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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6F-01632

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01631

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-12868

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding the graduate visa scheme, with a view to allowing overseas nationals to remain in Scotland for longer than two years after successfully completing a course.

Scotland needs a system that supports our higher education sector to deliver the best learning, research and experience for those who choose to study in Scotland. The reinstatement of the Graduate Route was welcome but the scope must also be widened to include HND qualifications from Scottish institutions as was under the previous post-study work scheme and Fresh Talent. it remains clear that UK immigration system still does not address Scotland’s economic, demographic and social needs. We will continue to push UK Ministers to engage meaningfully on these issues.

Question reference: S6W-12790

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Historic Environment Scotland has allocated for the activities of its HistoricScot Youth Forum.

Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to how much funding Historic Environment Scotland has allocated for the activities of its HistoricScot Youth Forum, are best answered directly by Historic Environment Scotland.

I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing.

Question reference: S6W-12788

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it defines "managed decline" in relation to Historic Environment Scotland’s approach to managing Scotland’s historic environment.

As I indicated to the Member in response to his question S6O-00815 on 3 March 2022, I will be discussing with Historic Environment Scotland potential future management approaches for the properties in care, particularly in response to the undoubted challenges of climate change, once Historic Environment Scotland has completed its considerations. There is as yet no agreement on a definition of “managed decline” and no properties are subject to such an approach.

All answers to oral Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at Meeting of the Parliament: 03/03/2022 | Scottish Parliament Website

Question reference: S6W-12792

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to exhibit the Scottish Portrait Awards in the Highlands and Islands region, and, if so, when.

The Scottish Arts Trust is an independent charitable trust that gives artists the opportunity to showcase their work through the Scottish Portrait Awards exhibition. This is held each year in Edinburgh and Glasgow and on alternate years at the Kirkcudbright Galleries or Duff House in Banff. I understand there are no plans to exhibit in the Highlands and Islands region.

There is an online exhibition available on the Scottish Arts Trust website at https://www.scottishartstrust.org/exhibitions-artists

Question reference: S6W-12798

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Hill, Upland and Crofting Group (a) last met and (b) will next meet.

Question reference: S6W-12796

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people are currently on a waiting list to see an orthodontist, broken down by NHS board area.

Question reference: S6W-12724

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many applicants there were for Creative Scotland’s tender for a partner organisation for young people’s creative development in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-12707

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many short-term lets licences have been approved since 1 October 2022, broken down by local authority.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 requires licensing authorities to maintain and publish a public register of short-term let licences on their website, or other website established for that purpose. The register is required to include a note of the kind and terms of each licence granted by the licensing authority, as well as other information set out in paragraph 13 of Schedule 2 of the Licensing Order.

Licensing authorities are also required to share content of their public register with the Scottish Government on a quarterly basis for statistical analysis purposes. We expect to receive the first quarterly return for processing and analysis early in the new year. This initial return will include data relating to the number of short-term let licence applications received by 31 December 2022, and the status of those applications.