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-27768

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards meeting its target of disabled people representing 19% of its workforce, as set out in its 2019 Recruitment and Retention Plan for Disabled People.

The 2019 recruitment and retention Action plan for Disabled People has been superseded by the Diversity and Inclusion Employer Strategy for Scottish Government published April 2024. Having a workforce more representative of the people of Scotland it serves, remains one of our Employer Equality Outcomes. We have higher levels of disabled staff than ever before but still have further progress to make. The overall proportion of disabled people working in the Scottish Government has more than doubled over the last ten years, rising from 6.4% in 2013 to 14.1% in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-27818

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Ambulance Service began using the GoodSAM system, and what assessment has been made of its effectiveness.

The Scottish Ambulance Service started using the GoodSAM system in 2017 in a limited capacity – initially this was aimed at SAS clinicians to register. This was paused during the Covid-19 pandemic. Full implementation of GoodSAM, which was open to all, was launched in October 2022. Since this date, effectiveness has been measured based on month on month increase to both registrations and alerts accepted through it. Data modelling is now ongoing to establish how best to optimise the system for different parts of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-27816

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government within what radius of distance from an incident community first responders trained by the Scottish Ambulance Service are asked to assist.

Question reference: S6W-27752

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding allocated for the development of wheelchair accessible properties also includes the development of "wheelchair exemplar properties".

The Scottish Government does not hold details relating to the funding for the development of “wheelchair exemplar properties”.

In relation to the allocation of funding for homes for wheelchair users, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-27750 on 4 June 2024.

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-27941

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to (a) local authorities and (b) community organisations for the provision of allotments, in light of the reported waiting times in Edinburgh and across Scotland.

Allotments and their provision are the responsibility of local authorities, as set out in the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 Part 9.

Whilst the Scottish Government is not required to collect information on waiting lists, we are aware of long lists in some areas of the country. We are committed to maintaining an open dialogue and working with our local authority partners to support them to meet their various statutory duties relating to allotments. Scottish Ministers have also issued guidance about the carrying out of functions conferred on local authorities by Part 9.

The Scottish Government recognises the wide-ranging benefits which participating in community growing activities can bring, not only for our physical and mental wellbeing but also for a sense of cohesion in our local communities.

In recognition of this, between 2012 and this financial year, we have awarded around £2.3 million to directly support, and increase the land that is available for, community growing initiatives through various grant funding. This includes £100,000 awarded to the Green Action Trust to deliver the Growing Food Together Fund for another year, with applications due to open soon.

Question reference: S6W-27850

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much money it has agreed with COSLA will be required to cover the costs of making changes to the school estate to deliver free school meals in all primary schools.

The Scottish Government is committed to the expansion of the free school meal programme and the next phase will support those in receipt of Scottish Child Payment in Primaries 6 and 7 from February 2025.

To support this expansion we have made provision for £43m of capital funding in 2024-25 to support the infrastructure development required to deliver the next phase of the free school meal programme. This is in addition to the £10m of capital funding provided in 2023-24.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with COSLA to deliver our free school meal expansion programme.

Question reference: S6W-27847

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the absence rate is for (a) primary and (b) secondary school pupils with additional support needs, and how these rates compare with pupils without additional support needs.

Question reference: S6W-27750

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated in 2024-25 to support the development of wheelchair accessible properties.

The Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) funding for 2024-25 is not allocated to specific properties. Funding is made available to local authority areas through Resource Planning Assumptions (RPAs) to support local authority priority projects which are either already approved or will be approved during that year. Projects receiving funding will include a mix of dwelling types and could include both wheelchair accessible and homes specifically designed for wheelchair users. Projects can be funded across different financial years as the monies are drawn down on receipt of certification of works and so it is not possible to disaggregate the spend or funding in this way.

All new build homes supported by the Affordable Housing Supply Programme should, where possible, meet Housing for Varying Needs standard which means that they should be accessible for wheelchair users.

Question reference: S6W-27754

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many adverse incidents have occurred at, or within a half mile radius of, the Toll of Birness in each year since 2010, including the period from January to end of May 2024.

Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents or adverse incidents generally (i.e. not involving an injury).

Since Amey took over the Operating Company contract in 2022, incidents such as flooding (7 times), potholes (3 times), fallen trees (twice) and dead badgers (twice) have prompted Amey to visit the location.

According to Transport Scotland’s accident database, there have been 14 personal injury accidents which have occurred at or within half a mile radius of the A90 Toll of Birness junction between 1 January 2010 and 5 March 2024. These are tabulated below:

Accidents by Year
Year	Total
2010	1
2011	1
2012	0
2013	1
2014	3
2015	0
2016	1
2017	1
2018	2
2019	1
2020	1
2021	1
2022	0
2023	1
2024*	0

* data available until 5 March 2024

Source: Transport Scotland Accident Manager Database

Notes:

Statistics for Police Scotland

Date Period: 01-01-2010 – 05-03-2024

Date Extracted - 21/05/2024

Please note that the personal injury accident information provided above is based on the current figures available. The following are potential reasons for an accident not appearing on our system:

Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).

Transport Scotland only holds accident information for the trunk road network.

The accident information Transport Scotland holds is subject to change. E.g. we receive late returns from Police Scotland, who are responsible for recording details of injury accidents.

Annual Scottish accident figures are published by Transport Scotland on a yearly basis and can be found by entering Reported Road Casualties Scotland into your search engine.

From summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious.

Question reference: S6W-27765

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects to incur any costs as a result of ending its previous arrangement with the National Parent Forum of Scotland.

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