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-16115

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the 2023-24 Public Sector Pay Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-15949

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding each local authority received for the provision of free music tuition in schools in the 2022-23 academic year, and how much each local authority will receive for the 2023-24 academic year.

With respect to the following tables please note:

The final term of the 2023-24 academic year allocation will fall in 2024-25 financial year.
This commitment began between academic years and funding has so far been agreed on this basis. From 2024-25 the Scottish Government has agreed with COSLA that funding will be provided onto a financial year basis model which is consistent with other funds being provided to local authorities.

Academic Year 2022/23 Funding Breakdown

Local Authority	Total Funding Academic Year 2022-23
Aberdeen City	£556,000
Aberdeenshire	£686,000
Angus	£227,000
Argyll & Bute	£132,000
City of Edinburgh	£598,000
Clackmannanshire	£146,000
Dumfries & Galloway	£213,000
Dundee City	£209,000
East Ayrshire	£183,000
East Dunbartonshire	£289,000
East Lothian	£305,000
East Renfrewshire	£415,000
Falkirk	£246,000
Fife	£767,000
Glasgow City	£804,000
Highland	£1,229,000
Inverclyde	£111,000
Midlothian	£226,000
Moray	£162,000
Na h-Eileanan Siar	£37,000
North Ayrshire	£220,000
North Lanarkshire	£555,000
Orkney Islands	£32,000
Perth & Kinross	£410,000
Renfrewshire	£272,000
Scottish Borders	£176,000
Shetland Islands	£91,000
South Ayrshire	£162,000
South Lanarkshire	£516,000
Stirling	£216,000
West Dunbartonshire	£141,000
West Lothian	£576,000

Financial Year 2022/23 & 2023-24 Funding Breakdown

Local Authority	Total Funding Financial Year 2022-23	Total Funding Financial Year 2023-24
Aberdeen City	£520,000	£482,000
Aberdeenshire	£633,000	£663,000
Angus	£206,000	£253,000
Argyll & Bute	£118,000	£162,000
City of Edinburgh	£522,000	£831,000
Clackmannanshire	£136,000	£128,000
Dumfries & Galloway	£186,000	£290,000
Dundee City	£183,000	£288,000
East Ayrshire	£161,000	£251,000
East Dunbartonshire	£264,000	£301,000
East Lothian	£283,000	£280,000
East Renfrewshire	£390,000	£347,000
Falkirk	£216,000	£338,000
Fife	£696,000	£842,000
Glasgow City	£703,000	£1,109,000
Highland	£1,185,000	£771,000
Inverclyde	£97,000	£151,000
Midlothian	£206,000	£240,000
Moray	£145,000	£198,000
Na h-Eileanan Siar	£33,000	£51,000
North Ayrshire	£195,000	£283,000
North Lanarkshire	£487,000	£760,000
Orkney Islands	£28,000	£44,000
Perth & Kinross	£384,000	£350,000
Renfrewshire	£238,000	£375,000
Scottish Borders	£156,000	£228,000
Shetland Islands	£86,000	£70,000
South Ayrshire	£142,000	£222,000
South Lanarkshire	£451,000	£713,000
Stirling	£198,000	£223,000
West Dunbartonshire	£124,000	£191,000
West Lothian	£537,000	£519,000

Question reference: S6W-15966

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) minimum and (b) maximum slurry storage grant amount is that farmers and crofters can apply for from the Agriculture Transformation Fund.

Support for slurry storage in 2023 is available through Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS), funded by the Agriculture Transformation Fund (ATF). No minimum level of grant has been set for the scheme. The maximum grant available for slurry storage specifically is £30,000, based on a standard cost of £15m3 of storage to maximum of 2000m3. In addition to the grant for the slurry storage, applicants can apply for the following slurry ancillaries:

• Associated equipment for above-ground storage tanks:

- base drainage sealed pipe assembly to external discharge including double lockable sluice valves: £1250

- galvanised ladder and platform: £1100

- fixed over-rim riser pipe with jetting nozzle and terminal connection: £1900

• Tractor-driven slurry pump and associated pipe, assemblies and connections with shaft and mountings: £4000

• Below-ground reception tank with cover lid: £235 per cubic metre (restricted to a maximum size of 36m3)

A calculator which can help applicants identify the additional storage capacity that is required in order to provide six months slurry storage has been provided with the full guidance on the rural payments website .

Question reference: S6W-15973

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on efforts to recommence operations at Stoneywood paper mill, in Aberdeen, in light of reports from 12 February 2023 that there was about to be a "credible bid" made.

