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-00412

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to Glasgow City Council cleansing workers taking strike action from 1 November and throughout COP26 due to low pay.

Question reference: S6F-00411

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what public advice the Scottish Government has issued regarding the discharge of fireworks, given that new regulations came into force on 30 June 2021.

Question reference: S6F-00410

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what immediate steps the Scottish Government is taking to address the reported continuing inequalities in cancer mortality rates across Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-00402

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2021

To ask the First Minister whether Scotland is on track to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2045.

Question reference: S6F-00400

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00399

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-03883

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 1 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government in relation to the reintroduction of previously relaxed COVID-19 restrictions in light of the increasing number of cases.

We are committed to meaningful engagement with UK Government and with the devolved governments. The Scottish Government has frequent and ongoing engagement across the Four Nations. The First Minister has been taking part on a weekly basis in four nations ministerial calls – until the UK government cabinet reshuffle last month these were chaired by the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster (as Minister for the Cabinet Office) and they were also attended by first ministers from the other devolved governments. We are now re-configuring these calls with Mr Gove in his new role as Minister for Intergovernmental Relations. The Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care also takes part in weekly meetings with counterparts from the UK Government and other devolved governments. We are working extensively with the UK and Welsh Governments and Northern Ireland Executive and seeking to make decisions on a ‘Four Nations’ basis where possible and appropriate. However, it is wholly right and appropriate that we respond to the virus in a way that is right for Scotland, that works in our context and offers us the flexibility to adapt to our changing circumstances. Similarly, UK Government is entitled to make their own decisions on measures that they introduce in England, but it is important to remember that these decisions apply in England only. This includes on Plan A and Plan B.

Question reference: S6W-03861

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 1 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Police Scotland to discuss drink spiking and the recent reports of spiking by injection.

Scottish Government officials have been, and continue to be, in daily contact with Police Scotland on recent reports of spiking. Police Scotland are pursuing every single report of spiking through a Gold command established on this issue and led by an Assistant Chief Constable - which is reaching out to universities, licensed premises, Public Health Scotland, and victim support organisations. Police Scotland have also established connections with the Scottish Ambulance Service to ensure that any spiking cases are brought to their attention.

I will be chairing an urgent roundtable with partners and representatives from across the sector on 4 November to discuss how we can achieve the right balance of targeted and universal intervention.

Question reference: S6W-03731

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 1 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it is encouraging and supporting co-operative business models and community ownership as a core part of the economic recovery from COVID-19.

There is a significant and increasing interest in co-operative business models in Scotland. Co-operative models are collaborative vehicles that play an important role in creating sustainable growth. They enable employees, businesses and communities to work together to fulfil shared interests. This unlocks creativity and capacity and there is growing evidence that they increase productivity, innovation and growth whilst achieving wider societal benefits.

Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS) is the arm of Scottish Enterprise working in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Scotland Enterprise to support company growth through collaborative co-operative and employee ownership business models. CDS raises awareness of the value of co-operative and employee ownership models, and provides specialist advice. Its services are integrated to those of Scottish Enterprise (SE), Highlands & Islands Enterprise and Business Gateway.

Scotland for EO is the industry leadership group (ILG) for employee owned businesses in Scotland, established in 2018 to empower the employee owned sector to direct its own development. Led by industry working in partnership with the public sector, the group champions employee ownership in Scotland and drives industry-wide collaboration and alignment.

Working with the industry leadership group the Scottish Government is committed to increasing the number of employee owned businesses in Scotland to 500 by 2030.

Question reference: S6W-03868

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 1 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Prison Service annual reports and accounts for 2020-21 will be published.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Scottish Prison Service Annual Report and Accounts for 2020-21 which published on 28 October. The report recognises the achievements made by our prison service in 2020-21 in response to the unprecedented challenges of a pandemic.

The Public Finance and Accountability (Scotland) Act 2000 requires Scottish Ministers to lay a copy of the accounts and the auditor’s report before the Parliament and to publish the accounts and auditor’s report no later than 31 December 2021.