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-03334

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly spent nearly £400,000 of public money to promote Scotland’s new hate crime laws.

Question reference: S6O-03347

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taken to tackle bullying in schools.

Question reference: S6W-26609

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to meet its target of achieving a 20% reduction in car kilometres travelled by 2030, in light of 2022 having seen the highest recorded level of licensed motor vehicles, according to the Scottish Transport Statistics 2023.

Notwithstanding the fact that licensed motor vehicles, including cars, are at highest levels both in terms of number and age, we are committed to finding ways to make alternative travel modes more attractive, and supporting people to take fewer journeys by car. The Scottish Government’s plans to encourage the use of public transport and active travel alongside plans to reduce car use, are set out in the draft route map on 20% reduction in car kilometres by 2030, jointly developed with COSLA. Our 2023 Programme for Government included a commitment to publish a final version of the route map to achieving the 20% car kilometre reduction this year, and we look forward to publishing this in the coming months.

Following significant pandemic-related road traffic reductions in 2020, the latest figures show that estimated road traffic continued to rebound, increasing by 9% overall (to 47 billion vehicle kilometres) and by 10.7% for car km between 2021 and 2022. A 6.3% reduction against the 2019 baseline for car km travelled reflects ongoing changes to travel patterns, including increased use of digital connectivity. It is also worth noting that fewer people drove every day in 2022 (34%) compared to 2019 (43%).

There remains however uncertainty regarding travel patterns in the longer term, but it is expected car traffic will continue to rise in subsequent years before interventions to deliver reductions in car traffic start to make an impact. Evidence is clear that incentivising sustainable alternatives alone will not be sufficient to bring about the behaviour change to deliver the scale of 20% car KM reduction.

The most direct levers on the cost of buying or running a petrol or diesel car – fuel duty and vehicle excise duty – are currently reserved. We will continue to press the UK Government for a fair and progressive future transport tax system that better incentivises the transition to zero-emission vehicles, reduces unnecessary journeys and raises revenues to fund policies to support a shift to more sustainable travel.

Question reference: S6W-26615

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to subsidised bus travel for people in employment.

The Fair Fares Review, published on 22 March 2024, considered the range of discounts and concessionary schemes which are available across all modes including bus, rail and ferry.

On bus travel, the Review maintains existing eligibility to the National Concessionary Travel Schemes for those groups who currently benefit, which comprise over 2.3 million people across Scotland – a higher percentage than anywhere else in the UK and commits to development of a proposal for a bus flat fares pilot for an area-based scheme to provide flat fares on bus travel, or reduced fares on zonal integrated travel for consideration in future budgets.

In addition, the Review has recommended that further policy development work be undertaken by the Scottish Government to consider better targeting of public funds towards supporting access to public transport for those who need it most, including consideration of concessionary travel support for those experiencing financial poverty.

Question reference: S6W-26610

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it plans to meet its target of achieving a 20% reduction in car kilometres travelled by 2030, in light of 47.4 billion vehicle kilometres having been travelled in 2022, according to the Scottish Transport Statistics 2023.

Question reference: S6W-26614

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will make a decision on the proposals to reduce journey times between the Central Belt and Aberdeen by 20 minutes.

Question reference: S6W-26550

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that "the 20% [reduction in car kilometres] target is not achieved at the cost of exacerbating van traffic, particularly in urban areas", in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.

The Scottish Government wants a just transition to a fairer, greener transport system for all in Scotland. The final version of the route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car km will be published in the coming months. The draft route map recognised the need for its implementation to be flexible to adapt to emerging and changing evidence and it committed to setting out a monitoring and evaluation framework alongside the publication of the final route map. It does not expect car use to reduce equally for all, including some businesses using cars rather than vans, those in rural areas, and those who rely on cars for mobility or other reasons. But for those who are able to change their travel behaviour (travel less; stay local; switch mode and, where those options are not feasible, share or combine a journey) we want to recognise and enable that. Our next Climate Change Plan will also set out our approach to continuing delivery of Scotland’s net zero targets through a just transition.

The Scottish Government is grateful for the latest advice from the Climate Change Committee and remains fully committed to delivering net zero by 2045. We will provide a Scottish Government response to the Climate Change Committee.

Question reference: S6W-26543

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Islands Connectivity Plan in full, in light of the Climate Change Committee’s recommendation in its 2023 Report to Parliament.

The Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach paper and the updated Vessels and Ports Plan were published for public consultation on 1 February 2024.

One of the Priorities of the Plan is Low Carbon and ensuring that ferry services take action to reduce the negative environmental impact of their operations and help to achieve Scotland's net-zero targets.

The documents highlight that Scottish Government’s Climate Change Plan sets a target that 30% of the Government (CMAL) owned fleet should be low or zero emission vessels by 2032 and that the successful delivery of the Small Vessel Replacement Programme will enable that goal to be met.

Following the public consultation period, the feedback received will be used to inform final versions of both documents by the end of 2024.

Question reference: S6W-26486

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission independent advice regarding whether the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill could adversely impact upon the mortgage market.

The Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the mortgage market. As part of this research, researchers are conducting interviews with stakeholders from the property market, including the finance sector. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.

Question reference: S6W-26438

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported decision by Aberdeenshire Integration Joint Board to close Fraserburgh, Peterhead and Huntly Minor Injury Units (MIUs) overnight on a permanent basis due to budgetary pressures, what action it will take with NHS boards and local partners to ensure that MIUs continue to deliver urgent and unscheduled care in the North East Scotland region.

It is important to note that through the Redesign of Urgent Care Programme, NHS 24 is available 24/7 and will be able to assist patients across Scotland, including the North East Scotland region, access the most appropriate healthcare pathway over a 24 hour period.

The decision to close the service overnight is an operational decision for local health boards and integrated joint boards to get the best combination of local and specialist services that meets the needs of their population in line with the National Clinical Strategy. It has been reported by NHS Grampian that this bring this service in line with other services across Moray and Aberdeen City. The Scottish Government do not have a specific policy on the provision of Minor Injury Units in communities.

It is important to stress that these Minor Injury Units will continue to operate during the day and the Board report that there is minimal activity at these units during the out of hours period. These services are only equipped to deal with minor injuries which do not need immediate attention. Those patients that may have attended the MIU during the proposed closure times will either be provided with a scheduled appointment through NHS 24 to attend the next morning, or if an emergency will be directed straight to A&E.

Minor injury services are also available at the majority of the local GP practices.