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-15899

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Ministerial Taskforce on Nursing and Midwifery will first meet.

Question reference: S6W-15858

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the dualling of the A1 in its entirety.

The Scottish Government recognises the important role the A1 plays in providing access to key markets, jobs and services between the south east of Scotland and the north east of England, and beyond. The Borders Transport Corridors Study , identified interventions on the A1 within its recommendations, these were subsequently considered in more detail as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2).

The section of the A1 between Edinburgh and the border with England is a trunk road and therefore it’s under Scottish Minister’s remit to decide on further investment and development of the projects.

There has been no recent engagement with the UK Government on the dualling the A1.

Question reference: S6W-15851

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the expansion of 20 mph speed limits will have on the police force, in light of reports that police in the Scottish Borders are not carrying out regular speed checks in the area’s new 20 mph zones.

Police Scotland is a member of the multi stakeholder task group for 20 mph speed limits and work closely with road authorities in determining, or considering, any changes to speed limits, reflecting the function of the road and the impacts on the local community and the needs of vulnerable road users.

Roads that meet the place criteria with an appropriate speed limit of 20 mph should aim to be understood by the majority of motorists and therefore self-enforcing. However, roads authorities also have the option to install a number of speed reduction measures to support compliance of the reduced speed limit.

Question reference: S6W-15850

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken on the financial impact of extending 20 mph speed limits.

The Scottish Government has provided local authorities with an additional £1.4 million in funding to undertake the necessary road assessments to identify the number of communities where a speed limit reduction is appropriate and the financial costs for implementation. This work is scheduled to conclude in Spring 2023 and will enable the multi-partner 20 mph Task Group to then scope the next steps, options for implementation and understand the financial impact of extending 20 mph speed limits in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-15881

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the minutes and the annual report of the Project Board envisaged under the Memorandum of Understanding between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium will be made public upon production.

Question reference: S6W-15731

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out an assessment of the impact that the Deposit Return Scheme will have on (a) consumer purchasing behaviours and (b) inflation, and, if so, what assessment it has made.

Analysis in the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment, published in December 2021, shows that on-the-go drinks purchases are largely driven by consumer convenience, and that switching to large containers in this segment of the market is unlikely.

There are other deciding factors for consumers, such as practicality, convenience, brand preference and presentation of the product. This specific issue was examined by the ECCL Committee in 2019, see Report on the proposed draft Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 (azureedge.net) .

Additionally, the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) already operates in over 50 other countries and territories around the world. Evidence from these other deposit return schemes indicates that any effect on product or format switching is small, and it is rare that this can only be attributed to DRS.

Everyone who pays a deposit on a drinks container will be able to reclaim that deposit in full therefore that should not have an impact on inflation. In line with the wishes of business, Scotland’s DRS is an industry-run scheme. It is for drinks producers and retailers to deliver the most efficient scheme possible. As an example of this, in December 2022 Circularity Scotland published new producer fees that are 8%, 30% and 40% lower than originally planned for glass, PET plastic and metal containers respectively.

Question reference: S6W-15166

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14311 by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2023, whether it can provide a breakdown of the number of (a) Category 1 and (b) Category 2 potholes that were (i) reported and (ii) repaired, in each of the last five years.

Transport Scotland, through its Trunk Road Operating Companies and Design Build Finance Operate (DBFO) Concessionaires, is responsible for the management and maintenance of the strategic trunk road network, including motorways. Repair of potholes on all other roads is the responsibility of the local authorities.

Category 1 potholes are defined within the term maintenance contract as those which present, or could present, an immediate hazard to trunk road users. They are typically detected during the twice weekly driven safety related inspections.

The Scottish Government fully funds the inspection and repair of all Category 1 potholes and the term maintenance contract sets out strict timescales for their repair. Following identification of Category 1 pothole defects, the Operating Companies are required to make the defect safe by 6am the following morning, preferably by completing a permanent repair. Where this is not possible then a temporary repair is required within the same timescale with permanent repairs required 28 days.

Category 2 defects are defined as those which do not present an immediate hazard to road users and are typically identified during walked annual inspections. Category 2 defects that deteriorate slowly could be recorded repeatedly over successive years before they are prioritised for maintenance. If defects do worsen more rapidly, a Category 1 defect is recorded and the defect is repaired within the contractual timescales outlined above.

The following table shows the number of Category 1 and Category 2 potholes identified and repaired in each of the last five whole years.

Financial Year	Number of Cat 1 Potholes Recorded	Number of Cat 1 Potholes Repaired	Number of Cat 2 Potholes Recorded	Number of Cat 2 Potholes Repaired
2017-2018	13,354	13,354	2,791	188
2018-2019	11,989	11,989	2,784	332
2019-2020	12,660	12,660	3,152	768
2020-2021	12,949	12,949	3,469	418
2021-2022	9,679	9,679	2,577	357

Question reference: S6W-15831

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve diagnosis of coeliac disease.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with long term conditions such as coeliac disease are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put the person at the centre of their care.

We recognise that more needs to be done and we expect all Health Boards to fully implement the Coeliac Disease Pathway in Scotland to improve diagnosis for those with coeliac disease. Our £70 million Endoscopy and Urology Diagnostic Recovery and Renewal Plan is increasing capacity and supporting workforce training. This also includes a commitment to promote and implement guidelines for non-biopsy diagnosis for coeliac disease, which is expected to reduce waiting times for diagnosis for this condition.

Health Boards have developed plans to increase capacity, workforce and activity. Mobile Endoscopy Units are providing access to an additional six endoscopy rooms to help people get the diagnostic tests they need. Additional activity throughout the week, including weekends, will help reduce diagnostic waits.

By using the Gluten Free Food Service (GFFS), available in all community pharmacies in Scotland, patients are provided with gluten-free food prescriptions. There are also clinical benefits associated with the annual pharmacy health check that pharmacists are required to carry out under the GFFS for adult patients who have coeliac disease.

Question reference: S6W-15867

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether NatureScot is free to enter into other Memoranda of Understanding with other parties in relation to (a) the geographic areas described in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium and (b) other areas, and whether, by signing the MOU, it has given exclusive rights to the matters subject to the MOU, and that this is only variable with the written consent of the parties entered into the MOU.

Question reference: S6W-15865

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 24 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the legal status and effect is of the Memorandum of Understanding between NatureScot and Hampden & Co, Lombard Odier Investment Managers and Palladium, and what role the Scottish Ministers have had in the Memorandum of Understanding.