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-17680

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing a compensation scheme for (a) residents and (b) businesses who are impacted by (i) short-notice and (ii) long-notice, ferry cancellations.

I recognise the impact that delays and disruption have regrettably had on our island communities and I am committed to investing in our ferry services. Indeed, my focus currently is on building resilience within the network.

I have noted the calls for compensation however, any such scheme would need to be carefully considered. It would require stark choices around how such a scheme would be prioritised for funding, over efforts to provide that network resilience.

Question reference: S6W-17595

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to firefighters with caring responsibilities.

Staff welfare, including consideration of caring responsibilities, is a matter for SFRS as the employer.

One of the key priorities in the Fire and Rescue Framework 2022 is that SFRS continues to promote a culture that values inclusion, promotes fairness, equality and respect for all. This is reflected in the current SFRS Strategic Plan and in the HR policies SFRS has in place to support staff with caring responsibilities.

Question reference: S6W-17067

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a complete list of all industry engagement that took place before, and specifically to inform, the announcement of the £25 million investment for the north east on 4 April 2023.

The Just Transition Fund sends a clear signal of our support for the North East and Moray however government alone cannot finance the region’s journey to net zero. The Scottish National Investment Bank will invest this £25 million funding in line with the Bank’s Investment Strategy, its missions including to support the Just Transition to net zero, and the Fund’s geographic remit.

Officials have engaged regularly with the Enterprise Agencies and the Scottish National Investment Bank to inform the approach to Just Transition Fund investment capital.

On 24 January officials engaged with representatives from local councils, chambers of commerce, enterprise agencies, regional economic development organisations and community groups to reflect on the lessons learned from the first year of the Just Transition Fund.

On 9 February 2023 the former Minister for Just Transition held a series of engagements with representatives from Opportunity North East, Energy Transition Zone and the Net Zero Technology Centre.

Question reference: S6W-17044

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 14 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of any (a) newspaper and (b) TV adverts that it placed in relation to its public consultation on Highly Protected Marine Areas.

Question reference: S6W-17731

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to granting hospices extra funding to enable them to match the NHS pay uplift.

Question reference: S6W-17693

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making towards reviewing its guidance, The Right Tree in the Right Place, in line with the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), and in light of the importance of tree cover for climate change adaptation and mitigation.

‘The Right Tree in the Right Place: Planning for Forestry and Woodlands Guidance’ provides Scottish Government advice to planning authorities on planning for forestry and woodlands. It supports Scottish Ministers’ desire to see a significant expansion in woodland cover, delivering multiple benefits to society. This includes advice regarding the preparation of Forestry and Woodland Strategies.

As set out in the first iteration of National Planning Framework 4’s Delivery Plan there is a commitment to review ‘The Right Tree in the Right Place’ Guidance as a short to medium term action (2023 – 2028). This review will be a joint piece of work between Scottish Forestry and Scottish Government Planning, Architecture and Regeneration Division officials. This commitment is also reflected as an action in the current Forestry Strategy Implementation Plan (2022 – 2025).

Question reference: S6W-17570

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have indicated directly to the Scottish Government that they have not joined the Deposit Return Scheme due to the UK Government's position on the scheme.

Question reference: S6W-16059

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been allocated to its Health Inequalities Unit from 2020 to 2023, broken down by financial year.

The following table shows Scottish Government staffing costs for Health Inequalities (HI) policy functions from 2020 to 2023, and the total over this period.

	April 2020-March 2021	April 2021-March 2022	April 2022-March 2023	Total (April 2020-March 2023)
Total	£418,000	£866,000	£900,000	£2,184,000

Health Inequalities policy functions include specific work in relation to socioeconomic determinants of health and inequalities experienced by particular groups. However, all of the work of the Population Health Directorate seeks to reduce health inequalities, as does wider work taken forward within other Health Directorates, e.g. Primary Care and Mental Health, and the wider Scottish Government, e.g. Tackling Child Poverty and Social Justice.

Question reference: S6W-17694

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12594 by Màiri McAllan on 9 December 2022, what progress it is making towards developing a new National Register of Ancient Woodlands, and when it anticipates that work will be completed.

The Bute House Agreement includes a commitment to further protect Scotland’s ancient woods through establishing a National Register of Ancient Woodlands. We are discussing with NatureScot and Scottish Forestry the best approach to developing a new National Register of Ancient Woodlands, which will build upon the existing Scottish Ancient Woodland Inventory, and be published when that work is complete. A new National Register of Ancient Woodlands will be an important element of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery plan which we will consult on later this year.

Question reference: S6W-17729

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether funding for post-diagnostic support for autistic people and their families, which is currently delivered by third sector organisations, will be renewed, and, if so, when allocations will be announced.

The Scottish Government has provided funding of £2m since December 2020 to a number of third sector organisations to pilot Autism Post Diagnostic Support Schemes. The pilots and associated funding were extended to March 2023. We are currently working to develop a permanent Autism Post Diagnostic Support scheme, which will be informed by the pilot, and will confirm arrangements soon.

We are keeping stakeholders up to date with progress.