Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-34452

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) it and (b) its educational bodies have spent on consultants in each year since 1999.

a) Under the Public Services Reform (Scotland) Act 2010, the Scottish Government published information relating to consultancy spend. The return specifies how consultancy spend is defined and returns dating back to 2015-16 can be found on the Scottish Government’s website at.

https://www.gov.scot/publications/government-expenditure-2016-to-2023/

https://www.gov.scot/publications/government-expenditure/pages/2023-to-2024

Previous PQ’s (S4W-26410 on 11 August 2015 and S4W-02171 on 14 September 2011) requesting this information contain the Consultancy figures for years 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, and 2014-15

Unfortunately, data is not held for the year 2011-12, nor years prior to 2009-10 on a comparable basis.

b) Please see the following figures relating to consultancy costs from Education Scotland, Disclosure Scotland and SAAS from 2011.

Money spent on consultancy fees is included in the annual accounting reports for each organisation. This information is publicly available on organisational websites but is reproduced below for information.

	Consultancy Fees (to the nearest £1,000)
Financial Year	Education Scotland	Disclosure Scotland	SAAS
2011-12	-	64,000	24,000
2012-13	2,000	112,000	30,000
2013-14	2,000	549,000	5,000
2014-15	1,000	300,000	41,000
2015-16	5,000	142,000	20,000
2016-17	0	77,000	6,000
2017-18	26,000	33,000	0
2018-19	21,000	25,000	0
2019-20	1,000	3,000	0
2020-21	0	9,000	0
2021-22	0	8,000	0
2022-23	0	0	2,000
2023-24	0	0	3,300

Education Scotland was established in July 2011 and as such full year accounts are only available from 2012/13

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-34030

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 14 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-33252 by Alasdair Allan on 23 January 2025, who attended each meeting; whether it will publish any formal minutes that were taken, and what plans there are to next meet.

Please find below a table with a list of who attended each meeting. Any formal minutes will be published on the Scottish Government’s website and at the time of writing, there are no meetings with SSEN scheduled in ministerial calendars.

Any meetings that Ministers have with Transmission Owners as part of expected engagement with industry cover a range of subjects relevant to grid management with no discussion of specific developments, in accordance with Section 8 of the Scottish Ministerial Code.

