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 46779 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-29213

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Scalloway Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.

Question reference: S6W-29704

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support as many people as possible to apply for the Rural Housing Fund.

A three year package of financial support of almost £1 million has been co-funded by the Scottish Government and Nationwide Foundation, to Communities Housing Trust and South of Scotland Community Housing, to enable them to support organisations with applications to the fund.

Officials in More Homes Division are also working closely with applicants to assist as many fully developed, consented projects to gain a formal approval for delivery of affordable rural and island homes through the fund.

Scottish Government guidance makes clear the expectation that projects supported by the local authority brought forward under the fund should be included in future Strategic Housing Investment Plans.

The Scottish Government’s Rural Delivery Plan, which is set to be published by the end of this parliamentary term, will set out how all parts of the Scottish Government will deliver for Scotland’s rural and island communities. It will cover a range of priority areas, including housing, transport and economic development.

Question reference: S6W-29549

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28112 by Shona Robison on 20 June 2024, whether it will provide (a) an update on the final audited reserves held by each local authority at 31 March 2024 and (b) the percentage increase in reserves for each local authority since 31 March 2014.

Final audited reserves data for 31 March 2024 is not currently held by the Scottish Government.

As far as possible, where audited reserves figures are available for 31 March 2024, these will be published in February 2025 as part of Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics 2023-24.

The following table shows the cash and real terms value of Local Authority General Fund reserves at 31 March 2014 (final audited) and 31 March 2024 (now updated with provisional outturn data from POBE 2024 dataset). Please note that the information requested on reserves is not held prior to 2007.

Due to small numbers in many of the VJBs and transport authorities, real-term percentage changes in reserves have only been calculated for Councils and Strathclyde Passenger Transport.

Adjustments for inflation have been made using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators for March 2024 (available at: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)).

Further information on Local Government Finance Statistics can be found at: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

General Fund Reserves (in £ millions) as at 31 March
Sources: LFR 23 for 31 March 2014 (audited data), POBE 2024 for 31 March 2024 which is provisional outturn data provided in early 2024.

	Cash Terms		Real Terms (2023-24 Prices)		Percentage Increase
Local Authority	31-Mar-14	31-Mar-24	31-Mar-14	31-Mar-24	Real Terms
	Final Audited	Provisional Outturn	Final Audited	Provisional Outturn
Aberdeen City	57.1	85.9	75.2	85.9	14%
Aberdeenshire	57.5	65.4	75.7	65.4	-14%
Angus	19.8	71.2	26.1	71.2	173%
Argyll & Bute	44.0	86.4	58.0	86.4	49%
City of Edinburgh	123.3	265.9	162.3	265.9	64%
Clackmannanshire	12.0	21.0	15.8	21.0	32%
Dumfries & Galloway	58.4	86.4	76.9	86.4	12%
Dundee City	8.1	56.6	10.6	56.6	433%
East Ayrshire	28.0	49.1	36.9	49.1	33%
East Dunbartonshire	11.3	47.7	14.9	47.7	220%
East Lothian	9.2	26.4	12.1	26.4	118%
East Renfrewshire	14.9	52.1	19.6	52.1	165%
Falkirk	25.8	49.7	33.9	49.7	47%
Fife	85.0	216.1	111.9	216.1	93%
Glasgow City	32.8	277.4	43.2	277.4	543%
Highland	40.3	131.8	53.1	131.8	148%
Inverclyde	42.9	27.4	56.5	27.4	-51%
Midlothian	20.5	35.0	27.0	35.0	29%
Moray	21.4	45.7	28.1	45.7	62%
Na h-Eileanan Siar	18.3	30.0	24.1	30.0	24%
North Ayrshire	25.2	110.1	33.1	110.1	233%
North Lanarkshire	75.0	249.9	98.8	249.9	153%
Orkney Islands	23.8	28.5	31.3	28.5	-9%
Perth & Kinross	48.2	69.7	63.5	69.7	10%
Renfrewshire	52.9	127.4	69.7	127.4	83%
Scottish Borders	17.1	49.6	22.6	49.6	120%
Shetland Islands	13.9	72.0	18.2	72.0	295%
South Ayrshire	22.9	47.7	30.2	47.7	58%
South Lanarkshire	13.4	150.3	17.6	150.3	753%
Stirling	13.3	29.9	17.5	29.9	71%
West Dunbartonshire	10.1	29.1	13.3	29.1	118%
West Lothian	22.6	57.1	29.7	57.1	92%
Ayrshire VJB	0.2	0.7	0.3	0.7
Central VJB	0.8	0.4	1.0	0.4
Dunbartonshire& Argyll & Bute VJB	0.5	0.8	0.6	0.8
Grampian VJB	0.2	0.7	0.3	0.7
Highland & Western Isles VJB	0.1	0.2	0.2	0.2
Lanarkshire VJB	-	1.7	-	1.7
Lothian VJB	-	1.3	-	1.3
Orkney & Shetland VJB	-	0.0	-	0.0
Renfrewshire VJB	0.5	0.8	0.6	0.8
Tayside VJB	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Tay Road Bridge	1.2	1.2	1.5	1.2
HITRANS	0.2	0.1	0.3	0.1
NESTRANS	0.0	3.6	0.0	3.6
SESTRAN	-	0.2	-	0.2
SPT	12.5	109.7	16.5	109.7	565%
SWESTRANS	-	0.0	-	0.0
TACTRAN	-	0.1	-	0.1
ZetTrans	-	0.0	-	0.0
Scotland	1,085.4	2870.0	1,428.8	2,870.0	101%

VJB = Valuation Joint Board
GDP Deflator	75.97	100.00

Question reference: S6W-29453

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 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to better understand the resource constraints associated with tradespeople in relation to the private rented sector.

The Scottish Government engages regularly with stakeholders across the private rented sector to understand issues that may impact on landlords and their ability to fulfil their legal obligations.

Where necessary, Business and Regulatory Impact Assessments (BRIAs) are used to assess the costs, benefits and risks of any proposed legislation that may have an impact on the public, private sector, third sector or regulators.

Question reference: S6W-29485

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many shoplifting offences have been recorded by the police in each year since 2019.

Question reference: S6W-29509

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the successful bidder for the Phase 1 design and build contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme is required to recognise trade unions, including seafarer unions, at the (a) test and survey, (b) launch, (c) equip and (d) sea trial stage of the contract.

Question reference: S6W-29474

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the palliative and end-of-life care strategy steering group.

The Strategy Steering Group for Palliative Care (SSG), representing the wide range of partners involved in palliative care, chaired by a National Clinical Lead for Palliative Care, and supported by a Clinical and Professional Advisory Group (CPAG), has been crucial in the development of our new Palliative Care Strategy.

The Strategy Steering Group last met on 20 June 2024, to consider the latest version of the draft Palliative Care Strategy and provide further feedback. We anticipate that the draft Palliative Care Strategy and associated consultation will be published in the coming weeks.

Question reference: S6W-29194

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Glenbuchat Castle, and when it will reopen to the public.

Question reference: S6W-29215

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any ongoing repair work at Castle of Old Wick, and when it will reopen to the public.

Question reference: S6T-02099

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with Harland & Wolff regarding the future of its construction yards at Methil and Arnish.

year ending June 2019	year ending June 2020	year ending June 2021	year ending June 2022	year ending June 2023	year ending June 2024
33,611	27,045	21,136	24,877	30,202	40,554