kits to people across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-11670

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an impact assessment on the decision to reduce the budget for apprenticeships, which has reportedly resulted in Skills Development Scotland freezing apprentice places and budgets.

Apprenticeships are a key way for employers to invest in their workforce, providing the skills the economy needs now and in the future. As part of our recovery, we are committed to building back up to 30,000 apprenticeship starts.

There is no freeze on Modern Apprenticeships this year. SDS will continue to deliver at least 25,000 new Modern Apprenticeship starts this financial year to ensure we maintain momentum and build on the progress in 2021-22 as we work back towards our target of 30,000 apprenticeship starts annually.

It is standard practice for SDS to review changing demand for Modern Apprenticeship starts in-year, and they adjust the number of starts allocated to respond as appropriate within their budget. SDS will continue to follow this process and keep under review whether any additional starts can be allocated to providers within this financial year.

Ultimately these are operational decisions for SDS and it remains for them to continue to manage programmes within their budget and in line with Ministers’ expectations.

Question reference: S6W-11653

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of secondary school pupils have received education on the Holocaust during their time at school in the school year 2021-22.

The Curriculum for Excellence enables teachers to tailor the content of lessons to best suit learners in their particular circumstances. Within the broad general education there is the opportunity to teach the Holocaust, not only within social studies, but across the wider curriculum. There is also an opportunity to teach the Holocaust within the History qualifications in the senior phase.

Scottish Government does not hold information on the percentage of secondary school pupils who have received education on the Holocaust during the 2021-22 school year, however a wide range of resources are available for schools to promote learning and teaching about, and remembrance of, the Holocaust. These resources focus on the Holocaust but also promote awareness of Jewish people, culture and their contribution to society and address the issue of antisemitism in the world today. Professional learning to support teachers to embed Holocaust education across secondary schools in Scotland is also available, including a subsidised standalone Masters module on Citizenship and Holocaust Education.

Question reference: S6W-11582

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of any unsuccessful applicants to its Just Transition Fund: year one projects, and whether unsuccessful applicants are permitted to apply for the next round of funding.