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-15662

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport has used WhatsApp to discuss government business.

Question reference: S6W-15675

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Minister for Community Safety has used WhatsApp to discuss government business.

Question reference: S6W-15663

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government has used WhatsApp to discuss government business.

Question reference: S6W-15646

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it plans to publish its public sector pay policy 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-15658

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy has used WhatsApp to discuss government business.

Question reference: S6W-15654

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister has used WhatsApp to discuss government business.

Substantive government business and communication between Ministers and officials is normally conducted using email on the SCOTS IT platform. Mobile messaging apps can be a useful communication tool to support the delivery of business, particularly in relation to business continuity or staff welfare. We have a clear policy whereby any information which relates to the substance of government decision making must be transposed to the official record and retained.

Question reference: S6W-15522

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position on whether the Rosebank oil field should go ahead.

As I have said previously, oil and gas exploration and production, including licensing, remains reserved to UK Government. Our position on oil & gas licensing is clear , unlimited extraction of fossil fuels is not consistent with our climate obligations and meeting the Paris Agreement target of 1.5 degrees. Nor is it the right solution to the real cost of living crisis families are facing, when to reduce energy costs we need to reduce our dependency on fossil fuels. This means investing more in renewable energy and energy efficiency.

W e have consistently called on the UK Government, to urgently re-assess all approved offshore oil and gas licenses where drilling has not yet commenced, against our climate commitments.

Instead of licensing for more fossil fuel extraction, the UK Government should be encouraging investment in renewables and supporting a just transition for our energy sector and for Scottish households, and businesses.

Question reference: S6W-15515

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when its ministers last met with UK ministers to discuss the proposed Rosebank oil field development.

Scottish Government is clear that unlimited extraction of fossil fuels is not consistent with our climate obligations and is not the right solution to the real cost of living crisis families are facing.

The First Minister called on the UK Government for a four nations’ discussion to agree on a final Climate Compatibility Checkpoint process – a call which was ignored. It is disappointing that the Climate Compatibility Test proposed by the UK Government is limited to new exploration, and that the bar has been set so low in terms of the Test itself. It is a lightweight version of the Test consulted upon earlier this year.

That is why we are consulting on what factors should be considered in assessing the impact of new oil and gas production and if this test should be applied to fields that are already consented but not yet in production as well as new exploration (if exploration continues) in the context of the global goals of the Paris Agreement.

Question reference: S6T-01253

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Circularity Scotland expects to make £57 million a year by the public failing to return containers, and that this is part of the company's business model.

Question reference: S6T-01262

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people it estimates have not taken up the free bus pass.