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

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 48973 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-27893

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government on how many days court business has included time dedicated to hearing fatal accident inquiries in each court in Scotland in each of the last five years.

	Financial year
Court	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24
Aberdeen	4	22	41	4	0
Airdrie	0	0	0	0	0
Alloa	2	2	8	6	10
Ayr	4	13	14	4	0
Banff	0	9	6	2	0
Campbeltown	0	0	0	0	2
Dumbarton	0	5	2	3	0
Dumfries	2	8	3	7	18
Dundee	21	21	10	0	6
Dunfermline	4	12	12	7	2
Dunoon	0	3	8	2	0
Edinburgh	20	15	10	5	7
Elgin	0	5	0	5	7
Falkirk	13	4	0	12	60
Forfar	0	0	2	17	0
Fort William	0	0	0	0	0
Glasgow	54	20	25	57	56
Greenock	0	18	6	4	8
Hamilton	12	19	49	35	21
Inverness	20	14	3	9	14
Jedburgh	0	2	2	0	2
Kilmarnock	1	10	5	10	4
Kirkcaldy	0	0	0	9	4
Kirkwall	13	11	2	7	0
Lanark	6	4	0	2	6
Lerwick	2	0	0	0	2
Lochmaddy	1	4	3	0	0
Livingston	7	10	12	14	10
Oban	3	11	14	0	13
Paisley	2	0	17	27	0
Perth	30	39	16	17	14
Peterhead	9	10	4	9	1
Portree	0	0	0	0	0
Selkirk	0	0	0	0	0
Stirling	11	4	5	7	17
Stornoway	0	0	5	5	0
Stranraer	0	0	0	0	0
Tain	0	1	0	2	23
Wick	0	0	0	6	0
National	241	296	284	294	307

Question reference: S6W-28104

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the current national school clothing grant level is for eligible (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils; when the most recent increase to the grants took place, and when the next increase to the grants is due to take place.

The national minimum school clothing grant is £120 per annum for primary pupils, and £150 for secondary pupils.

The Scottish Government has increased funding for local authorities to £13.9 million in the 2024-25 financial year. This includes an inflationary uplift of £0.9 million on the previous year’s funding. The purpose of this increase is to support local authorities to manage increases to the minimum amounts of school clothing grant paid to eligible families in the 2024-25 academic year.

It is for local authorities to determine their own eligibility criteria for school clothing grant and they also have the option to set their school clothing grant levels higher than the minimum if they wish to do so.

Decisions about funding to local authorities in respect of the school clothing grant in future financial years will be through the Budget process in the usual way.

Question reference: S6W-28045

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to (a) address the ongoing industrial disputes over pay and funding in the further education sector, in light of the repeated industrial actions taken by staff, and (b) ensure the provision of quality education.

As I set out in my statement to Parliament on 30 May 2024, the Scottish Government has no locus to intervene in the current dispute; it is for college management and trade unions to negotiate pay and terms and conditions. We continue to urge the employers and EIS-FELA to work collaboratively to find a fair and affordable settlement, in order to bring the current dispute to an end as a matter of priority.

I have made clear to college management that I expect colleges to do everything within their power to ensure students are not adversely impacted by industrial action.

Question reference: S6W-27992

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects an education assurance board to be established.

Question reference: S6W-27999

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27602 by Jenny Gilruth on 28 May 2024, whether it plans to set out an indicative timetable to the Parliament for when universal free school meals will be rolled out in 2026.

Question reference: S6W-28071

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to fatal accident inquiries, how many cases the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has investigated in each of the last 10 years, and what the comparative figure was for each of the last 10 years in which the former unit for investigating deaths was in operation before it was replaced by the SFIU.

In relation to each of the last ten years, the number of deaths reported to the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has been as follows:

Financial Year	Deaths Reported
2014-15	9,173
2015-16	9,579
2016-17	10,931
2017-18	10,865
2018-19	10,397
2019-20	10,921
2020-21	15,739
2021-22	15,377
2022-23	14,147
2023-24	13,218

The comparative figures of deaths reported to the Procurator Fiscal for each of the last ten years prior to the commencement of SFIU on 1 April 2012 are as follows:

Financial Year	Deaths Reported
2002-03	14,508
2003-04	13,885
2004-05	13,786
2005-06	13,746
2006-07	13,572
2007-08	13,457
2008-09	13,608
2009-10	13,498
2010-11	13,112
2011-12	11,671

The extent of the investigation that requires to be carried out will depend on the particular circumstances of each death. A decision to conclude a death investigation may be able to be taken in the very early stages or after extensive enquiries have taken place. There are often legitimate reasons for prolonged enquiry before a decision on the conclusion of an investigation or the holding of an FAI can be taken, including the need to await the outcome of investigations by reporting agencies, to consider reports from other agencies or to instruct and receive expert opinion. It is not therefore possible to provide figures for every death investigation where the holding of an FAI has been in contemplation.

Question reference: S6W-28086

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on any risk assessment that has been undertaken in relation to the pilot to reduce the number of police officers routinely on duty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court, in light of reports that this does not have the support of the recognised trade union.

Question reference: S6W-28087

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service regarding the safety of (a) staff, (b) members of the public and (c) other court users during the pilot to reduce the number of police officers routinely on duty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Question reference: S6W-28085

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the pilot to reduce the number of police officers routinely on duty at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Question reference: S6W-28083

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring it will undertake of the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service's pilot to reduce police numbers at Edinburgh Sheriff Court.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Filter your results Hide all filters

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer