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: S6W-24939

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much Serco NorthLink Ferries received from the (a) final annual subsidy and (b) annual revenue from passengers in relation to the provision of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract in (i) 2021, (ii) 2022 and (iii) 2023.

The grant subsidy paid to the operator is paid by contract years (July till the following June) and represents the difference between the costs of operating the service and the income generated.

This information is collated and published each year on the Transport Scotland website but in contract year form from 2011.

The annual subsidy figures published to date covering the periods in question can be found in the latest published report at Scottish Transport Statistics 2022 | Transport Scotland under chapter 9 table 9.14a , referencing the notes as advised.

This information is published in March of the following year to the report in question.

The annual subsidy for 2020-2021 was £34,174k. The total revenue for contract year 2020-2021 was £29,128k. We are unable to provide a breakdown of the financial components of the contract revenue as this information is commercially confidential.

The annual subsidy for 2021-2022 was £38,851k. The total revenue for contract year 2021-2022 was £39,328k. We are unable to provide a breakdown of the financial components of the contract revenue as this information is commercially confidential.

The annual subsidy for 2022-2023 was £47,109k. The total revenue for contract year 2022-2023 was £43,625k these will be the figures used in the Scottish Transport Statistics 2023 report when published this year. We are unable to provide a breakdown of the financial components of the contract revenue as this information is commercially confidential.

Question reference: S6W-25070

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a quality indicator for staff health and wellbeing in the updated school inspections guidance.

In school inspections, HM Inspectors evaluate and report on the quality of education being provided. HM Inspectors use quality indicators from 'How good is our school? (4th edition).' This framework focuses on evaluating the quality of education provision for learners which is a key responsibility of HM Inspectors. There are currently no plans for HM Chief Inspector to issue additional guidance in relation to staff health and wellbeing.

The health and wellbeing of staff is primarily the responsibility of the employer. For most schools in Scotland this means local authorities are responsible for ensuring arrangements are in place to support staff health and wellbeing.

In carrying out inspections, HM Inspectors are mindful that inspection can be an unfamiliar experience for school staff. HM Inspectors work together with the school to minimise disruption and unnecessary bureaucracy. HM Inspectors provide a headteacher's briefing note to schools being inspected to ensure they know what to expect, and what papers or examples of work the inspection team will want to see. They aim to carry out inspections in a way that seeks to minimise burden on staff and keep paperwork required to a minimum. Inspectors are happy to observe what teachers would be doing on an ordinary day without any special changes for an inspection.

HM Inspectors take care to ensure that they operate in line with best practice principles, known as the PRAISE framework. This framework outlines expectations regarding conduct and behaviour of HM Inspectors when engaging with staff in a school or setting.

Question reference: S6W-24951

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of reported claims that there is inequality in the support offered by Education Scotland on the curriculum.

Question reference: S6W-25064

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the minutes of the meeting of the Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Cross Sector Working Group on 11 October 2023, which hospital has RAAC present and also has some water ingress.

The building referred to on 11 October 2023 Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Cross Sector Working Group minutes was the Ward 1 Plant Room at the Western General Hospital in Edinburgh.

The Plant room was surveyed on Friday 22 September 2023 . The surveying Engineer noted that there was no immediate concern of structural collapse and made recommendations. Immediate remedial action was taken to ensure the area was safe. There is no immediate risk to patients, staff, or visitors.

Question reference: S6W-25192

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what changes are anticipated to the NHS Education for Scotland (NES) provision of training for healthcare professionals as a result of the Scottish Budget 2024-25.

The 2024-25 Scottish Budget will provide an uplift of over half a billion, bringing the budget for NHS Boards to over £14.2 billion, of which NES will receive £550.2 million. Health boards are responsible for ensuring best use of available resources to support delivery of services and strategic objectives.

NES plays a critical role in supporting the education, training and wider development of the NHS Scotland workforce, and in particular the medical workforce where target training numbers have already been confirmed for 2024-25. As part of this, the Board is actively contributing to a number of wider policy developments as set out in Programme for Government, the NHS Recovery Plan and the National workforce Strategy. The Scottish Government remains committed to delivering the National Workforce Strategy and achieving the overall vision for “A sustainable, skilled workforce with attractive career choices and fair work where all are respected and valued for the work they do”.

Question reference: S6W-25165

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how its reported two-year freeze in capital expenditure for the NHS will impact on its NHS Recovery Plan target of achieving 40,000 additional inpatient and day cases seen in National Treatment Centres by 2025-26.

The National Treatment Centres (NTCs) Programme is the single biggest increase in planned care capacity ever created in NHS Scotland. Five new National Treatment Centres (NTCs) will be opened by 2024 at Golden Jubilee (Phase 1 and 2), NTC Fife, NTC Highland and NTC Forth Valley. Combined these centres will have eight orthopaedic theatres; an inpatient/day-case ward; three endoscopy rooms and two general theatres.

As a result of the almost 10% cut in our capital budget from the UK Government, we are having to revise our pipeline of infrastructure investment and we do not expect National Treatment Centres in Ayrshire and Arran, Grampian, Lanarkshire, Lothian and Tayside to be progressed in the short to medium term. The figure of 40,000 additional activities from the 2021 recovery plan is dependent on all National Treatment Centres in development being operational, therefore we expect the additional annual activity from the programme to be 20,000 from 2024-25.

Question reference: S6T-01801

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the reported decision to delay the progress of all new NHS capital projects for up to two years, including the Ayr National Treatment Centre.

Question reference: S6T-01797

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether the A96 will be dualled from Inverness to Aberdeen.

Question reference: S6F-02847

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 February 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the analysis by Citizens Advice Scotland suggesting that over 660,000 people are experiencing mental health problems due to increasing household debt.

Question reference: S6F-02848

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 February 2024

To ask the First Minister, regarding the delivery of the Scottish Government's recently published depopulation action plan, what will be different about this approach, which is described as "local by default, national by agreement", particularly towards the approval of new developments supported by local communities.