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-23996

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown by local authority of the number of inspections carried out in relation to licensing of (a) animal welfare establishments and (b) organisations engaged in rehoming activities under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, and how many such licences have been issued.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information. Local authorities are responsible for enforcing the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 and accordingly they undertake inspections and issue licences.

Information on the number of inspections undertaken and licences issued related to animal welfare establishments and organisations engaged in rehoming activities may be requested from individual councils.

Question reference: S6W-23935

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will revise the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) model for future rail infrastructure investment, in light of patronage projections for the reopening of Stow, Galashiels and Tweedbank stations on the Borders Railway reportedly having been underestimated for the first year of opening by, respectively, 313%, 330% and 681%.

Transport Scotland keeps forecasting methodology under review to ensure best practice. The Borders Railway business case demand forecasts were based on modelling that was informed by surveys of residents regarding their potential use of the line. This resulted in forecasts that underestimated demand from Borders stations and overestimated demand from Midlothian stations.

Rail demand forecasting has developed considerably since the demand forecasts for the Borders Railway business case were first developed in 2008. A post-opening hindcast from the South East Scotland Transport Partnership (SESTran) Regional model for those Borders stations gave forecasts within 30% of actual demand. Where available, Transport Scotland recommends to promotors the use of Regional models for new station demand forecasts .

Question reference: S6W-23951

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Public Health Scotland data confirming that the percentage of frontline NHS spend allocated to mental health services was 8.78% in 2021-22, whether it is still on track to meet its commitment to allocate 10% of NHS spend to mental health services by the end of the current parliamentary session.

We continue to work towards delivery of the commitment that at least 10% of frontline health spending will be dedicated to mental health by the end of this parliamentary session.

The NHS Recovery Plan 2021-2026 Annual Progress Update published in December 2023 confirmed that NHS expenditure on mental health rose from £1.25bn in 2020-21 to £1.3bn in 2021-22, an increase of £51.5m or 4.1% - representing 8.8% of total NHS expenditure.

Question reference: S6W-22200

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22009 by Michael Matheson on 11 October 2023, in light of its intention to "empower and support NHS leadership in the use of these new technologies, to help build and share a wider knowledge base, rather than appointing a single AI champion", how it plans to overcome any differing governance protocols across NHS boards in this context, and what its position is on whether not having a single artificial intelligence (AI) champion for all NHS boards will (a) inhibit innovation and (b) lead to the (i) delayed adoption and (ii) increased cost of new AI technologies.

At its heart, AI is the leveraging of advanced digital technology using large data sets, and we are treating AI with the same rigour as any other new technology or innovation. As such, its use comes under existing digital and data governance mechanisms. At a national level, the Scottish Government, with its partners COSLA, have established a new Strategic Leadership Board for Digital and Data Transformation.

This Leadership Board is supported by a number of sub-boards, including a dedicated Data Board for Health & Social Care. Through this new national governance, we will continue to work towards embedding greater use of digital and data driven innovations across health and social care (including ensuring necessary support is in place for skills and training), consider what capabilities, processes and procedures are required at a local level to support adoption and therefore assess what additional mechanisms may be required nationally.

Question reference: S6W-23834

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23295 by Mairi McAllan on 11 December 2023, whether the allocation of funding from the Water Environment Fund for measures to remove invasive non-native species is no longer being reviewed on an annual basis.

Each year the Scottish Government provides the Scottish Environment Protection Agency with a grant from the Water Environment Fund (WEF) to support work to deliver our River Basin Management Plan. The projects this supports is reviewed on an annual basis to ensure funding through WEF is targeted on projects which will derive the greatest benefit to Scotland’s rivers and neighbouring communities.

Currently, alternative funding streams for projects to remove Invasive Non-Native Species (INNS) in Scotland enable more effective use of resource and provide greater benefits for biodiversity. Subsequently, WEF funding is at the moment prioritising restoring rivers and improving fish migration.

For more information on funding for INNS, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23295 on 11 December 2023. 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-23829

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21016 by Michael Matheson on 19 September 2023, whether it has met with the West of Scotland Cancer Network and, if so, what was discussed.

The Deputy National Clinical Director and Scottish Government officials met with the clinical leads for ovarian cancer in the West of Scotland Cancer Network on 3 November.

The ongoing improvement work, board management oversight, and any potential support required from the Scottish Government were discussed. I refer the member to the response to question S6W-23824 on 9 January 2024 for further detail.

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-23784

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to increase funding for local authorities to enhance the provision of musical lessons and instruments in schools.

Scottish Government provided £8m in 2021-22 and £12m in 2022-23 and 2023-24 to local authorities in order to support the policy to remove all charges for instrumental music tuition in schools.

As confirmed in the budget published in December 2023, the Scottish Government and COSLA have agreed funding of £12 million for instrumental music tuition in 2024-25, continuing to remove barriers to participation.

Question reference: S6T-01726

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that all people who were potentially wrongfully convicted as a result of the reported Horizon scandal are supported in coming forward if they wish for their conviction to be overturned.

Question reference: S6T-01718

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reconsider its position on further regulating the ownership of American XL bully dogs in Scotland, in light of reports that widespread rehoming from England to Scotland is raising public safety and animal welfare concerns.

Question reference: S6T-01721

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide funding for grants for those households and businesses flooded during Storm Gerrit, in light of it providing such funding for those affected by Storm Babet.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

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