My officials in Scottish Enterprise remain in regular contact with the Joint Administrators (Interpath Advisory) and continue to work with them to consider all viable options for the Stoneywood site in Aberdeen.

The administration process continues to progress and, prior to formal marketing of the site, Interpath Advisory had re-engaged with potential interested parties in February 2023. Discussions between the Joint Administrator and interested parties continue.

Question reference: S6W-15962

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the STEM bursary scheme in each academic year from 2018-19 to date.

Question reference: S6W-15811

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring whether the additional funding that has been provided to Enquire has met the needs of the families it intends to support.

In 2021-22, as part of the implementation of the Additional Support for Learning review action plan, we provided Enquire, the national advice and information service on Additional Support for Learning, with an additional £70,000 of funding. This aimed to increase the capacity of the service to support parents and carers of children with additional support needs and ensure it was effectively resourced to meet the needs of the families it supports.

The utilisation of this funding and its impact is established via ongoing grant management processes. This includes statistical information on provision of services and feedback from parents and carers using Enquire’s services. For example, in 2021-22 Enquire responded to more than 1,750 enquiries and over 1,120 in the first three quarters of 2022-23. During the third quarter of 2022-23, 100% of those who provided feedback indicated that they had a better understanding of their and their child’s rights and 91% rated the service they received as “excellent”.

The additional funding has enabled Enquire to create additional capacity to more effectively respond to enquiries from parents and carers and increased engagement with wider stakeholders; a programme of outreach; and development of new initiatives such as increased video content on the Enquire website. This level of funding was maintained in 2022-23 to ensure service delivery sustainability and continuity in support for families of children and young people with additional support needs.

Question reference: S6W-15812

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether all local authorities have local advocacy partnership agreements that children and young people can access.

The Children’s Service, My Rights, My Say is a Scottish Government funded national service which supports children between the age of 12 and 15 years to exercise their rights under the additional support for learning Act.

The free support service comprises of four parts – advice and information, advocacy support, legal representation and a service which independently seeks children’s views to inform decision making.

As a statutory service, it is available to children in every local authority. Therefore, the Additional Support for Learning Act does not also require local authorities to have advocacy services in place.

Question reference: S6W-15705

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government who was involved in approving the consultation on restricting alcohol marketing and promotion, before it was published on 17 November 2022.

The Scottish Government’s public consultation on potential restrictions to alcohol advertising and promotion in Scotland was approved by the Minister for Public Health.

A commitment to consult on such restrictions was agreed by Cabinet in August 2021 as part of the Programme for Government 2021-22. The Cabinet Sub-Committee on Legislation approved the publication of this consultation paper in November 2022.

Question reference: S6W-15317

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Minister for Transport has (a) visited in-person and (b) met representatives from (i) Glasgow Airport, (ii) Edinburgh Airport, (iii) Glasgow Prestwick Airport and (iv) Aberdeen International Airport since being appointed.

Since my appointment as Minister for Transport, I have visited Edinburgh Airport and met officials on one occasion in person with a further meeting held virtually. I have met virtually the CEO of AGS Airports, who own both Aberdeen and Glasgow Airports, for a meeting. I have visited Glasgow Airport on two occasions when flying for Ministerial engagements. I have not visited Aberdeen Airport during my time as Minister for Transport. I have not visited Prestwick Airport as Prestwick is not within my Ministerial portfolio.

Question reference: S6W-15771

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any (a) ministers, (b) officials and (c) special advisers were consulted before the offer of immunity from prosecution was made to prison officers charged with the care of Allan Marshall.

The Crown does not grant immunity from prosecution but makes prosecutorial decisions based on criteria set out in the Scottish Prosecution Code. Decisions on prosecution are taken independently and are matters for professional prosecutors within the system for which the Lord Advocate and Solicitor General are responsible. It is therefore not appropriate for any other minister, or for Scottish Government officials or special advisers to be consulted in relation to any prosecutorial decisions.

I have confirmed to Mr Marshall’s family that some aspects of the investigation fell short of what they were entitled to expect. The previous decision not to prosecute individual prison officers cannot be reversed. I have instructed Police Scotland to investigate possible corporate responsibility by the Scottish Prison Service.

The way in which custody death cases are handled by COPFS has been reviewed and transformed. I am confident that new structures and processes in place will ensure such cases are undertaken rigorously, respectfully and compassionately.

Year	No of applications
2018	154
2019	171
2020	221
2021	196
2022	126