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: S6O-04279

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to improve access to support for pupils with additional support needs, including access to speech and language therapists.

Question reference: S6O-04260

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to prevent death by suicide in prison.

Question reference: S6O-04256

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential impact on the provision of library services in Mid-Scotland and Fife of the proposed local government settlement for 2025-26.

Question reference: S6O-04258

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the public inquiry into the investigation of Emma Caldwell's murder.

Question reference: S6O-04275

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the education secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding action to improve access to books for, and encourage reading by, children and young people.

Question reference: S6O-04278

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is collaborating with third sector organisations regarding the provision of mental health, wellbeing and emotional support in schools.

Question reference: S6W-33195

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of their reported use by public agencies in Scotland, what its position is on the security credentials of Hikvision products, in light of recently reported claims made by the company on this matter.

The Scottish Government is aware of the concerns raised by the Foreign Affairs Committee regarding equipment manufactured by Hikvision, and other such companies, where such companies are subject to the National Intelligence Law of the People’s Republic of China

Scottish Government, as part of the already underway replacement integrated security system, decommissioned all Hikvision cameras across its estate last year.

As indicted by the First Minister’s answer to S6F-03667 on 9 January 2025, any decision on security cameras used by other public sector organisations is for them to make. Although public agencies may choose to follow the Scottish Government’s lead in decommissioning all Hikvision cameras in the Scottish Government estate, they are under no obligation or duty to do so.

We encourage all organisations to follow National Cyber Security Centre supply-chain security guidance when selecting a technology supplier. The guidance clearly sets out the security standards that suppliers should meet and the considerations that organisations should make during the procurement process.

All answers to oral Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for the Official Report can be found at Official Report: search what was said in Parliament | Scottish Parliament Website

Question reference: S6W-33194

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the average grant rate was for a social new-build property delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in (a) 2022-23, (b) 2023-24 and (c) the first half of 2024-25, broken down by (i) local authority and (ii) registered social landlord new builds.

The following table provides the average grant rates for Registered Social Landlord (RSL) and Local Authority social rent new build homes approved through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) between April 2022 and end September 2024.

Financial Year	RSL Social Rent New Build Homes Average Grant per Home (£ million)	Local Authority Social Rent New Build Homes Average Grant per Home (£ million)
2022-2023	0.120	0.095
2023-2024	0.140	0.113
2024-2025	0.134	0.104

Please note this table is based on management information and that RSL social rent new build homes approved using Charitable Bond Donations have been excluded from these figures.

Question reference: S6W-33193

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its announcement that it will deliver 8,000 new affordable homes in 2025-26, how many of these properties will be (a) social new-builds, (b) acquisitions, (c) other affordable properties and (d) voids brought back into use.

Question reference: S6W-33189

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents of flooding have been recorded on the A90 over the last five years, and what measures have been taken to address this.

There has been approximately 175 flooding incidents recorded on the A90 between 1 Jan 2020 and 1 Jan 2025. Each flooding incident is assessed and appropriate action taken where required.

Transport Scotland’s Approach to Climate Change Adaptation & Resilience was published in August 2023 setting out a strategic framework to secure a well-adapted future for Scotland’s transport system. It includes an ambitious Vision for “A transport system which is well adapted and prepared for current and future impacts of climate change, is safe for all users, reliable for everyday journeys, and resilient to weather related disruption.

A key deliverable of this work is the development of a Trunk Road Adaptation Plan, based on a climate vulnerability and risk assessment using the latest UK climate projections. The Trunk Road Adaptation Plan will be published in early 2025. It includes key interventions and recommendations for further adapting the Trunk Road Network. There will be a focus on risks associated with increased surface water flooding, river flooding, river scour and landslides.

The Trunk Road Adaptation Plan will complement the work of our roads Vulnerable Locations Operational Group, which was established in 2021. This group has delivered a number of drainage improvement schemes across the Trunk Road Network and will continue to investigate, design and deliver improvements to support our wider Approach to Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

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