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: S6F-01793

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 February 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-14280

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to alter or replace the Franchising Policy Statement, which was published by Transport Scotland in March 2021.

The current UK railway legislation, which the Scottish Ministers have no power to change, requires that the Scottish Ministers produce a Franchising Policy Statement. Delays to the reform of the UK railway legislation continue to cause uncertainty on the way in which the provision of passenger rail services will be arranged in the future.

At this time, the Scottish Ministers do not plan to amend or replace the current Franchising Policy Statement, which was published by Transport Scotland in March 2021.

Question reference: S6W-14282

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to involve the Cross-Party Group in the Scottish Parliament on (a) Chronic Pain, (b) Arthritis and Musculoskeletal Conditions, (c) Long Covid and (d) Women's Health in the work of bodies that have a chronic pain remit, including the National Care Service Lived Experience Experts Panel.

The primary purpose of Cross Party Groups is to provide Members with a forum to consider matters of public interest, normally involving people from outwith the parliament to provide expert or stakeholder input to discussions. Cross Party Groups are welcome to request factual briefings on Scottish Government policy positions. It is expected that officials will meet with the Cross-Party Group on Chronic Pain in the coming weeks to provide an update on work to progress the actions set out in the Framework for Pain Management Service Delivery – Implementation Plan.

Question reference: S6W-14261

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13722 by Jenny Gilruth on 23 January 2023, how much budget is allocated to Equality, Diversity and Inclusion roles; how many staff work in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team, and whether it will provide a list of the job titles of the people in the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion team.

ScotRail Trains Ltd. has two full time equivalent roles within its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Team; an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Manager and an Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisor. Scottish Rail Holdings also has a dedicated People and Culture role within the organisation.

Transport Scotland is not in a position disclose any individual’s personal salary data other than those that would be published as part of end of year financial statements and accounts.

Question reference: S6W-14215

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether (a) alcohol-free and (b) low alcohol products reduce levels of alcohol harm.

Question reference: S6W-14226

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) regarding the proposal to withdraw the Network Support Grant scheme at the end of March 2023.

There are currently no plans to withdraw the Network Support Grant scheme and as such, no discussions on this topic have been held with SPT.

The Network Support Grant Plus scheme is a temporary scheme which is coming to an end on 31 March 2023. The Scottish Government, bus operators, local authorities and regional transport partnerships including SPT are continuing to collaborate through the Bus Taskforce to explore how to address the challenges of rising costs and driver shortages currently facing the bus industry.

Question reference: S6W-14227

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent communication it has had with McGill's Buses regarding the number 52 bus route in Barrhead.

Question reference: S6W-14256

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 6 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) eBay, (b) Amazon, (c) other retailers and (d) the UK Government regarding the marketing and sale of nitrous oxide for recreational purposes.

At this time Nitrous Oxide is not covered under the Misuse of Drugs Act, rather it is currently an offence under the reserved Psychoactive Substances Act 2016 to supply nitrous oxide if a person knows, or is reckless as to whether, it will be used for its psychoactive effect. Given the reserved nature of this legislation, the Scottish Government has not had any discussions with eBay, Amazon or any other retailer about the marketing or sale of nitrous oxide for recreational purposes. However, we have engaged heavily with the National Crime Agency and UK Government about the need for tackling the ease through which certain products can be bought online and used for criminal activity and will be responding to their current consultation about developing a new criminal offence around the supply or possession of articles used for serious crime, particularly pill presses. We would plan to engage with retailers about the impact of any new legislation.

The UK Government have requested that the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs conduct an updated assessment of the health and social harms of nitrous oxide and, following that assessment, provide advice on whether nitrous oxide should be controlled under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971. Scottish Government officials are engaging with the ACMD around this review and have provided information to them in relation to it. The ACMD will explore, amongst other elements of Nitrous Oxide use, whether current regulations are having the desired effect of preventing the marketing and sale of nitrous oxide for recreational purposes and whether or not such an effect might be achieved by listing it under the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971.

Question reference: S6W-14249

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which railway lines will not be included in its six-month pilot of suspending peak fares, as announced in its Budget statement on 15 December 2022.

Question reference: S6W-14229

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its analysis of the impact of the Network Support Grant scheme on the bus network across Scotland.

The purpose of the Network Support Grant is to help to keep both commercial and subsidised services more extensive and fares more affordable than they would otherwise have been. The Network Support Grant continues to provide the same support that the Bus Service Operator Grant (BSOG) provided for many years. As such, it is difficult to separate the impact of the Network Support Grant from the Bus Service Operator Grant on the bus network.