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-16455

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to work with local authorities to develop an interlinked strategy for tackling any problems facing Scotland’s town centres, in light of the recent Economy and Fair Work Committee’s Inquiry into Retail and Town Centres in Scotland.

The Scottish Government welcomed the report of the Economy and Fair Work Committee and agrees with the recommendations to focus on coordination, partnership working and long term funding.

The Scottish Government is working with COSLA, local government and partners including Scotland’s Towns Partnership to deliver our joint Town Centre Action Plan (TCAP) to support transformation of our town centres and promote our Town Centres First approach. TCAP sets out a range of cross sectoral and cross policy actions under the priority themes of better planning, taxation, town centre living, enterprising communities, climate action, digital skills and support, funding and demonstrator towns.

We recently established with COSLA the Town Centre Action Plan Forum to bring together expertise from local government and public, private and third sector partners to help progress key actions.

Question reference: S6W-16471

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

Regular informal meetings were held with Places for People Developments and officials in More Homes Division during that period to discuss progress on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme projects they were delivering.

In addition, officials in More Homes Division regularly engage with the New Avenue Living Fund Manager for Places for People Capital. Performance Review meetings were held on 9 December 2021 and 7 February 2023 to discuss the delivery of over 1,000 homes for mid-market rent.

And on 20 September 2022, the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights met with Places for People on the topic of Heat in Buildings.

Question reference: S6W-16469

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Athron Hill Development Company Limited since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

Question reference: S6W-16391

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will cooperate with the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry.

Question reference: S6W-16537

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the three missions set for the Scottish National Investment Bank, and what assessment it has made of whether the current missions are maximising the bank's effectiveness.

The Bank’s three missions are - achieving a Just Transition to net zero carbon emissions by 2045; extending equality of opportunity through improving places by 2040; and harnessing innovation to enable our people to flourish by 2040. These missions, which reflect the ‘grand challenges’ facing Scotland over the coming decades, were set by Scottish Ministers in December 2020 to give the Bank long term strategic direction for its investment activity. Given the long term nature of these challenges and that the Bank is only just entering its third full year of operation, Ministers have no plans to review the three missions at this point.

The Bank’s recently published Impact Report provides an assessment of the Bank’s performance, including against its three missions, in 2022. This report was published on the Bank’s website on April 3 2023 ( Impact Report | Scottish National Investment Bank (thebank.scot) .

Question reference: S6W-16495

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Research Data Scotland since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

Since the establishment of Research Data Scotland (RDS) at the end of 2021 my officials have had ongoing engagement with RDS.

Regarding formal meetings, my officials hold quarterly review meetings with the CEO and senior management of RDS. The more recent ones were held respectively on 14 December 2022 and 22 March 2023.

Mr Ivor McKee, MSP and former Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise also met with the CEO of RDS on 18 January 2023.

This list is not exhaustive of engagement my officials have had with RDS.

A range of issues were discussed at these meetings, including RDS service offering, operating and workforce model, revenues streams and how RDS will support our long-term vision for data and data-led innovation.

Given the cross-cutting nature of RDS and its role in advancing research data and other data matters, there is ongoing engagement between RDS and other portfolios across Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-16479

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Harper Macleod LLP since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

Harper MacLeod are a provider of external legal services to The Scottish Government via call-off contracts under the Legal Services Framework 2019 to 2023 .

The Scottish Government Legal Directorate hold quarterly review meetings with Harper MacLeod to discuss contract performance; adherence to service levels; sustainability; community benefits and contract governance. Other ad hoc meetings will be held between Harper MacLeod and policy and legal colleagues.

The Scottish Government does not comment on legal advice or communications between itself and its legal advisors. In doing so the Scottish Government observes legal professional privilege between client and lawyer. This also maintains the Scottish Ministerial Code, paragraphs 2.38 and 2.39. Therefore, the sharing of content or outcomes of these meetings would be inappropriate.

Question reference: S6W-16531

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the director of the Scottish Retail Consortium.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials meet regularly with David Lonsdale, the Director of the Scottish Retail Consortium (SRC), through engagement with the SRC but also through other means such as the Scottish Government Retail Industry Leadership Group (ILG) - of which Mr Lonsdale is a member. The most recent engagement with the Director of the SRC was held on 22 March 2023. The Scottish Government greatly values regular updates, intelligence and input from the Scottish Retail Consortium which is informing rationale for it’s overall response to the cost crisis and challenges facing Scotland’s retail sector.

Question reference: S6W-16459

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress regarding the Digital Productivity Lab Pilot scheme, including when it expects to provide an update on the final outcomes of the scheme.

Question reference: S6W-16392

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will accept the findings of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry.