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-22431

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to support the work of Police Scotland in light of a reported decline in policing numbers.

The Scottish Government continue to invest in policing, investing £1.45 billion in policing in 2023/24, increasing the resource budget of Police Scotland by an additional £80m.

Police Scotland have utilised this additional funding to invest in their workforce - recruiting around 600 new officers this year alone and around 1,480 since the beginning of 2022. A 7% pay increase for 23/24 recognises the hard work and valuable contribution that officers and staff make each day and means that our officers remain the best paid in the UK, with the minimum and maximum salary higher for all ranks compared to their counterparts in England and Wales.

Question reference: S6W-22410

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Kidney Care UK publication, Home Dialysis Energy Reimbursement in Scotland, whether it will undertake an assessment of the equity of patient access to home dialysis reimbursement schemes for chronic kidney disease across NHS boards.

We are acutely aware that energy consumers, and especially consumers that receive treatment at home, are feeling the impacts of recent price hikes in the cost of electricity. We are aware of a variation in practice surrounding reimbursement policies for electricity costs relating to home dialysis. We are working with health boards to understand how best to achieve national consistency so that patients undergoing home dialysis are protected from the impact of high electricity prices, wherever they live.

Question reference: S6W-22468

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of concerns about the quality of auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing outlined in the report of the Independent Review of Audiology in Scotland, what action it has taken to conduct a wider audit of the assessment of infant ABR cases referred from the Universal Newborn Hearing Screening programme.

Question reference: S6W-22469

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of concerns about the quality and consistency of current auditory brainstem response (ABR) testing outlined in the report of the Independent Review of Audiology in Scotland, what action it has taken to commission Scotland-wide training of audiologists in conducting ABR assessment of infants.

The Scottish Government is considering all of the recommendations made as part of the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland.

Although it is NHS Boards who are responsible for ensuring staff receive the appropriate training and ongoing development to be able to undertake their role safely and effectively, in response to the concerns highlighted by the Independent Review the Scottish Government has provided Health Boards with £26,000 to support further training in auditory brainstem response (ABR) assessment for staff working in paediatric audiology services.

Question reference: S6W-22524

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been arrested in relation to violence on trains in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-22536

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister's announcement of an additional £100 million for the arts and culture sector on 17 October 2023, how this figure was arrived at; how the funding will be distributed over the next five years, and whether it will be attributed on an annual rolling basis, or using a multi-year approach.

The draft budget will be published later this year and will be the subject of Parliamentary scrutiny in early 2024. The Scottish Government intends to present the Draft Budget 2024-25 to Parliament on 19 December 2023.

Question reference: S6W-22148

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether historic peak times will in future determine when discounts are available on ScotRail trains with a 16-25 railcard.

The terms and conditions of GB Railcards are set out by National Rail (part of the Rail Delivery Group). Neither Transport Scotland nor ScotRail regulate the rules for the use of national railcards.

As such, future decisions on when discounts would be available using the 16-25 national railcard are not controlled by the Scottish Government.

Where a National Railcard dictates a minimum fare for travel during peak times - such as the 16-25, 26-30, and Veterans Railcard and the minimum fare will still apply.

I would encourage the member to contact Jacqueline Starr CEO, Rail Delivery Group to raise this matter at [email protected]

Question reference: S6W-22537

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a timeline outlining when decisions about the distribution of the additional £100 million for the arts and culture sector will be made, and, if so, when.

Ministers will take decisions about where the funding is allocated in 2024-25 and future years subject to the outcome of the Scottish Budget process and associated approval by the Scottish Parliament. The draft budget will be published later this year and will be the subject of Parliamentary scrutiny in early 2024. The Scottish Government intends to present the Draft Budget 2024-25 to Parliament on 19 December 2023.

Question reference: S6W-22546

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will promote the development of a marina at the former Prince's Dock basin in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-22539

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture was first made aware of the First Minister’s decision to announce an additional £100 million for the arts and culture sector on 17 October 2023.