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-29419

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds in relation to the gender pay gap within the hospitality sector.

Estimates of the gender pay gap for full-time employees in the accommodation and food services sector in Scotland are published in Table 2.5 of the Scottish Government’s summary of earnings statistics from the ONS Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings: Annual survey of hours and earnings: 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

The gender pay gap estimates included in Table 2.5 measure the difference between median hourly earnings (excluding overtime) of men and women as a proportion of men's median hourly earnings (excluding overtime).

Question reference: S6W-29450

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a review of the support required by local authorities to ensure that there is robust enforcement of the legislation that covers the private rented sector.

The Housing (Scotland) Bill includes a package of reforms to the private rented sector which are in the interests of both tenants and responsible landlords. Should Parliament pass the legislation, it is intended that a full review will be undertaken of the support required by local authorities to ensure robust enforcement in the PRS. This will include an assessment of the enforcement provisions and the resource required to adequately support this.

Question reference: S6W-29356

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to deliver on its commitment to make half of all funding for farming and crofting targeted towards outcomes for biodiversity gain and climate mitigation and adaptation.

The Agricultural Route Map states that from 2025 the support framework will be aimed at delivering against the following five outcomes with at least half of all funding targeted towards outcomes for biodiversity gain and climate mitigation and adaption:

High Quality Food Production - the primary food production sector is a productive sector of the economy and ensures we meet more of our own food needs more sustainably
Thriving Agricultural Businesses - profitable and resilient agricultural businesses support local livelihoods, supply chains and the wider rural economy
Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation - greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector are reduced in line with the CCP, and the ability to adapt to climate change is increased
Nature Restoration - there will be substantial regeneration in, and maintenance of, biodiversity, ecosystem, and soil health on agricultural land
Support for a Just Transition

Question reference: S6W-29360

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the IT system for agricultural payments, whether it remains committed to the approach set out in the Agricultural Reform Route Map, including the proposed list of measures for inclusion in Tier 2.

Question reference: S6W-29369

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) UK and (b) EU registered vessels were monitored during their landings in each year since 2021.

Question reference: S6W-29287

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its pledge of £300 million to tackle NHS waiting lists over the next three years, of which £30 million has been allocated to date, and whether any reduction to this sum of money is planned.

Significant activity is already underway following the £30 million investment to target backlogs, announced in the spring. This will see around 12,000 new outpatient appointments, around 12,000 inpatient procedures and over 40,000 diagnostic procedures delivered.

The Scottish Government remains committed to reducing waiting times year-on-year across the NHS as set out in the Policy Prospectus. We will continue to work with all NHS boards to maximise current resources and productivity.

Future funding for commitments will be considered as part of the 2025-26 budget process that will allocate resources to the Government’s priorities of the day.

Question reference: S6W-29533

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken to determine a major housing development application has been in 2023-24, broken down by local authority.

The average time taken to determine applications for major housing applications for Q1 and Q2 of 2023-24 for each local authority can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/planning-applications-statistics-2023-24-quarterly-april-2023-september-2023/documents/.

The planning application statistics for Q3 and Q4 and the annual statistics 2023-24 are due to be published on 1 October 2024. The statistics will be available on the Scottish Government website at: https://www.gov.scot/collections/planning-statistics/.

Question reference: S6W-29305

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it will support NHS boards to deliver reductions in A&E waiting times.

We are supporting NHS Boards through our Urgent and Unscheduled Care Collaborative Programme to improve patient flow through our acute sites and reduce A&E delays. Key actions include: strengthening arrangements to avoid unnecessary hospital admissions such as Same Day Emergency Care services; optimising Flow Navigation Centres; enhancing the discharge process - focusing on discharge planning; and reducing length of stay.

Question reference: S6O-03741

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported reduction to the Investing in Communities Fund and any impact on its aim of addressing poverty and disadvantage.

Question reference: S6O-03742

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates the Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 will have on local government procurement.