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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 43237 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-26945

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a new Smart Ticketing Delivery Strategy prior to July 2024.

The Scottish Government is refreshing its Smart Delivery Strategy, outlining its programme of work and strategy for enhancing smart, integrated ticketing and payments, and digital travel data over the next 5-10 years.

The strategy is being developed through a collaborative process with stakeholders and the public and is currently taking into account the development of the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board’s first work programme. The strategy is also taking into account the significant progress and technological development of smart ticketing since the previous publication in 2018, including the increased use of digital platforms and contactless payment across the network, reflecting the public’s increasing desire for contactless and digital payments and ticketing.

Following publication of the Fair Fares Review and announcement of the Scottish Government’s intention to develop a new national integrated ticketing system for public transport, the strategy will progress through the finalisation and approval process to be published in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-26951

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will raise its proposal of establishing a four nations climate response group at the next meeting of the Prime Minister and Heads of Devolved Government Council.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of working closely and collaboratively with the UK Government and other devolved administrations to deliver a net zero that is mutually beneficial both in economic and social terms.

We will engage directly with each of the Governments to understand how best to establish a four nations climate response group that enables us to work much closer and share more information.

Question reference: S6W-26805

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 April 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on its work in expanding collective bargaining in Scotland.

While employment law is reserved, we will continue to do whatever we can with the levers we have to strengthen effective voice and ultimately collective bargaining in Scotland. The Scottish Government has made a clear commitment to promote collective bargaining through the inclusion of an employee voice indicator, measured by collective bargaining coverage, within the National Performance Framework.

Our National Strategy for Economic Transformation and our refreshed Fair Work Action Plan include actions to support trade unions and promote collective bargaining.

We are continuing to promote trade union recognition and collective bargaining, at both local and sectoral levels, to achieve improved conditions and enhance effective voice. Work is underway in a number of traditionally low paid or precarious sectors to advance fair work and effective voice for workers. The Scottish Government’s work on introducing sectoral bargaining for the adult social care sector is progressing ahead of the introduction of the National Care Service (NCS), in line with the recommendations of the Fair Work Convention. Furthermore, since 1 July 2023, public sector grants include a requirement to pay at least the Real Living Wage to all employees, and provide appropriate channels for effective voice, thus strengthening our approach to conditionality.

Despite an increasingly constrained budgetary context we have continued to provide trade unions in Scotland with funding and support to advance fair work and improve worker voice, which can ultimately increase trade union recognition.

Question reference: S6W-26604

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent work the Chief Pharmaceutical Officer has done in relation to consistency in prescribing across the NHS, and when they last updated the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care on any such work.

The Chief Pharmaceutical Officer meets regularly with both the Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health, and Social Care and I on medicine policy matters, including supporting consistency in prescribing across the NHS in Scotland. This includes work on evolving individual Health Board medicine formularies to regional formularies covering prescribing in both hospitals and primary care, based on a collaborative consensus model which builds upon proven existing local governance and decision-making processes. This work has recently been endorsed by Health Board Chief Executives as a priority work programme.

Question reference: S6W-26612

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work is being done to promote traditional building skills in rural areas.

Question reference: S6W-26882

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering any further legislation to tackle street litter.

Yes, our Circular Economy Bill proposes modifications to the Environmental Protection Act 1990, implementing new legislative powers to tackle littering from vehicles. These will allow authorised officers to impose a civil penalty charge on the keeper of a vehicle from which littering has occurred. Further adjustments to legislation may be identified by the work on the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy and will be considered as we progress delivery.

Question reference: S6W-26883

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26518 by Gillian Martin on 15 April 2024, whether it will detail the proposals and timeline for the delivery of the recommendations of the Transmission Network Short Life Working Group.

Question reference: S6T-01957

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of private GP clinics has reportedly tripled since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6T-01955

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reported funding gap facing Scotland’s colleges.

Question reference: S6F-03082

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2024

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential impact on devolved social security benefits of the UK Government’s proposed reforms to disability benefits.