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

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Question reference: S6W-27915

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to ensure that the public has confidence in organisations that receive public funding, by ensuring that its funding processes operate at the highest level of governance accountability and transparency.

There is a robust framework for the stewardship of public funds by the Scottish Government, its public bodies and recipients of public sector grants. The Scottish Public Finance Manual (SPFM) sets out statutory, parliamentary, and administrative requirements in relation to managing public resources, emphasising the need for economy, efficiency, and effectiveness, and promoting good practice.

There are ‘framework documents’ between the SG and public bodies covering accountability arrangements, financial controls and processes, and associated annual assurance processes. Accountable Officers are personally answerable for the regularity and propriety of the finances under their stewardship and report in annual accounts which are scrutinised by Audit Scotland and potentially by the Public Audit Committee. SG Sponsor teams work with public bodies, ensuring appropriate framework documents and governance arrangements are in place and action is taken on any audit recommendations.

The SPFM sets out the expectations of grant funding and the financial control framework required if public bodies disperse grants. Bodies in receipt of public funds are subject to binding agreements that are monitored as part of established grant management processes.

Question reference: S6W-27829

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Scottish breast screening programme data 2022-23, what steps are being taken to increase uptake of breast screening to reach the achievable 80% target in all NHS board areas.

Question reference: S6W-27972

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider strengthening provisions within the Housing (Scotland) Bill to support prospective tenants in addition to those with existing tenancies.

The Bill provides a number of rights for existing tenants and only some would relate to availability of housing which will be the main concern of prospective tenants.

The rights created in the Bill mainly apply to those who have a tenancy and there is a clear difficulty in extending those rights to prospective tenants as those rights could then apply to anyone with an interest in renting a property even if they may never take up a tenancy of the property.

Question reference: S6W-28010

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many reports of short-term lets operating without a licence have been received by each local authority to date.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information that has been requested. Local authorities will have local arrangements in place for managing reports of licence breaches and non-compliance. I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28008 on 11 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-28013

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will meet with (a) MSPs and (b) relevant industry leaders to discuss the reported concerns of people living in oil-heated homes in relation to its proposals for the decarbonisation of buildings, in light of its recent announcement that it will review regulations on wood-burning stoves.

Question reference: S6W-27940

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much the Edinburgh Eastern constituency has received from the CashBack for Communities fund since it was established, and what projects this funding has supported.

Question reference: S6W-28009

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many inspections of short-term let properties have been conducted to date where they were found to be (a) in breach of their and (b) without an appropriate licence.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information that has been requested, as local authorities are responsible for administering the scheme and making relevant inspections. I also refer the member to the answer to question S6W-28008 on 11 June 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-28008

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many short-term lets it estimates are currently operating without a licence.

Question reference: S6W-27787

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Mental Health in Schools Working Group, which last met in August 2021, will be reconvened.

Question reference: S6W-27788

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates that an implementation and engagement plan for the mental health and wellbeing whole school approach framework, which was published in August 2021, will be developed, and whether it anticipates that an update to the framework will be published.