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: S6O-03558

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when councillors’ pay is expected to rise.

Question reference: S6W-28044

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on determining the future role and focus of Scotland’s national education agency.

Following engagement with teachers and stakeholders, the Scottish Government has further considered the role of the national education agency, including how it can add most value to Scotland’s education system.

An excellent curriculum from 3-18 requires national leadership and direction. Therefore, the primary purpose and focus of Scotland’s national education agency will be to lead curriculum design, delivery and improvement, including the provision of resources to support high quality learning and teaching.

The national agency will also have an important role in supporting a thriving professional learning sector through a national framework for professional learning and will build on the existing and well-regarded national leadership professional learning programmes.

The Scottish Government is ambitious for all of Scotland's children and young people and Scotland’s local authorities and schools have an important role in creating the conditions for them to thrive. The national agency will work with local authorities to inform approaches to wellbeing, inclusion, behaviour and enabling better support for those with additional support needs. The national agency will also employ its unique national perspective to inform, share and promote wider approaches to improvement to close attainment gaps as set out in the National Improvement Framework.

The Scottish Government has determined that refocussing Education Scotland will deliver the change and improvement necessary to achieve excellence and equity for Scotland’s children and young people including across Gaelic Medium Education.

Work is underway to set out further detail on transition plans and associated timescales, including for the appointment of a permanent Chief Executive for a refocussed Education Scotland and HM Chief Inspector of Education, both of which will be taken forward as quickly as practicable. In line with previous commitments, there will be no compulsory redundancies as a result of this reform.

Question reference: S6W-27935

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Crown Estate Scotland, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-27709

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that the Scottish Prison Service ensures that all Samaritans envelopes distributed in prisons with out-of-date return addresses are destroyed and that only envelopes with the current up-to-date freepost address, "Freepost Samaritans Letters", are distributed to inmates.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

SPS recognise the importance of those in our care maintaining contact with family and friends coupled with their ability to access support services such as the Samaritans.

Last summer SPS rolled out in cell telephony throughout our estate, which continues to support the positive mental health and wellbeing for those we care for and enables access to the Samaritans free of charge, 24 hours per day.

Any envelopes not marked with the “Freepost Samaritans Letters" address are being removed from use in establishments.

Question reference: S6W-27711

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26930 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2024, whether it will publish its draft transport to health delivery plan.

Question reference: S6W-27737

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the number of students articulating from college to university in the last financial year, and what impact this has had on universities filling their places.

The Scottish Government hasn’t undertaken any analysis of the number of students articulating from college to university in the last financial year.

Latest data covering articulation from college to university is published in the annual Scottish Funding Council (SFC) publication ‘Report on Widening Access’, which relates to those starting university in the 2021-22 academic year.

Report on Widening Access 2021-22 - Scottish Funding Council (sfc.ac.uk)

Data covering the 2022-23 academic year will be published later this year, with 2023-24 data in 2025 and the current academic year (2024-25) being published in 2026.

Question reference: S6W-27397

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23002 by Angela Constance on 11 December 2023, in light of reports that the proceedings have concluded, whether it will now provide details of any payments it has made towards the legal costs of Sheriff Jack Brown in relation to his fitness for judicial office tribunal proceedings, and, if so, where these will be published.

The Scottish Government intends to publish costs of the tribunal, which will include payments it has made towards the legal costs of Sheriff Jack Brown in relation to his fitness for judicial office tribunal proceedings. Following a recent Freedom of Information request for this information, the Scottish Government will publish these details on its website, as soon as possible after the Freedom of Information response is issued.

Question reference: S6W-27715

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support GPs and primary care teams to widen access to nature prescriptions.

Connecting people to non-clinical options which can help with their health is an important part of a healthcare professional's toolkit. This is very much in line with the principles of Realistic Medicine, supporting our healthcare professionals to deliver a more personalised approach to care. The resources and services to which people are connected can range from financial, housing and welfare support through to engagement with cultural activity, community cafés, opportunities to be physically active and many others depending on what works for the individual. Connecting people to nature is one option which is available to health professionals where appropriate. There is a great deal of excellent work taking place across the country to deliver relevant initiatives. We are working with partners to understand how we can best support this local activity and develop our policy to ensure that these approaches are supported and valued.

Question reference: S6W-27712

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26930 by Jenni Minto on 2 May 2024, when its final transport to health delivery plan will be published.

Question reference: S6W-27731

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards the creation of an infrastructure levy under the provisions of the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019.

We have committed to implementing new infrastructure-levy regulations under the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 by spring 2026. On 3 June a discussion paper was published setting out the research undertaken previously and seeking views on the various options for a levy. The discussion phase will run until 30 September. After that, and subject to the views received in response to the discussion paper, draft regulations will be prepared which will be subject to a formal consultation in early 2025.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

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