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

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Question reference: S6O-02545

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the increase in patient charges for NHS dental treatment will be.

Question reference: S6O-02544

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to support innovation and entrepreneurship.

Question reference: S6O-02547

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water has completed any remedial works to prevent future flooding in the Glasgow Anniesland constituency, following reports of widespread flooding in the area earlier this year.

Question reference: S6O-02551

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to any benefits to islanders of restoring the monthly season ticket on the Largs to Cumbrae ferry route.

Question reference: S6O-02548

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the procurement process for the upgrade of Ardrossan harbour.

Question reference: S6O-02546

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the winter flu and COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Question reference: S6W-20677

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the longest wait for a Baby Box to be delivered has been since they were introduced.

The Scottish Government’s universal Baby Box programme, the only one in the UK, opened for registration on 15 June 2017. Nationwide delivery of Baby Boxes began on 15 August 2017 for all babies born and resident in Scotland.

Where a parent has registered for a Baby Box these are dispatched by our Baby Box Managing Agent APS Group (Scotland) approximately 6 weeks prior to due date. If APS receive a late request, the Baby Box is prioritised by their system and dispatched as urgent, this would usually be the next working day. Where APS are made aware of a hidden pregnancy, premature birth or a parent has not registered, these requests are also treated as urgent and usually dispatched the next working day.

APS do not keep a record of any late issued boxes, which can happen for a number of reasons, but once confirmation of a birth and request for a box is received, a Baby Box will be dispatched the following day.

Question reference: S6W-20678

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many Baby Boxes have been delivered late, after the birth of the child, since they were introduced.

Question reference: S6W-20468

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners are being held in (a) individual cells and (b) cells holding more than one person, and how many are being "doubled-up" in individual cells.

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

On 7 August 2023 the prison population was 7859. A breakdown is provided below in relation to the accommodation the individuals were located in:

4800 people were accommodated alone in a cell intended to accommodate one person;
165 people were accommodated alone in a cell that is designed to be double occupancy;
1098 people were accommodated in a cell, or dormitory, intended for more than one person; and
1796 people were accommodated with another person in a cell intended for one person.

Question reference: S6W-20469

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) design capacity, (b) number of occupants and (c) occupancy rate was in each prison in July 2023.

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

The following table details the average occupancy, the design capacity and the average occupancy rate of each prison for July 2023:

Establishment	Average Occupancy	Design Capacity	Average Occupancy Rate
Addiewell	724	702	103%
Barlinnie	1379	987	140%
Stirling	62	100	62%
Dumfries	193	176	110%
Edinburgh	930	867	107%
Glenochil	739	668	111%
Grampian	454	552	82%
Greenock	227	224	101%
Inverness	116	93	125%
Kilmarnock	547	501	109%
Low Moss	798	784	102%
Open Estate	152	284	54%
Perth	678	631	107%
Polmont	280	758	37%
Shotts	536	537	99%
Bella	8	16	50%
Lillias	11	24	46%