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-29272

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, since the new rules came into effect on 23 February 2024, how many XL bully-type dogs have been (a) found abandoned or handed in to animal welfare charities and (b) euthanised under the Scottish Government scheme.

Information on the number of suspected XL Bully dogs that have been abandoned or handed in to animal welfare charities is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

XL Bully owners who have taken the decision to have their dog euthanised can claim up to £200 compensation from the Scottish Government.

To claim compensation, the owner of the XL Bully must have arranged to have their dog euthanised by 31 July 2024. The euthanisation itself can happen after this date, but arrangements must be in place by this date. The Scottish Government must receive any claim by 30 September 2024.

The Scottish Government has so far received 25 claims for compensation following arrangements being made for the euthanisation of an XL Bully dog.

Where an XL Bully dog owner has decided to have their dog euthanised without seeking compensation from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Government would not be advised by the owner. Therefore, the number of claims for compensation sent to the Scottish Government may not be a full picture of the number of XL Bully dogs euthanised.

Question reference: S6W-29273

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, based on the most recent data it holds, which 10 breeds of dogs have been most responsible for seriously injuring or killing people, ranked in order.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24486 on 24 January 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

As noted in the answer to S6W-24486, there is no central database within Scotland or the UK that provides data on dog attacks, broken down by the breed of dog involved.

Data is available from National Records Scotland on deaths from being bitten or struck by a dog in Scotland. Data is also available from Public Health Scotland on the number of inpatient and day case admissions to hospital where a diagnosis of dog attack (bite or strike) was recorded. Data on the breed or type of dogs involved is not recorded.

Question reference: S6W-29275

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) Economic Leadership Group was established, and how many times it has met.

Question reference: S6W-29184

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the maximum capacity is per year of wind turbines that can currently be manufactured in Scotland.

The large pipeline of offshore wind projects under development in Scotland offers a significant manufacturing opportunity. We are already seeing significant progress in this regard. Sumitomo’s £350 million high voltage direct current (HVDC) cable manufacturing plant in the Highlands is a significant step which will address a major supply chain constraint for offshore wind projects. The factory will bring manufacturing capability to Scotland to support the offshore wind sector and will create hundreds of good, green jobs.

Whilst Scotland currently has no wind turbine manufacturing facilities, Scotland’s strong specialised SME base, offshore installation services, advanced port infrastructure, operations and maintenance expertise, word-class engineering capabilities and highly-skilled offshore energy workforce make Scotland a prime location for offshore wind manufacturing facilities.

The Onshore Wind Sector Deal, which was signed with the onshore wind sector in September 2023, contains a series of commitments that promote supply chain opportunities, including the circularity of wind turbine blades. The onshore wind sector has committed to the delivery of at least one blade treatment facility in Scotland by 2030.

Question reference: S6W-29207

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of bullying have been reported by its civil servants in each year since 2021.

As an employer, the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the workplace is free from bullying, harassment, discrimination and victimisation, where work related concerns, problems or issues can be raised and responded to.

Under the Scottish Government's grievance policy, line managers are expected to deal with concerns about inappropriate behaviour at an early stage and on an informal basis, where appropriate.

The number of formal complaints about bullying reported by civil servants in the Scottish Government since 2021 is provided in the following table:

Number of formal complaints of bullying reported by Scottish Government civil servants

2021

2022

2023

2024

(from 1 January to 20 August 2024)

Total

The figures provided in our response to this question only cover staff working in the following core Scottish Government business areas:

Director-General Communities

Director-General Corporate

Director-General Economy

Director-General Education and Justice

Director-General Health and Social Care

Director-General Net Zero

Director-General Scottish Exchequer

Director-General Strategy and External Affairs

Question reference: S6F-03350

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-29391

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many rural jobs it anticipates could be impacted by the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

To understand the impact of Land Reform Bill proposals on businesses, the Scottish Government conducted a Scottish firms impact test, involving engagement with landowners, land agents and representative organisations of land-based businesses.

Full detail of this assessment of anticipated impacts can be found in the .Land Reform (Scotland) Bill - Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (www.gov.scot).

Question reference: S6W-29392

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any economic modelling of the potential impact of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill on the rural economy.

Question reference: S6W-29583

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent postponement to the Medium Term Financial Strategy will result in a further delay to a replacement eye hospital for Edinburgh.

There is no change to the position on NHS Capital Projects as a result of the postponement of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

In December 2023, given the extremely challenging capital funding position, NHS Boards were instructed to pause any project development spend and instead direct capital budgets towards maintenance of the existing estate and essential equipment and digital replacement. Boards were notified that the Scottish Government does not anticipate starting construction of any new project over the next two years at least. Obviously should the UK Government change course on capital investment we have an opportunity to look at this again alongside the capital review ongoing across the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-29666

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26079 by Richard Lochhead on 19 March 2024, when the innovation scorecard will be published, in line with the National Innovation Strategy.

As you are aware, the Scottish Government’s National Innovation Strategy included an action to publish an annual innovation scorecard allowing us to track our progress towards becoming a more innovative nation across multiple key metrics.

The first iteration of the scorecard, showing our baseline performance, was published alongside National Innovation Strategy last summer and the next iteration will be published this year.