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-14625

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that producers and retailers are receiving conflicting information regarding the Deposit Return Scheme from SEPA and Circularity Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-15359

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have had legal action taken against them in relation to non-payment of social care charges in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-14775

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08832 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 June 2022, whether it will provide updated figures on how many of the (a) laptops and (b) tablets due to be provided to school pupils in (i) South Ayrshire and (ii) East Ayrshire are yet to be distributed.

I refer the member to answer to question S6W-08832 on 7 June 2022. 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

These devices were funded in 2020/21 to tackle digital exclusion as a result of school closures caused by the pandemic. Individual local authorities across Scotland have also undertaken their own digital inclusion schemes and have invested in devices from their own budgets.

We continue to work with local authorities on plans to ensure every school-aged child has access to a device and connectivity by the end of this parliamentary term in 2026.

Question reference: S6W-14537

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current estimated total cost, including design, contract management, construction, legal, and administrative costs, is for the upgrading of the ferry terminal at Lochmaddy to allow its use by Hull 802, and what percentage of the total cost will be funded by (a) it and (b) other bodies.

The works at each of the ports as part of the Skye Triangle Infrastructure programme (Tarbert, Lochmaddy & Uig) are aimed at replacing life expired infrastructure, improving resilience and increasing the range of vessels that can use the ports. The Lochmaddy project is estimated to cost £21million. Our response to the Freedom of Information Request 2022-00297832 published in July 2022 outlined that we have offered a capital funding contribution of up to £15,747million with the remaining contribution to be met by the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CNES) as statutory harbour authority.

Question reference: S6W-14547

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have expressed interest in the Community Bus Fund.

Question reference: S6W-14569

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what modifications it has made to the PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 standards to take account of Scottish climate, housing stock and energy efficiency requirements.

Question reference: S6W-14567

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) colleges and (b) training providers offer PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 training courses in Scotland, and what information it has on how this compares with the UK as a whole.

Question reference: S6W-14902

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 300 additional interim care home beds, identified in January 2023, have since been used, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-15143

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the February 2023 Literature Alliance Scotland publication, Freelance Report, The experience of being a freelancer in the Scottish literature, languages and publishing sector.

The Scottish Government recognises the substantial challenges that Brexit, the Covid-19 pandemic and the cost crisis have presented to self-employed people and freelancers in the creative industries, including the literature, languages and publishing sectors.

The Scottish Government’s vision is for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025. We want fair work to be the norm for workers and employers in workplaces across Scotland – in all types and sizes of organisation and in all locations.

The Scottish Government will consider the report in parallel with the Culture Radar review of Fair Work within the sector, commissioned by Creative Scotland on behalf of Scottish Government. This review has now concluded and Scottish Government is currently considering the recommendations. We will also review the findings of the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre’s recently published ‘Good Work Review’, an independent review of working conditions in the creative sector.

Officials continue to meet regularly with the STUC and affiliate unions representatives of the cultural sector to discuss key issues impacting workers in the culture sector, including issues around freelancers and Fair Work.

Question reference: S6W-15018

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to remove any asbestos from NHS Scotland premises.

We recognise the hazard of asbestos and the risks to health it poses. However, asbestos is only dangerous when it is disturbed or in poor condition. The Health and Safety Executive’s guidance states that it is safe for asbestos to remain in place if it is in good condition, well-protected and unlikely to be disturbed. Health boards carry out annual asbestos monitoring surveys and asbestos management plans are in place across the NHS estate. The Scottish Government will double its NHS estate maintenance budget and health boards can use that money to remove asbestos as and when it is appropriate to do so.