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-24500

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what assessment it has made of any potential implications of the introduction of such a levy for retailers' investment plans.

Question reference: S6W-24518

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with the Competition and Markets Authority regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget.

Question reference: S6W-24606

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council Limited since 2019.

Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council received funding from the Scottish Government’s Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund (PECF) during 2017-2021. High-level PCEF outcomes are set out in Grant Offer Letters, and are as follows:

A reduction in discrimination against people who share protected characteristics
Reduced levels of hate crime
Increased community participation, engagement and community cohesion
Addressing imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life

Impact Funding Partners (formerly named as The Voluntary Action Fund) were the fund managers for PECF, acting on behalf of the Scottish Government. The fund manager engaged with organisations directly to agree on workplans and set specific objectives and outcomes.

Question reference: S6W-24504

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it has assessed, or will assess, the potential impact of any new levy on support for new or renewal ballots for business improvement districts from firms that may be liable for the levy.

Question reference: S6W-24491

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister’s announcement on 11 January 2024 that it will, in essence, replicate in Scotland the legislation that exists in England and Wales on XL bully dogs, how it will monitor the efficacy of any proposed regulations.

Question reference: S6W-24482

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publicise what it considers to be the definition of an XL bully dog, in order to assist the public, particularly dog owners, in determining whether they may potentially be required to register their dog.

Question reference: S6W-24480

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what issues it raised with the UK Government regarding the potential displacement of XL bully dogs to Scotland from England and Wales in the event that legislation that exists in England and Wales were not to be replicated in Scotland, and when it raised any such issues.

I wrote to the then UK Government Minister for Biosecurity, Marine and Rural Affairs, The Rt Hon Lord Benyon, on 14 November 2023 seeking clarity from the UK Government on whether XL Bully dog owners would be committing the offence of sale of an XL Bully dog if a dog owner living in England and Wales sought to do that outside of England and Wales.

The UK Government were unable to give a definitive answer indicating it would be ‘unlikely’ an offence would be committed in such a situation.

Question reference: S6W-24620

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24242 by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2024, whether it will provide further details of the delivery group that oversees and directs the delivery of the wild salmon strategy and implementation plan, including (a) who is involved in the group and (b) contact details for wider public engagement.

Question reference: S6W-24569

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many online clicks its paper, Our marine sector in an independent Scotland, received in its first month following publication, broken down by (a) main paper, (b) easy read version, (c) each individual language version and (d) audio version.

We have previously answered two FOIs on website visits to the Building a New Scotland Papers:

Paper title: Building a New Scotland: Our marine sector in an independent Scotland

Main paper URL: https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-marine-sector-independent-scotland/

Main paper publish date: 21-11-2023

Main paper views in first month (all pages): 2,775

Easy read URL: https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-marine-sector-independent-scotland-easy-read-version/

Easy read publish date: 21-11-2023

Easy read views or download link clicks in first month: 298

Audio URL: https://on.soundcloud.com/5VJaA

Audio publish date: 21-11-2023

Audio link clicks in first month: 9

Community language landing pageURL: https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-marine-sector-independent-scotland/documents/

Translation publish date: 21-11-2023

Translation downloads in first month:

Arabic: 1

Bengalii: 1

Bulgarian: 0

Cantonese: 0

French: 4

Gaelic: 1

Hindi: 0

Italian: 3

Mandarin: 0

Polish: 1

Punjabi:1

Romanian: 0

Russian: 0

Spanish: 0

Ukrainian: 1

Urdu: 3

BSL YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDdIcputSSg

Date BSL Version Published: 21-11-2023

Views in first 30 days: 4

Question reference: S6W-24511

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23921 by Mairi McAllan on 11 January 2024, whether it can provide a breakdown of what climate risk factors were used in determining Scottish Water's target leakage level of 408ML/d.

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

Scottish Water has used an economic assessment that balances the cost of supplying the water with the cost of finding and fixing leaks to determine Scottish Water's target leakage level of 408ML/d. In future iterations Scottish Water will apply estimates of future water supply side investment which will be guided by climate change impacts and other factors, e.g. moving populations.