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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 42585 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6O-00001

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to provide support with the phasing out of gas-fired boilers in homes.

Question reference: S6O-00014

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to support businesses in East Kilbride working in the food and drink sector.

Question reference: S6O-00013

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when the Farming and Food Production Future Policy Group will publish its report.

Question reference: S6W-00172

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the milestone payment scheduled for March 2021 was delivered by the GRG Alliance to the Scottish Government-controlled project account, as reported to the Finance and Constitution Committee by the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy in a letter of 11 February 2021; how much the payment was scheduled to be worth, and whether this was met in full.

Milestone payments are inter-company payments related to planned investment at the Lochaber smelter and are not payments due to the Scottish Government. No payments due from GFG Alliance companies to the Scottish Government are outstanding. For reasons of commercial confidentiality, we do not publish details of compliance with commercial contractual terms although such information may be shared in confidence with the Finance and Constitution Committee where appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-00173

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence it undertook prior to agreeing (a) the initial Lochaber Contingent Liability with the GFG Alliance and (b) the revised business plan.

Question reference: S6W-00174

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will immediately conduct a review of its agreements, documentation and contacts with the GFG Alliance in light of reports that the Serious Fraud Office has initiated an investigation into the GFG Alliance.

Question reference: S6W-00175

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 11 February 2021 from the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy to the Finance and Constitution Committee, whether it will provide a breakdown of the commercial fees (a) received and (b) it expects to receive in future, and the dates and value of these fees.

Question reference: S6W-00198

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to Glasgow City, on what date it was informed that the B.1.617 strain of COVID-19 was (a) a variant of interest or (b) under investigation, and on what date it was informed that it was a variant of concern.

The B.1.617.2 variant (subtype of the B.1.617 variant) of SARS-CoV-2, cases of which have been identified in Glasgow, was classified as a variant under investigation (VUI-21APR-02) on 28 April 2021. It was escalated to a variant of concern on 6 May 2021 (VOC-21APR-02).

Upon escalation, the Scottish Government worked with public health officials and have monitored the progress of this variant and have deployed appropriate measures where cases have been identified.

Coronavirus variants are classified a variant under investigation or variant of concern for the whole UK by Public Health England working with the other Public Health Agencies.

Question reference: S6W-00171

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter of 11 February 2021 from the Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy to the Finance and Constitution Committee, whether it will provide an update on the progress since that date of (a) Project Silver, (b) Project Corpach and (c) Project Loch; how many additional jobs it anticipates each will create, and how this compares to the original business plan.

The GFG Alliance continues to invest in and progress its expansion plans for its Fort Williams operations and has published details on the ALVANCE Aluminium website https://alvancealuminiumgroup.com/news/expansion-plans-fort-william/ .

The GFG Alliance’s new investment plans still require to go through the formal planning approval process with the Highland Council. Depending planning approvals, the business has indicated that the new integrated business plan and associated developments will secure the long-term future of the Fort William aluminium smelter, safeguarding 200 direct local jobs and creating 70 new direct high quality roles.

Question reference: S6W-00167

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, following the mass disruption in George Square on 15 May 2021, what support is available to businesses who were advised to close due to concerns for their welfare.

Operational policing decisions are matters for the Chief Constable, however Police Scotland confirmed that dialogue was maintained with business premises in the relevant locations contacted prior to 15 May 2021 where details of any threats, risks or potential harm were shared with business owners and operators. The decisions were then made by those businesses as to whether or not they remained open.

The Scottish Government worked closely with Rangers Football Club, Police Scotland and Glasgow City Council to prepare and provide appropriate communications and support ahead of the proposed march by Rangers supporters following the football club’s Scottish Premiership title win.