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-10151

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 19 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether Ukrainian refugees will have access to free NHS dental treatment.

Question reference: S6W-09921

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations (a) applied for and (b) received funding from its Black History Month fund, and what was the total amount of funding allocated.

In October 2021 the Scottish Government piloted a fund of up to £10,000 for organisations across Scotland to support additional activity to tackle inequalities and prejudice in line with the goals and outcomes of Black History Month. Organisations could apply for small grants in an open competition.

The Scottish Government received six applications to this fund, and following assessment of the bids against the aims and criteria for the fund, made two grants totalling £2,000 to Scoutable United and Economic Lead for projects to provide and promote opportunities for people from minority ethnic communities to participate in sport, and for women to participate in decision-making at Board level, increasing diversity in decision-making.

The rest of the funding was subsequently allocated to other organisations and projects working to tackle discrimination and advance race equality, such as supporting staff training and development (Intercultural Youth Scotland), and work with young people in the Gypsy/Traveller community to develop skills for life, training and work (Article 12).

Question reference: S6W-09922

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its Black History Month fund, whether it can provide (a) the names of organisations that received funding and (b) a breakdown of what each organisation spent its money on.

Two applications met the aims and criteria of the fund.

Scoutable United received £1,000 to provide and promote equal opportunities for people from minority ethnic communities to participate in football. The funding was utilised to secure training facilities and organise games, and to invest in equipment such as training bibs, cones and footballs. This aimed to increase the number of people participating in the sport and to provide a platform to demonstrate talent, increasing representation and encouraging active lifestyles.

Economic Lead received £1,000 to organise workshops for minority ethnic women to increase their ability and confidence to participate on Boards and in strategic groups, and to establish a peer support network. This aimed to support an increase in representation by minority ethnic women and boost diversity in decision-making within the public and third sectors.

Question reference: S6W-09923

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to reopen its Black History Month fund for 2022.

We are currently reviewing all of our budgets for promoting Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights, in the light of the constraints imposed by the Resource Spending Review. We have no current plans to provide a Black History Month Fund for 2022, but across Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights we have a budget allocation of £46.9m. A significant portion of this will be dedicated to promoting race equality through a range of means, including supporting the capacity of race equality organisations, which are well placed to mark and celebrate BHM in a range of ways.

Question reference: S6W-10510

Asked by: Jenni Minto, MSP for Argyll and Bute, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the analysis of its Islands Bond consultation.

The analysis of the Islands Bond online consultation and the Scottish Government response was published on the Scot.gov website today, 19 August. These documents can be accessed via the following links:

Analysis: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781804353141

SG Response: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781804358214

The approach outlined in the documents is in direct response to the views provided by our island communities. We remain fully committed to addressing the issue of depopulation on our islands and doing so in a way that is supported by islanders.

Question reference: S6W-10042

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 19 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports in principle a United States' nuclear energy company’s reported declared interest in establishing a design office for small modular reactors in the Highlands, and, if so, whether it will notify this to Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Question reference: S6W-10010

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its most recent assessment is of the projected cost of "fully electrif[ying] routes from the central belt to both Aberdeen and Inverness east" by 2035, as per page 37 of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan.

Detailed cost analysis for all of the routes included in the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan will be undertaken on a phased basis as initial plans for each route are progressively prepared. Initial development works have begun on these routes to identify the options for electrification. Sections of the route from Edinburgh to Aberdeen are further developed, with Construction work underway on the £55 million scheme for full electrification of the section of route from Haymarket to Dalmeny.

Question reference: S6W-09989

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to improve access for disabled people at Insch Railway Station, and when any such improvement work will take place.

Accessibility of our railways is a reserved matter for the UK Government. We will continue to press for full devolution in Scotland of all rail matters to deliver more accessible improvements. There are no immediate plans to improve accessibility at Insch railway station, however the station will be included for consideration, alongside others, for improvement to its accessibility, as part of the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Access for All programme for Control Period 7, which commences in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-10256

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement by the UK Government on 19 July 2022 that it will issue around 50% of overall Basic Payment Scheme payments to farmers from July 2022, with the remaining 50% expected in December 2022, whether it will bring forward the initial payment date to August 2022, and if this is not the case, what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

The Scottish Government has already been taking action to improve business cash flow and annual farm payment dates are to be brought forward to September. Subject to the approval of the Scottish Parliament, farmers and crofters will receive their advance payment for the Basic Payment Scheme (BPS) and Greening around a month earlier than originally planned, and we remain committed to delivering over 70% of payments by the end of December and over 95.24% of payments by the end of February 2023.

Question reference: S6W-10194

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08297 by Shona Robison on 12 May 2022, whether it will provide an update on how many properties are at each stage of assessment, how many single building assessments have been supplied to building owners, and what the average amount of time is that each phase has taken.

Single Building Assessment applicants are supported through the process to complete the application form and commission professional services ahead of receiving the final survey report. 10 pilot blocks are within the Application Phase and 15 pilot blocks are within the Delivery Phase. The Single Building Assessment provides an individualised process therefore timescales vary on a building by building basis.