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-14760

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the findings of the Risk Assessment on the spread of High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza (HPAI) to wild birds from released, formerly captive gamebirds in Great Britain, which was published by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs in December 2022.

The Scottish Government is examining the risk assessment conclusion in detail given the serious impact of HPAI (High Pathogenicity Avian Influenza) on wild and kept birds and will monitor risk levels and carefully consider its response over coming months.

The release of game birds is prohibited within an avian influenza protection zone and surveillance zone.

When kept there is a legal requirement to report suspicion of notifiable avian disease in game birds.

Where Special Protected Area (SPA)/Special Areas of Conservation (SAC) are designated for vulnerable species consent from NatureScot is required for release of game birds.

Question reference: S6W-14763

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is assessing the potential risk of future high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) transmission from released non-native game birds in Scotland to wild mammals including foxes and otters.

To date nine mammals including four seals, four otters and one fox have tested positive for influenza of avian origin H5N1 in Scotland. APHA (Animals and Plant Health Agency) routinely undertakes diagnostic testing of wild animals found dead under the GB wildlife surveillance scheme. The detection of the virus does not mean that it was the cause of death of these animals. This is an unusual event and infection of mammals with influenza of avian origin remains an uncommon infection, including in humans. The risk of the H5N1 strain to non-avian UK wildlife remains low.

Of the nine mammals that have tested positive for influenza of avian origin, there are no known links to the release of non-native game birds. The Scottish Government continues to monitor the outputs the GB wildlife surveillance scheme and assess any future risks.

Question reference: S6W-15062

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on efforts to recommence operations at Stoneywood paper mill in Aberdeen.

My officials in Scottish Enterprise remain in regular contact with the Joint Administrators and continue to work closely with them to help find a sustainable future for the Stoneywood site in Aberdeen.

The administration process continues to progress and prior to formal marketing of the site, the Administrator has re-engaged with potential interested parties. Any discussions between interested parties and the Administrator will likely take place in the coming weeks.

Question reference: S6W-14790

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of (a) incidents and (b) emergency service callouts there were for mountaineering accidents in each year since 2011.

Each year, Scottish Government receives a copy of the Scottish Mountain Rescue (SMR) ‘Annual Review’, which includes the total number of ‘incidents’ and ‘callouts’ involving SMR teams; the collated information from the reports, for each year since 2011, is provided in the following table:-

SMR Incidents
Year	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020		2021
Mountaineering	413	381	347	273	331	235	216	239	243	289		345
Non	160	162	239	260	248	201	207	349	259	308		315
Total	573	543	586	533	579	436	423	588	502	597		660

SMR Callouts
Year	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020		2021
Mountaineering	< No breakdown available for these years >										327		395
Non	< No breakdown available for these years >										389		558
Total	859	872	884	795	762	823	686	788	733	716		953

Question reference: S6W-14780

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the VisitScotland publication, Scotland. Made for Cycling, published in January 2023.

The Scottish Government notes the Made for Cycling report and recognises the opportunity on offer for Scottish cycling tourism to further develop and for Scotland to establish itself as a world-class cycling destination, as identified within the publication.

The topic paper highlights some of the positive work that VisitScotland has undertaken in recent years, including the creation of a new Cycling Industry Guide, to help businesses and communities maximise the sustainable economic, social and environmental benefits from a growing interest in cycling and cycling tourism. These business advice assets are especially important as Glasgow and Scotland gear up to host the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships between 3 – 13 August.

This event provides a platform to generate behaviour change across Scotland –bringing benefits for individuals, communities and businesses as a result.

Question reference: S6W-14781

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the consultation on its proposed Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill will begin.

The Scottish Government intends to launch a public consultation on the Bill in the second half of 2023. We will confirm the exact dates of the consultation in due course.

The consultation will provide an opportunity for people across Scotland to express their views on policy options that could be included in the draft Bill, as well as on whether the Bill should establish a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Commissioner.

A decision on the timing of the Bill’s introduction to Parliament will be taken by Cabinet in the context of setting the content of future legislative programmes.

Question reference: S6W-14729

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what review it has carried out regarding providing early payment to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) under public sector contracts.

Prompt payment of the supply chain is not only the ethical and socially responsible thing to do, it is critical to the sustainability and resilience of our supply chains in delivering critical products, services or works to, or on behalf, of the people of Scotland. The Scottish Government is committed to paying our contractors promptly and ensuring that they do the same with their subcontractors. There is already a significant range of measures in place in Scotland to tackle late payment in both public and private contracts through legislation, policy and practice.

The Scottish Government continues to lead by example through our target to pay all valid invoices within 10 days of receipt whereas our statutory obligation is 30 days. For financial year 2021-2022, 97% of valid invoices received were paid within 10 days and 99% paid within 30 days.

The Scottish Government sought views in our 2020 Public Procurement Survey of Suppliers, where 85% of respondents were SMEs. The survey included a number of questions on payment performance, and identified opportunities to improve payment performance, particularly for sub-contractors in supply chains.

As a result the Scottish Government worked alongside public bodies, supplier groups and other stakeholders to bolster the Scottish Government’s prompt payment policy. An updated procurement policy note was published in April 2022 which was welcomed by the Federation of Small Businesses and the Small Business Commissioner. The updated policy encourages public bodies to consider bidders past payment performance during tender exercises, and to request bidders confirm that their terms & conditions for all sub-contractors will contain a prompt payment clause, driving payment of valid invoices within a maximum of 30 days throughout the full supply chain for public contracts.

Scottish Government Procurement officials continue to support the updated policy implementation and work with stakeholders to determine how to monitor the extent to which the policy is embedded within public bodies procurement processes.

In terms of payment in advance, the Scottish Public Finance Manual states that advance payments should only be made in exceptional circumstances, where good value for money can be made from them and all reasonable steps should be taken to protect public funds.

Question reference: S6O-01934

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential impact on Scotland of the ongoing negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill.

Question reference: S6O-01946

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking, in partnership with the Scottish Prison Service, NHS boards and others, to support the health and wellbeing of people in prison and prevent deaths by suicide.

Question reference: S6O-01937

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what gender-specific risk and safety planning is carried out to support Ukrainian refugees at the point of their arrival in Scotland, as well as in the medium and long term.