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-12572

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12086 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 November 2022, whether it will provide the information requested regarding when it originally planned to begin fully dualling the A96, and what impact its consultation has had on that start date.

Question reference: S6W-12487

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times Legionnaires' disease has been detected on the Police Scotland estate in each year since 2013.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information to answer this question. I have asked Police Scotland to write to you providing the information you have requested. However, Police Scotland has reassured me that they conduct regular legionella testing across the Police Estate and if legionella bacteria is detected an immediate mitigation plan is put in place. Police Scotland has confirmed that there have been no cases of Legionnaires disease reported since 2013.

The Member will be aware of the temporary closure of the Scottish Police Collage at Tulliallan from 6 December. This was the result of routine testing and, as a precaution, Police Scotland’s leadership team has decided to temporarily close Tulliallan to allow further investigations and action to be undertaken.

There are no confirmed cases and the risk to individuals remains extremely low. However, Police Scotland has been clear that the safety and wellbeing of officers and staff is paramount. The closure will allow for a full flush of all water systems to be carried out, and further testing done to ensure there is no trace of bacteria remaining. There will be no impact on operational policing as a result of this.

Responsibility for the management of the police estate sits with Police Scotland, which is accountable to the Scottish Police Authority.

Question reference: S6W-12476

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 7 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on implementing the recommendations of the National Review of Care Allowances.

Question reference: S6W-12479

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 7 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support, other than bursaries provided by the Scottish Social Services Council, is available to postgraduate social care students, who are reportedly completing full-time unpaid placements without access to Student Awards Agency Scotland support or student loans.

Question reference: S6W-12452

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-00752 by Nicola Sturgeon on 3 February 2022, what consultation had taken place with island communities on the issue of unbundling the ferry network before 3 February 2022, and what consultation has taken place since.

Further to the answer to S6W-12451 on 6 December 2022 - Consultation was carried out in developing the Ferries Plan 2012-2022, we continue to have regular engagement on general ferry issues with island communities and appropriate consultation with all relevant stakeholders including the work to be taken forward by the Chair of the Ferries Community Board in the near future.

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-12430

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body on 7 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider providing insurance for MSPs, similar to the policies offered to MPs, including professional indemnity insurance.

The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body currently maintains the following types of insurance that extend to MSPs:

Employers’ liability
Public / Products Liability
Travel and personal injury

There is currently no provision for Members in respect of professional indemnity insurance and there are no current proposals to expand the existing suite of insurance provision. If any such proposals were to be made, consideration would need to be given to the guidance on insurance set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual and budget implications generally. In place of insurance, the SPCB approved the Legal Advice Scheme. This Scheme allows the SPCB’s Legal Services function to provide advice to Members subject to certain conditions and exclusions, either directly or through supporting the provision of advice by People Services or Standards Clerks. This covers legal disputes, claims or actions raised against Members when acting in their parliamentary or constituency role; advice in relation to employment of Members’ staff; and advice in relation to Code of Conduct issues.

Question reference: S6W-12659

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce tighter rules regarding local authorities, its agencies and businesses partnering with security and technology firms that are reportedly linked to the Chinese government, such as Hikvision and Dahua Technology.

Question reference: S6W-12660

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for the removal of any Hikvision cameras that are installed within the Scottish Government estate.

Question reference: S6W-12617

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 7 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authority-funded care home places there have been in each year since 1999, and, of those, how many were provided by (a) local authority- or charity-run and (b) independent care homes.

The number of resident places by funding category (i.e. publicly funded) is not available. However, Public Health Scotland have published the estimated number of long stay residents in care homes for older people by funding category and by local authority since 2009.

These figures are available in two parts:

The latest Public Health Scotland Care Home Census for adults publication contains figures from 2012 - 2022. The figures can be found in the “Funding and Charges” section of the dashboard.

The Public Health Scotland Care Home Census for adults 2020 publication contains figures from 2009 – 2011. The figures can be found in Table 13C of the accompanying Care Home Census Data Tables.

a) This information is not held centrally and is not published by Public Health Scotland.

b) This information is not held centrally and is not published by Public Health Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-12667

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on proposals for extending fibre broadband coverage to the Uig area of the Isle of Lewis under the R100 programme.

According to Scottish Government records, there are a total of 361 properties in the Uig community council area. As of 5 December 2022:

234 properties are within R100 North contract build plans, with build expected to be completed no later than 2028.
127 properties are not included within R100 North contract build plans and, therefore, are eligible for a main voucher – worth up to £5,000 – through the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS).
The Scottish Government’s address checker ( www.scotlandsuperfast.com ) shows the most recent plans and timescales for residential and commercial properties across Scotland with regards R100 contracts and R100SBVS.