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-16218

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers are currently funded by local authorities from council budgets, rather than by it directly.

Question reference: S6W-16214

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Police Scotland's tweet of 19 March 2023, which stated that "A new Emergency Alert mobile phone warning service is being trialled in Scotland from today by the Scottish Government", whether it told Police Scotland that the trial of the UK-wide Emergency Alert system was a Scottish Government-initiated trial.

The Scottish Government has been clear in its communication with partners and stakeholders that the Emergency Alerts System is fully funded and owned by the UK Government; and that the Scottish Government has agreed to participate in a trial coordinated by UK Government, recognising that the content of any alerts issued in Scotland is likely to be in relation to devolved matters.

Police Scotland’s tweet of 19 March 2023 included a link to a post on the main Scottish Government account which directed viewers to the dedicated UK Government Emergency Alerts web pages.

The introductory paragraph on those pages states: “Emergency Alerts is a UK government service that will warn you if there’s a danger to life nearby.”

The Scottish Government continues to engage with UK Government and other UK nations, Scottish partners and stakeholders to ensure that the information about the trial is accurate and shared widely.

Question reference: S6W-17008

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15648 by Humza Yousaf on 20 March 2023, how many vacancies for consultant-level obstetrician gynaecologists there currently are in NHS (a) Lanarkshire and (b) Forth Valley.

Question reference: S6W-17012

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to improving the (a) ease and (b) consistency of public access to Fatal Accident Inquiry records, in light of reports that only the 50 most recent records from 2022 onwards are easily accessible on the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service website, without the use of the search function.

Question reference: S6W-17013

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent changes have been made to the ability of the public to access Fatal Accident Inquiry records, including any related changes made on the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service website.

Question reference: S6W-16894

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that landlords are divesting from Scottish property markets as a result of the higher rate of additional dwelling supplement compared to England.

The Scottish Government recognises the role that the private rented sector plays in meeting Scotland’s housing need. However, tax is just one of a wide range of financial, regulatory and other considerations that landlords will need to consider when making their investment decisions.

The Scottish Government continuously monitors and considers all available data regarding the impact of LBTT and the ADS on the housing market. Furthermore, I would note that the Scottish Government is continuing to support the emergence of the large-scale private rented sector through the exemption from ADS for purchases of 6 or more properties.

Increasing the ADS is expected to raise an additional £34m in 2023-24, with the ADS forecast to raise £165m in total. This rate increase protects opportunities for first-time buyers and raises vital revenue to support high national priorities, including education and health.

Question reference: S6W-16635

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the French National Assembly on 5 October 2022.

Jean-Louis Bourlanges and I had a constructive meeting last year during which we discussed my visit, relations between France and Scotland, and the wider political situation, including Ukraine.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions. However, Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.

Question reference: S6W-17079

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on how many occasions the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (a) excused and (b) exempted a potential juror from appearing for jury duty because the court location was not accessible for disabled people, in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S6W-17076

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of the cost of living crisis on the Edinburgh festivals in 2023.

The Scottish Government recognises the profound impact the current cost crisis is having across Scotland.

While we have had to make difficult choices to live within budgets, we have also listened to the concerns raised by the wider culture sector across Scotland and the specific challenges Edinburgh festivals continue to face.

As referred to in the answer to question S6W-11081 on 29 September 2022, the Scottish Government will remain in an honest and open dialogue with the festivals organisers in an ongoing assessment of their individual situations to establish how best to assess the impact of issues impacting festivals, offer appropriate support where possible and use what levers we can to mitigate the various issues related to rising costs, while ensuring the protection of the most vulnerable in our society.

As well as our support to the culture sector and Edinburgh festivals during previous years, the Scottish Government have confirmed that fourteen major festivals in Edinburgh and Glasgow will receive a share of this year’s £1.8 million EXPO Fund.

Since the fund was established by the Scottish Government in 2007, the EXPO fund’s aim remains to build innovation across the Edinburgh festivals, support domestic performances and maximise national and international opportunities for the artists contributing to the festivals to find new audiences further afield.

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-17081

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that all court locations managed by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service are accessible for disabled people.