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-03642

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03665

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2024

To ask the First Minister what consideration the Scottish Government has given to what the potential impact might be on Deaf and Deafblind people of the termination of its contract with Contact Scotland BSL.

Question reference: S6F-03641

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-31199

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will seek information on any gap between the staffing levels identified through the common staffing method and the actual number of staff recruited by NHS boards.

The common staffing method (CSM) sets out a process to identify, mitigate risks and determine what changes, if any, are needed to staffing numbers. Its purpose is to ensure a consistent approach to decision making across NHS Scotland. The frequency of applying the CSM has been defined as once per financial year as a minimum.

Local recruitment based on the outputs of the CMS are a matter for the Health Board and are one of several factors used to determine recruitment.

Use of the CMS will form part of the evidence that Health Boards submit Scottish Government to demonstrate how they have complied with the Health and Care (Staffing) (Scotland) Act 2019. Under the Act all Health Boards must submit a report on how they complied with their legislative requirements. Scottish Ministers will then lay a summary report to Parliament outlining overall compliance with the Act.

Under the Act, Scottish Ministers have a duty to take all reasonable steps to ensure that there is a sufficient number of registered nurses, registered midwives, medical practitioners, and other types of employees.

Information gained from Health Board annual reports will inform national policies to ensure sufficient future supply including determining future student intake numbers, recruitment and retention polices, and student career pipelines.

Question reference: S6W-31901

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to The Circularity Gap Report: Textiles, published by Circle Economy.

The Scottish Government welcomes the insights provided by The Circularity Gap Report: Textiles published by Circle Economy. The report highlights critical challenges and opportunities in transitioning towards a circular economy within the textiles sector.

The findings of the report align with the Scottish Government’s proposals set out in the draft circular economy and waste route map to 2030, to tackle textile waste, reduce resource consumption, and encourage sustainable production and consumption practices. The final Route Map will be confirmed in due course.

The Scottish Government will engage with stakeholders across the textiles supply chain to develop policies and actions that reflect the urgency highlighted by this report. We recognise the need for a strategic approach to textiles across the waste hierarchy, from production and consumption, through to recycling and end of life management.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with stakeholders across the textiles supply chain to develop policies and actions that reflect the urgency highlighted by this report.

We will carefully review the recommendations of the Circularity Gap Report: Textiles and consider its findings as part of our ongoing efforts to deliver a net-zero and circular economy for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-31967

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 16 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding what support should be provided to people with dyslexia when appearing before the judiciary.

Access to inclusive communication is a fundamentally important matter for people using public services, many of whom have diverse communication needs, and that is why the Scottish Government is investing in new guidance and tools to strengthen the public sector’s approach.

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) is an independent public body and has a legal duty under the Equality Act 2010 to protect the rights of people living with disabilities. SCTS recognises the need and responsibility that the public sector in Scotland has to provide accessible services to its users. The specific support provided to people with dyslexia is an operational matter for the SCTS board.

Question reference: S6W-31521

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the recent chemical spill incident in the Cameron Street area of Coatbridge, whether it can provide details of what remedial action has been taken by SEPA to limit the possible spread of the contaminant and the resultant impact.

Question reference: S6W-31919

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 16 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support is being provided to independent businesses in (a) rural and (b) small communities.

The Scottish Government is committed to building a vibrant, sustainable, and inclusive rural economy that meets the goals of achieving a nature-positive and wellbeing economy for future generations.

Our enterprise agencies help businesses across Scotland to start and scale, be more productive, access finance and attract investment, develop new products and services, enter new markets and positively impact on their communities.

We have allocated over £321 million to the enterprise agencies in 2025-26 to support their work and help them unlock the full economic potential of their regions.

Question reference: S6W-32373

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 December 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 16 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on developing a route map for delivering approximately 24,000 additional public electric vehicle charge points by 2030.

Scotland has hit the target of 6,000 public electric vehicle charge points two years early.

Since 2011 the Scottish Government has invested over £65 million in public electric vehicle charging. As a result of this early investment, and increasing private sector investment, Scotland has one of the most comprehensive public charging networks in the UK, and the latest UK Department for Transport statistics show that Scotland has the highest number of public charge points on a per head of population basis of any part of the UK, except London, and the most rapid charge points of any part of the UK.

I am pleased to announce that today we have published our draft Vision Implementation Plan. This draft plan identifies the actions required to deliver our ambitious Vision for public electric vehicle charging in Scotland, as well as a route map for delivering approximately 24,000 additional public electric vehicle charge points by 2030.

Meeting our ambitions will require concerted efforts from public and private bodies alike, and the draft Implementation Plan has been developed in consultation with the key stakeholders that share collective responsibility for delivering public electric vehicle charging in Scotland. The plan is being published alongside a consultation on its proposed actions, and I warmly welcome all responses to this consultation, which will strengthen the final Implementation Plan and route map to be published in 2025.

Today I am also pleased to announce a further £1.9 million has been awarded to Perth & Kinross and Angus Councils through our EV Infrastructure Fund. This additional funding will enable both local authorities to work in partnership with the private sector to deliver an additional 177 public electric vehicle charge points, with a particular focus on delivering infrastructure in rural communities, to ensure Scotland continues to lead the UK on public electric vehicle charging.

Question reference: S6W-31906

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being conducted in relation to the development of domestic rare earth material circularity.

The availability and affordability of rare earth materials are critical to supporting our transition to a net zero economy.

The Scottish Government recently published the Green Industrial Strategy, which focuses on seizing the economic opportunities of the global transition to net zero. The strategy commits to exploring how to support supply chain resilience through recycling, reuse and remanufacturing of components and materials, including rare earth materials.