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-11431

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 4 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects GPs holding telephone consultations with patients to be able to offer them an in-person appointment if clinically required, and, if so, within what timescale.

Question reference: S6W-11435

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02276 by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021, whether any further measures have been employed to improve road safety at the A9 Birnam and Dunkeld junctions.

The works to resurface the A9 around the A822/A923 junction at Dunkeld were completed in late 2021, including changes to road markings to prohibit overtaking through the junction. Illuminated road studs were also installed as part of these works to provide better definition of the junctions during darkness. Solar powered illuminated bollards were also installed at five junctions between the B867 and Dalguise.

In advance of future dualling works Transport Scotland is currently considering further short-term improvements for the A9 between Perth and Inverness, which includes the Birnam and Dunkeld junctions. Officials met with community representatives from the area on 31 October to discuss road safety performance and the scope for short term improvements.

Question reference: S6W-11449

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 4 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) review the financial support available for 18- to 25-year-olds with cancer and (b) expand the support available to this age group, if it is considered necessary.

Those aged between 18 – 25 years old continue to have access to the Patient Travel Expenses Scheme or the Highlands and Islands Travel Scheme, both of which provide eligible claimants with support to meet travel costs associated with outpatient appointments.

Further to this, the introduction of the Improving the Cancer Journey scheme provides all adults diagnosed with cancer with the opportunity to be referred to a link officer under the joint partnership. The link officer will complete a Holistic Needs Assessment and will generate a care plan to meet the needs identified. This programme is the first of its kind in the UK. It looks to ensure that every cancer patient who can access emotional, financial and practical support. Local community assets can at this stage be identified and utilised to support the service user in meeting their needs.

Question reference: S6W-11699

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the monitoring of seals that have been rehabilitated and then released, in order to identify any unusual behaviour that could be potentially damaging to native species.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any monitoring that takes place with regards to the release of rehabilitated seals from rescue centres. However, advice from the Special Committee on Seals ( 2019 Report ) is that rehabilitated seals typically behave like wild seals shortly following release. Rehabilitated seals are released back into the wild close to the sites at which they were found. No non-native seals are released in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-11734

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 4 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans for (a) ministers and (b) official delegations to visit Qatar during the 2022 World Cup.

Question reference: S6W-11601

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11176 by Mairi McAllan on 5 October 2022, when the work by the environmental consultant will commence at the Tarbolton Moss landfill site.

With funding from the Scottish Government, in December 2021, SEPA contracted an environmental consultant to manage the construction of a leachate management system at the former landfill site at Tarbolton Moss, to prevent the ongoing discharges of landfill leachate to neighbouring watercourses and make it possible for leachate disposal to the public sewerage system. The design phase is now complete. As the answer to S6W-11600 on the 4 November 2022 updates, we are working with public partners to begin work to implement leachate management as soon as possible. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-11602

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11176 by Mairi McAllan on 5 October 2022, whether it is the case that SEPA found no increase associated with the migration of landfill gas or impact to groundwater from leachate at the Tarbolton Moss landfill site.

SEPA continues to monitor ongoing environmental risks at the site and completed its latest survey in August 2022. This found no significant increasing trends associated with the migration of landfill gas or impact to groundwater from leachate.

SEPA publishes monitoring updates and the latest update (August 2022) will be available shortly here: Tarbolton Moss Landfill | Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA)

Question reference: S6W-11450

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 4 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of its £500 million Whole Family Wellbeing Fund has been allocated in (a) 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23.

The Scottish Government provided £3.275 million in 2021-22 to local authorities and the third sector to provide direct support to families in financial crisis. This funding was targeted at families with children who are on the edge of care, or have experience of care. In 2022-23, the Scottish Government has committed to providing the first £50 million of the £500 million Whole Family Wellbeing Funding.

Question reference: S6W-11451

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 4 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to measure and monitor the impact of its £500 million Whole Family Wellbeing Fund.

Given the scale of change and the associated ambitions, the Scottish Government has made a commitment to undertake a rigorous monitoring and evaluation of the Whole Family Wellbeing Funding (WFWF) up to 2025-26.

The evaluation process is divided into two stages. We have commissioned an independent social and market research agency, IFF Research, to undertake an initial evaluation of the first year of the funding. The year 1 evaluation report will be published by late 2023. The second stage of the monitoring and evaluation of WFWF for the period 2023-2026 is currently being developed in close consultation with key stakeholders.

Question reference: S6W-11739

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 4 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comments by the Law Society of Scotland that thousands of people in the most deprived communities are facing a "chronic shortage of civil legal aid firms".

Civil solicitors have always covered a wide geographical area. The location of firms does not appear to support the assertion that advice is not available. Unlike in other jurisdictions, the Scottish Government has maintained wide access to legal aid for civil law issues. In addition to the availability of legal aid for private legal firms, we also fund a number of law centres who provide advice and representation on issues not normally dealt with by commercial firms, as well as localised advice providers who are supported by grant funding from the legal aid fund. We also fund public legal services through the Civil Legal Assistance Office. All of these services can and do operate across a wide geographic area.