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-03566

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03592

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the UK Government’s reported allocation of between £295 million and £330 million to cover the increase in employer national insurance contributions for the public sector in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-31478

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service as a result of the UK Government’s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.

Scottish Government has estimated that for the directly employed public sector workforce in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, additional costs to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service from the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions may be £5 million in the financial year 2025-2026. This estimate is published and available online at this web address: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-insurance-contributions-public-sector-costs/

Question reference: S6W-31475

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to local authorities in Scotland as a result of the UK Government’s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.

The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has estimated that for the directly employed public sector local authority workforce, additional costs to local authorities from the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions may be £265 million in the financial year 2025-26. This estimate is published and available online at this web address: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-insurance-contributions-public-sector-costs/

Question reference: S6W-31477

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to Police Scotland as a result of the UK Government’s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.

Scottish Government has estimated that for the directly employed public sector workforce in Police Scotland, additional costs to Police Scotland from the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions may be £25 million in the financial year 2025-2026. This estimate is published and available online at this web address: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-insurance-contributions-public-sector-costs/

Question reference: S6W-31476

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it estimates the additional cost will be to each NHS board in Scotland as a result of the UK Government’s Budget decision to increase employer national insurance contributions.

Scottish Government has estimated that for the directly employed public sector workforce in NHS boards, additional costs to NHS boards from the changes to employer National Insurance Contributions may be £191 million in the financial year 2025-26. The information requested for the costs for each NHS board is not held centrally. However the combined estimate for all NHS boards is published and available online at this web address: https://www.gov.scot/publications/national-insurance-contributions-public-sector-costs/

Question reference: S6W-31328

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has identified new areas to be covered by regional land use partnerships, and what progress it is making towards establishing these by 2031.

The Scottish Government is committed to the long-term delivery of Regional Land Use Partnerships (RLUPs). Having recently concluded a pilot programme in four regions across Scotland, Officials are working to consolidate learning and are co-developing an approach that will see the transition from pilot into formal initiative.

This work will directly inform the wider rollout of RLUPs beyond the four regions, providing a clear framework that will support us in bringing new regions into the program.

Question reference: S6W-31235

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many buildings have had flammable cladding removed to date (a) in total and (b) with the assistance of government funding.

We can currently only provide information on mitigations or remediation works that we have funded for entries to the pilot phase of the Cladding Remediation Programme. Developers or other organisations may have carried out such works on other buildings without informing us.

We have funded work to remediate the external wall cladding system of one pilot entry. We have recently commissioned a Single Building Assessment to confirm that all works have been identified and completed.

Works to mitigate or remediate risks have also started for another five pilot entries. In this context, ‘work’ refers to any action taken to address known cladding related risks. This includes what are described as ‘Urgent Interim Measures’.

We have also commissioned Single Building Assessments for 13 pilot entries. This is made up of 12 recently commissioned following an Invitation To Tender (including the one noted above), and another that has now reached the reporting stage. We are fully funding these assessments at no cost to homeowners or residents.

Question reference: S6W-31212

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) its Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) regarding home ear syringing, and how it is supporting HSCPs to make this service available to patients who need it.

Question reference: S6W-31261

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 25 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the setting up of a contact centre to manage victims signing up to the Victim Notification Scheme, how much has been allocated to the setting up and ongoing running of the centre, and whether this is new money that will not be taken from funds allocated to victim support organisations or other third sector partners in this area.

We will work with victim support organisations and justice partners to take forward reforms to the Victim Notification Scheme to make use of resources and expertise that already exist, including within Scottish Government. The current work of the Victim Centred Approach workstream of the Victims Taskforce may also be relevant in terms of the model for victim support.

This will include exploring costs in the context of ensuring the best possible support and information for victims to be aware of the VNS, understand how it operates in their case, and to receive ongoing support if necessary. Much of this is likely to be possible through more effective joint working and the role of third sector support providers in providing practical and emotional support and engaging directly with victims will be recognised.