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-15621

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons the percentage of children participating in the General Dental Service fell from 97% in September 2007 to 63.9% in September 2021.

Due to the onset of the pandemic in Scotland all routine dental services ceased from 23 March 2020, with emergency and urgent dental care being provided by dedicated urgent dental care centres from NHS Boards.

The majority of dental services require the use of an aerosol which carries a higher risk of viral transmission. Dental services operated under specific infection, prevention and control measures for two years to April 2022.

Question reference: S6W-15686

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the deferral rate for disabled people entering higher education has been in each of the last 10 years.

Information on the deferral rate for disabled students entering Higher Education is not held by the Scottish Government.

UCAS collect and publish information each year on the number of applicants, applications and acceptances for UK providers. As part of their releases, UCAS publish the number of acceptances who defer entry to a later year split by Domicile, Age and Gender, in their interactive dashboard. Deferral rates for those with a Disability Declared are not included.

UCAS Undergraduate end of cycle data resources 2022 | Undergraduate | UCAS

UCAS do publish the number of acceptances with a Disability Declared overall. This shows in the 2022 cycle, there were 6,535 Scottish domiciled acceptances with a Disability Declared, 17.5% of all Scottish domiciled acceptances.

Scottish Domiciled acceptances to UK providers, by disability
	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Disability Declared	3,195	3,510	3,775	4,290	4,560	5,450	5,865	6,535
No Disability Declared	31,580	32,165	32,760	32,820	31,160	33,060	33,435	30,785
Total	34,775	35,670	36,540	37,105	35,725	38,510	39,300	37,320
% Disability Declared	9.2%	9.8%	10.3%	11.6%	12.8%	14.2%	14.9%	17.5%
Source: UCAS End of Cycle 2022
Data not included prior to 2015 due to methodology changes in those included in the UCAS main Scheme.
Data only published for UK providers, not Scottish providers.

Question reference: S6W-15567

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any bridge upgrades that may be needed in the future, broken down by local authority area.

From our latest review of the trunk road network there are 35 bridges which have been identified as requiring upgrades. These are located within the following Local Authority areas:

Local Authority Area	Number of Bridges
Highland	19
Argyle & Bute	1
Falkirk	1
Stirling	6
Inverness	1
Moray	2
Borders	1
West Dunbartonshire	2
Dumfries and Galloway	2
Total	35

Transport Scotland does not hold the above information for structures maintained by Local Authorities.

Question reference: S6W-15971

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to revise national planning rules in relation to domestic energy microgeneration, such as photovoltaic arrays on roofs, in conservation areas, following the publication of the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4).

Question reference: S6W-15951

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the percentage of the eligible population that have been cited for jury service in the past year.

Question reference: S6W-15974

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on efforts to assist the workforce of Stoneywood paper mill, in Aberdeen, since the paper mill ceased operations.

The Scottish Government, through our initiative for responding to redundancy situations, Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE), has provided continuous support to assist the workforce of Stoneywood paper mill, in Aberdeen.

On 22 September 2022, PACE information was supplied to the administrator, Interpath Advisory, for distribution to the workforce immediately following the announcement of redundancies, to facilitate their self-referral to PACE services. As previously advised, a PACE support and employment event took place on 29 September, which was attended by approximately 136 individuals, followed by a Jobs Fair on 10 October, which was attended by approximately 500 individuals. Additional PACE support has also been routinely provided to the retained Arjowiggins staff, which included onsite delivery on 11, 24 and 31 January 2023. Further on site delivery may take place with retained staff, should demand be confirmed.

Question reference: S6W-15950

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on how many people have been excused as of right from jury duty in the past year, and, of those, how many were excused because they had (a) already served on a jury in the last five years and (b) been cited but not selected in the last two years.

Question reference: S6W-15952

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ever carried out an analysis of any impact that jury duty citations may have on the wider economy.

Question reference: S6W-15837

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the wide package of bereavement support as referenced in the letter from the Minister for Mental Wellbeing and Social Care to the Chair and Scotland’s Commissioners of the UK Commission on Bereavement, dated 28 December 2022.

As set out in the answers to questions S6W-15835 and S6W-15839 on 21 March 2023 the Scottish Government is already taking forward a broad programme of work to improve the practical support, care and advice that is available for people who have been bereaved.

We are also working to implement some of the UK Commission’s recommendations, for example, improving access to advice and information for people affected by bereavement, ensuring people are sensitively supported during a bereavement, and adopting public health approaches to create more open-ness in talking about dying and death. We have already introduced practical changes to ensure processes for registering a death are as straightforward as possible.

We will continue to engage and listen to bereavement sector partners as we take forward our bereavement work, and will draw on the UK Commission’s findings.

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-15904

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has met with (a) trade union and (b) North Ayrshire Council officials regarding the proposed Community Wealth Building Bill, and on what date the last meeting took place.

Representatives of the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) and North Ayrshire Council participate in the Community Wealth Building (CWB) Bill Steering Group, chaired by myself. This Group has met three times. The last meeting was held on 17 January 2023.

Separately, Scottish Government officials leading CWB development work met with the General Secretary for the Scottish Trades Union Congress (STUC) on August 16, 2022. Scottish Government officials also presented at the Fair Work Convention on 23 February, 2023, which brings together employers and trade unions to advocate for and promote Fair Work.

Scottish Government officials last met with North Ayrshire Council colleagues to discuss the CWB Bill consultation on 16 February, 2023. Finally, The Minister is due to attend the Ayrshire CWB Commission on 24 March 2023.