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-26864

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to adding aplastic anaemia to the list of conditions and illnesses featured on the NHS Inform website.

The Scottish Government's approach to rare conditions and diseases is not condition-specific. As there are over 7,000 rare conditions it is unfortunately not feasible for NHS Inform to host and maintain individual pages for each condition.

We are absolutely committed to ensuring that people living with a rare condition like Aplastic Anaemia will benefit from our approach. Our Action Plan for Rare Disease (published December 2022) set out our wider priorities and actions, including raising awareness of rare conditions among healthcare professionals.

The current NHS Inform page for rare conditions, developed to improve awareness of rare conditions and signpost to sources of support, is by no means final. We will continue to listen to rare disease community feedback and shape our web content around the needs of all rare condition communities.

Question reference: S6W-26802

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on when it (a) last met and (b) will next meet with the UK Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero regarding Grangemouth refinery.

I was disappointed that the UK Government Minister for Energy Security was unable to attend the recent meeting of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board Industrial Leadership Forum on the 28th March. He did attend the previous meeting in January and met with Scottish Ministers.

However I was pleased that the UK Government Scotland Office was represented by John Lamont MP. It is my understanding that Lord Cameron will now take forward the Scotland Office interests on this group and I have written to him to ask for a meeting to discuss these important matters.

I am also regretful that the previous Minister for Energy Security declined my invitation to meet since taking up my new position, however I have since written to the newly appointed Minister and hope that he will be able to join trilateral discussion with Petroineos in the coming weeks.

Question reference: S6W-26795

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26225 by Fiona Hyslop on 8 April 2024, what the estimated capital expenditure on the M8 Woodside Viaduct project is expected to be during the 2024-25 financial year.

The M8 Woodside Viaducts are a vital element of the motorway and road network serving Glasgow, the wider region and country, carrying approximately 150,000 vehicles per day. The structure requires to be temporarily propped to facilitate the refurbishment of the bridge elements in need of repair. The temporary propping design and implementation is highly complex in nature and requires careful consideration of the underground services and other site constraints in the vicinity of the Viaducts.

The budget allocation for the ongoing works on the Woodside Viaduct project for the 2024-25 financial year is £46.97m.

Question reference: S6W-26796

Asked by: Ivan McKee, MSP for Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications for Waterborne Freight Grants have been received in the past five financial years, including 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-26763

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans for community audiology services to be able to make direct referrals to ear, nose and throat (ENT) consultants without going through a GP.

Question reference: S6W-26787

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of recent reports that its student teacher intake target was missed in 19 out of 20 subjects, and that 10 out of 20 subjects were unable to attract 50% of their target numbers.

This relates to indicative figures provided by universities at the start of the academic session. The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) will publish the 2023-24 academic year Official Statistics data in 2025. These will provide the most accurate figures on enrolments into modern language Initial Teacher Education (ITE) programmes.

This information is informing the work of Strategic Board for Teacher Education, which is considering issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers in Scotland in detail, together with work to improving the promotion of teaching as a valued career.

Both the Scottish Government and Scottish Funding Council have offered to work with universities to develop alternative routes into subjects which have traditionally been difficult to recruit to.

Question reference: S6W-26620

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many new overflow monitors have been installed by Scottish Water since its Improving Urban Waters Routemap was published in 2021, broken down by year.

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

I refer the member to the answers to S6W-15158 on 3 March 2023 and S6F-02135 on 19 May 2023 for information on Scottish Water’s approach to installing CSO monitors at priority locations. As confirmed in these answers, no new event duration monitors (EDMs) were installed in 2021 or 2022.

Scottish Water’s annual update to the improving urban waters routemap, published on its website at Scottish Water (readymag.website) , confirms that 230 new EDMs were installed in 2023. In addition, Scottish Water installed a further 229 sensors as part of its wastewater intelligent network (WWIN) transformation programme, of which 53 are EDMs.

In 2024 to date, Scottish Water has installed a further 633 new EDMs. Plans have also been approved for 450 new EDMs in 12 further WWIN catchments.

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 , and https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament .

Question reference: S6O-03384

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding what steps it can take to protect horticultural workers on seasonal worker visas from unfair work practices and substandard accommodation.

Question reference: S6O-03386

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted of the impact of its reformed dental payments system, introduced on 1 November 2023, in the Mid Scotland and Fife region.

Question reference: S6O-03383

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help local authorities tackle damp and mould in social housing.