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-24499

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what alternative levies or taxes it considered as a means of generating additional revenue.

The announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement for large retailers in advance of the next Budget. As set out in the 2024-25 Scottish Budget publication, the Scottish Government has however committed to introduce or explore six new taxes. These comprise three national taxes: Scottish Aggregates Tax, Air Departure Tax, and a Building Safety Levy; and three local taxes: Visitor Levy, Cruise Liner Levy, and a Local Carbon Land Tax.

Question reference: S6W-24513

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23922 by Mairi McAllan on 12 January 2024, when Scottish Water's process of "developing options appraisals for resolving deficits" is expected to conclude, and whether the results of this process will be published.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Scottish Water develops appraisals on an ongoing basis, prioritising based on the risks to water supply. Scottish Water currently has plans to appraise seven systems, supplying a population of over 1 million people, over the next 3 years. As and when these appraisals are complete they are shared with regulators and stakeholders.

The investment programme is dynamic and regularly reviewed and prioritised as circumstances change; as such there is no conclusion to the overall process, only for individual systems.

Question reference: S6W-24458

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many people in Scotland (a) are currently in receipt of and (b) have made an application since 1 April 2020 for, Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit in relation to a diagnosis of the prescribed disease, pneumoconiosis, and, of these, how many would not receive this benefit as new applicants in the event that the recommendations in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report, Review and Update of the Prescription for Prescribed Disease D1 (Pneumoconiosis), are implemented by the UK Government.

Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit (IIDB) is currently being delivered by the UK Government in Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government through an agency agreement. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) do not publish data on total IIDB awards for specific prescribed diseases. According to DWP data, between 1 April 2020 and 1 April 2023, 363 people made an application for IIDB in relation to pneumoconiosis in Scotland. There were 306 awards processed for pneumoconiosis in Scotland in this time period.

The Scottish Government cannot comment on how many people would be impacted if these recommendations were accepted by the UK Government at this stage. We continue to work with the DWP to understand the implications of any future changes to legislation.

Question reference: S6W-24460

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be required to accept any amendments, as they apply in Scotland, to the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985, in accordance with the report, Industrial Injuries Scheme Benefits in Scotland: Agency Agreement, in the event that the UK Government accepts the recommendations in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report, Review and Update of the Prescription for Prescribed Disease D1 (Pneumoconiosis), and whether this will require the Scottish Ministers to lay a Scottish statutory instrument in order to do so.

The Industrial Injuries Scheme (IIS) continues to be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) though an agency agreement. The agreement requires alignment between the way in which IIS is delivered in Scotland and its delivery in the rest of the UK and therefore any changes to the UK legislation to be reflected in relevant Scottish legislation. This would typically require a Scottish statutory instrument.

Question reference: S6W-24459

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding the impact in Scotland, to the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report, Review and Update of the Prescription for Prescribed Disease D1 (Pneumoconiosis), and what the potential implications are for Industrial Injuries Disablement Benefit applicants in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-24461

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether its plans for Employment Injury Assistance include (a) accepting or (b) rejecting the recommendations, as they apply in Scotland, in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report, Review and Update of the Prescription for Prescribed Disease D1 (Pneumoconiosis).

The Scottish Government is committed to undertaking a public consultation on Employment Injury Assistance (EIA) shortly. As set out in the response to S6W-24459 on 23 January 2023 we continue to engage with UK Government on their response to IIAC’s report. 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-24472

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22531 by Paul McLennan on 13 November 2023, by what date in early 2024 it will provide an implementation update on short-term let licensing.

Question reference: S6W-24503

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether the receipts from any new levy would be ring-fenced or hypothecated, and, if so, for what purpose.

Question reference: S6W-24741

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the latest position is of the four-day working week public sector pilot, as outlined in its Programme for Government.

The Scottish Government can confirm today work has commenced on the 4 Day Working Week Public Sector Pilot to assess the wellbeing, environmental and productivity benefits a 4 Day Working Week could bring.

We have appointed Autonomy as our expert partner to support the pilot. The team involved in this project have previous 4 Day Working Week pilot experience including from the Valencian Government pilot, and the Icelandic public sector pilot.

The South of Scotland Enterprise 4 Day Working Week pathfinder work is being folded into Autonomy’s methodology, and engagement will continue with other public bodies interested in participating in the 32-hour working week pilot.

Autonomy will also provide support and evaluate organisations moving to a contractual 35 hour working week. This will capture valuable insights from a wider range of public bodies on different shorter work week models and be included in the 4 Day Working Week evaluation report.

Question reference: S6W-24323

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to measure unrecorded passenger journeys on the ScotRail network.