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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 41121 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-09381

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people did not respond to the 2011 census and, of those, how many people received a fine for not doing so.

Decisions regarding prosecutions remain a matter for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

The 2011 census had a response rate of approximately 94%. Of the 6% of non-responding households, approximately 1,800 cases were put forward for non-compliance action which resulted in 900 completed questionnaires being returned. Following Crown Office advice, five cases were subsequently reported to the Procurator Fiscal and two cases resulted in prosecution.

Question reference: S6W-09383

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the maximum performance fee for the Serco Caledonian Sleeper Temporary Measures Agreement is capped at 1.5% of the cost base of the franchise, as was the case for its previous Emergency Measures Agreement, and, if that is not the case, what level it is capped at.

Question reference: S6W-09346

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08743 by Jenny Gilruth on 14 June 2022, whether it will provide the information requested regarding when it will replace the 25 Class 43 HSTs in the ScotRail fleet; whether it will confirm whether Transport Scotland's position remains that such replacement will occur only when "Network Rail has completed the electrification of all or most of the routes they serve", as reported in The Herald on 21 May 2022; when it anticipates that "the electrification of all or most of the routes they serve" will be completed, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer.

The replacement of train fleets in Scotland, including the HSTs, is aligned with the phases of the Decarbonisation Action Plan, a link to which is provided here:- Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan | Transport Scotland

This timescale is of course subject to continuous review in line with delivering the decarbonisation of the rail network in Scotland affordably and practicably and any other relevant developments, including recommendations arising from the Steering Groups considering the recommendations of, and subsequent analysis from the recent RAIB report into the Carmont accident.

Question reference: S6W-09362

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), whether it will provide an update on what commercial discussions Transport Scotland has had with Peel Ports regarding infrastructure work at Ardrossan Harbour.

Question reference: S6W-09359

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the current timelines are for (a) delivering the vessel concept design and (b) the award of the first vessel construction contract in the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.

Question reference: S6W-09238

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of non-compliance with its Guidance on due diligence: human rights have been reported since the guidance was published in 2018.

Question reference: S6W-09241

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that all checks that it has carried out since the publication of its Guidance on due diligence: human rights (a) fully comply with the guidance and (b) take account of the nature and sensitivity of the relationship with the person or organisation being checked, and what the (i) minimum and (ii) maximum scope and depth of these checks has been.

Question reference: S6W-09522

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in implementing the recommendations of the SEPA report, Preliminary environmental assessment of Flubendazole use in Scotland for parasitic worm control in Moorland Grouse, published in November 2020.

As we set out in our 2021 Programme for Government we will – ‘deliver the recommendations of the Grouse Moor Management Review Group as a matter of urgency, including the licensing of grouse moors. Licensing or further regulation will cover the key areas identified in the review, including muirburn, wildlife control, the use of medicated grit and wildlife crime. Licensing will be supported by clear penalties to encourage compliance, as well as additional effort to detect wildlife crime’.

The Scottish Government has been working with SEPA on how best to address the recommendations of the SEPA report Preliminary environmental assessment of Flubendazole use in Scotland for parasitic worm control in Moorland Grouse.

SEPA are currently preparing to test particulate release of flubendazole from medicated grit. We will provide an update on the findings in due course.

Question reference: S6W-09326

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 22 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Trades Union Congress regarding the potential impact of an independence referendum on the (a) organisation and (b) people it represents.

Question reference: S6W-09344

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 22 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has allocated any money to bidding to host the Eurovision song contest in 2023 and, if this is the case, how much has been allocated, and from which budget.