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-30864

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 October 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which bodies provide accreditation for the provision of counselling in schools for children aged 10 and over.

Question reference: S6W-30873

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 October 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the adequacy of the NHS non-emergency patient transport service in meeting the specific clinical and logistical needs of young cancer patients under 25, in light of any need they may have to travel as a family unit, their immunocompromised status and the often significant treatment-related side effects that they may endure.

Question reference: S6W-30860

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 October 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) High, (b) Sheriff and (c) Justice of the Peace Court trials (i) have been delayed since April 2024 and (ii) were delayed in each year since 2017-18.

Question reference: S6W-30865

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 October 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any work that it has been undertaking to treat prescription pharmaceuticals in wastewater.

Question reference: S6W-30868

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 October 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answer expected on 22 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the economic impact was for Scotland of The 152nd Open, a major golf championship in 2024, and what plans are in place to ensure that Scotland continues to stage The R&A’s major championships.

Question reference: S6W-30486

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 25 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report, Gender and the Housing Emergency, whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to "encourage the acquisition of larger properties specifically for households with children trapped in temporary accommodation".

The Scottish Government recognises the need to increase the supply of affordable homes, including larger properties suitable for households with children. The Scottish Government has allocated additional capital of £40 million in each of the next two financial years to support acquisitions and, where appropriate, to help bring long term empty social homes back into use. This builds on the success of last year’s National Acquisition Programme, which invested more than £83 million in 2023-24 and helped deliver almost 1,500 affordable homes. This additional £40 million takes our total investment in affordable housing to almost £600 million in 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-30385

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the off-peak 15-minute express rail service frequency between Glasgow Queen Street's high level terminus and Edinburgh Waverley will be restored.

Whilst services on the main Edinburgh to Glasgow via Falkirk High route ran every 15 minutes prior to the Covid pandemic, ScotRail reported an underutilisation of resources, which was addressed with ScotRail’s ‘Fit for Future’ timetable re-shuffle in 2022.

With 4 services per hour in peak times, and 2 services per hour off peak on week days, this route is currently served well and provides the required capacity at the times people need it.

ScotRail monitors the passenger demand closely and wherever possible, increases capacity where it is required. As part of May 2023 timetable change ScotRail increased the number of services on Saturdays, which is now the busiest day on this route. As a result, passengers enjoy 4 services per hour on Saturdays during the day.

Question reference: S6W-30491

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 25 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations of Shelter Scotland and Engender's recent joint report, Gender and the Housing Emergency, what its position is on whether there is an "urgent need for gendered [temporary accommodation] in Scotland, in particular for women with children", and what engagement it has had with local authorities to ensure that availability of this type of temporary accommodation is increased.

The Scottish Government’s ambition is to prevent homelessness, where possible, to avoid the need for temporary accommodation. We understand, however, that there is a need for more suitable temporary accommodation, which would include accommodation suitable for the needs of women with children.

The Scottish Government has taken action to increase the supply of suitable accommodation, in particular, larger properties suitable for households with children. Scottish Government investment of more than £83 million in our National Acquisition Programme in 2023-24 delivered almost 1,500 affordable homes. This assisted local authorities’ efforts to ensure households with children who have been living in temporary accommodation for longer periods are supported into suitable settled housing.

The Scottish Government has allocated additional capital of £40 million to the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in each of the next two financial years. As women make up the majority (74%) of single parent households assessed as homeless, this will benefit them most.

In our engagement with local authorities to date, we have been clear that increasing the supply of social housing suitable for families is needed to reduce the number of children in temporary accommodation, a key Scottish Government objective in tackling child poverty.

Question reference: S6W-30387

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when a decision will be made on reallowing alcohol at certain times on ScotRail services.

The Scottish Government is aware that passengers, ScotRail staff and other stakeholders hold a wide range of views about alcohol on trains.

Ministers continue to consider this wide range of diverging views in line with the broad range of recommendations made in our report on women and girls’ safety on public transport and in the context of ongoing initiatives to tackle antisocial behaviour on public transport.

Question reference: S6W-30835

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 21 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs there are currently in the low-carbon economy, and how this compares with each of the last seven years.