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-03260

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2024

To ask the First Minister what assurances the Scottish Government can provide to the arts and culture sector to ensure confidence, in light of the reported issues with the sponsorship of cultural events.

Question reference: S6F-03246

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2024

To ask the First Minister what his response is to the reported comment from the Nuclear Industry Association that his stance on nuclear power is "hopelessly ideological and anti-science".

Question reference: S6F-03240

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-27996

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 17 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27601 by Ivan McKee on 29 May 2024, how the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) is supporting housebuilding, and whether it considers this to have removed any bureaucratic delays from (a) developers and (b) housing organisations and associations.

National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) supports the delivery of more high quality homes in the right locations to provide choice and meet diverse needs. As a recently adopted part of the development plan, it provides an up-to-date context for decision making that has a democratic mandate to guide us to the place we want Scotland to be in 2045. There is no need for local development plans to replicate policies in NPF, enabling planning authorities to focus on allocating land for new homes, and supporting their delivery in collaboration with developers, communities and infrastructure providers.

We recognise there is scope to improve on current planning timescales. There can be many reasons for delays in determining applications, including incomplete applications leading to requests for additional information, delays with responses from consultees and the time take to reach legal agreements. However, timescales for decisions are only one measure, and constructive and collaborative working between applicants and authorities means that consistently over 93% of applications are approved annually.

We recently consulted on resourcing the planning system, including options to improve capacity and the number of planners. The consultation closed on 31 May and we are carefully considering the responses received.

Question reference: S6W-27998

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27602 by Jenny Gilruth on 28 May 2024, what discussions (a) the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills, (b) ministers and (c) officials have had with (i) COSLA, (ii) local authorities, (iii) parents and carers and (iv) young people regarding the roll-out of universal free school meals, and whether it has sought to roll this out before 2026.

Since the Scottish Government first introduced universal free school meals for Primaries 1-3 in 2015, Scottish Ministers and officials have regularly engaged with a wide range of stakeholders as their views and experiences have been essential in developing the programme.

COSLA and local authorities are represented on groups involved in the roll out of universal free school meals. Officials and Ministers have engaged with young people regarding free school meals through their attendance at stakeholder events. Parents and carers views have been captured in reports including the Poverty and Inequality Commission’s Child Poverty Delivery plan progress report and NHS Scotland’s Evaluation of the Implementation of Universal Free School Meals in Primaries 1-3.

Question reference: S6W-27985

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it will support the breadth of representative voices as part of any new body that is planned to replace the National Parent Forum of Scotland.

The Scottish Government is committed to strengthening our approach to parental engagement to ensure there are a range of opportunities for parents and carers to shape and influence policy development. There is a need to establish a broader, more representative model to support meaningful engagement from parents and carers and this is what the National Parent Panel will do. It will play a critical role in informing policy, and providing advice and challenge to Government as we drive improvement in our education system.

Question reference: S6W-27977

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the independent review of the National Parent Forum of Scotland (NPFS), and when it informed the NPFS of its response to it.

Question reference: S6W-27983

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all of its communications with National Parent Forum of Scotland pertaining to its decision to defund the body.

Question reference: S6W-27986

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-01995 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 May 2024, what additional resources it considers will be required to deliver the national parent panel.

Question reference: S6W-28204

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 June 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of its Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy.

The Scottish Government will today publish the third annual progress report for the Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 strategy.

Since publication of the strategy in July 2021, we have worked closely with stakeholders to deliver more than half of the actions, with seventeen completed since the last progress report. Work to take forward the remaining actions is continuing.

These actions, such as the introduction of Low Emission Zones in our four largest cities, have helped Scotland to meet all air quality objectives for the second consecutive year.

The report can be found on the Scottish Government website using the following link: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836013815