Minister	Date	What	Attendees
Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work	31-01-2024	Meeting with DNOs (SPEN and SSEN)	Minister for Energy and the Environment Head of Market Development and Commercial, SPEN Head of Connections, Policy & Performance, SSEN SG Officials
First Minister	22-02-2024	Meeting with SSE CEO	First Minister CEO, SSE Head of Public Affairs, SSE SG Officials
Minister for Housing	27-02-2024	Meeting with SSEN	Minister for Housing Managing Director, SSEN Head of Corporate Affairs, SSEN SSEN Official SG Officials
Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work	07-03-2024	Meeting with SSEN	Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work Managing Director, SSEN Head of Corporate Affairs, SSEN SG Officials
Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work	21-03-2024	Meeting with ESO, SSEN and SPEN	Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work Director of Networks, NESO Corporate Affairs Director, NESO Network Planning & Regulation Director, SPEN SPEN Official Chair of SSEN Transmission Head of System Planning and Investment, SSEN Head of Corporate Affairs, SSEN SG Officials
Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy, Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work	07-05-2024	Meeting with SSEN, NGET and the NESO	Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy Minister for Energy, Just Transition and Fair Work Managing Director, SSEN Head of Corporate Affairs, SSEN President, UK Strategic Infrastructure, NGET Head of Corporate Affairs, UK Strategic Infrastructure, NGET Director of Networks, NESO NESO Official SG Officials
Minister for Climate Action	16-07-2024	Meeting with SSEN	Minister for Climate Action Managing Director, SSEN Director of Customers and Stakeholders, SSEN SG Officials
Minister for Climate Action	17-07-2024	Meeting with SSEN and SPEN	Minister for Climate Action Network Planning & Regulation Director, SPEN SPEN Official Managing Director, SSEN SSEN Official Head of Corporate Affairs, SSEN SG Officials
Minister for Housing and Minister for Employment and Investment	25-07-2024	Joint Housing and Economy Roundtable Discussion	Minister for Housing Minister for Employment and Investment Highlands and Islands Enterprise South of Scotland Enterprise Communities Housing Trust South of Scotland Community Housing Highland Council SSEN Prosper Crerar Hotels Salmon Scotland ASSC Scottish Land and Estates North Ayrshire Council SG Officials
First Minister	24-04-2024	Scottish Energy Advisory Board (SEAB)	Attendees and minutes available on SG website: Scottish Energy Advisory Board - gov.scot
First Minister	20-09-2024	Scottish Energy Advisory Board (SEAB)	Attendees and minutes available on SG website: Scottish Energy Advisory Board - gov.scot
Minister for Housing	23-10-2024	Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan Summit	Minister for Housing Scottish Land and Estates Scottish Empty Homes Partnership Highland Council Perth & Kinross Council Argyll & Bute Council Highlands & Islands Enterprise South of Scotland Enterprise North Ayrshire Council Rural and Islands Housing Association Forum Scottish Land Commission South of Scotland Community Housing Communities Housing Trust SSEN Scottish Federation of Housing Associations Prosper Community Land Scotland Crown Estate Scotland Shapinsay Development Trust Shetland Islands Council Dumfries & Galloway Council Aberdeenshire Council Moray Council East Lothian Council South Lanarkshire Council Stirling Council Comhairle nan Eilean Siar East Ayrshire Council Scottish Islands Federation North Ronaldsay Trust Mull & Iona Community Trust Harris Forum Homes for Scotland SG Officials
Minister for Climate Action	21-11-2024	Transmission Roundtable – Session 1	Minister for Climate Action Head of Transmission Stakeholder Engagement & Communications, SPEN SPEN Official SPEN Independent Net Zero Advisory Committee Member, Head (CEO) of Fuel Bank Head of Corporate Affairs, SSEN Ofgem COSLA Community Energy Scotland-Scottish Coalition of Community Energy Development Trust Association Scotland- Scottish Coalition of Community Energy Local Energy Scotland Foundation Scotland Shetland Community Benefit Fund Farr North Community Development Trust Finderne Development Trust The Cabrach Trust East Lammermuir Community Council The 9CC Group Solway Firth Partnership Newcastleton & District Community Trust Glenkens & District Trust CEO, Consumer Scotland Director of Enterprise & Community Support, Highland & Islands Enterprise Head of Energy Transition, South of Scotland Enterprise SG Officials
Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy	28-11-2024	Meeting with SSEN	Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy Director of Offshore Delivery, SSEN Head of Corporate Affairs, SSEN SSEN Official SG Officials
Minister for Climate Action	03-12-2024	Transmission Roundtable – Session 2	Minister for Climate Action Head of Transmission Stakeholder Engagement & Communications, SPEN SPEN Official Head (CEO) of Fuel Bank, SPEN Independent Net Zero Advisory Committee Member Energy Consumers Commission Head of Corporate Affairs, SSEN SSE Ofgem COSLA Community Energy Scotland-Scottish Coalition of Community Energy Development Trust Association Scotland- Scottish Coalition of Community Energy Local Energy Scotland Foundation Scotland Shetland Community Benefit Fund Farr North Community Development Trust Finderne Development Trust The Cabrach Trust East Lammermuir Community Council The 9CC Group Solway Firth Partnership Newcastleton & District Community Trust Glenkens & District Trust CEO, Consumer Scotland Director of Enterprise & Community Support, HIE Head of Energy Transition, SOSE Scottish Enterprise

Question reference: S6W-34457

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of lorry parking near secondary schools, from a (a) road safety and (b) safeguarding perspective.

No ongoing assessment of lorry parking near schools in Scotland has been undertaken by the Scottish Government.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to promote road safety and take steps to both reduce and prevent accidents. In this respect it is for the local authority to consider appropriate measures which will safeguard road users and residents, and to determine the priority that should be given to any road safety measures.

With regard to the parking of lorries near secondary schools, responsibility for all traffic management on local roads including the provision of parking and any subsequent charges, lies with local authorities. Under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984, local authorities have a general duty to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.

Police Scotland has the ability to enforce traffic violations on Scotland’s roads and would respond to any safeguarding concerns regarding a child’s journey. They also support school liaison officers and community policing efforts where required.

Question reference: S6W-34377

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether Railway Guardian app users in Scotland can be identified by protected characteristics such as sex, race and age.

Question reference: S6W-34378

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what concerns have been reported by women and girls in Scotland through the Railway Guardian app in the last year.

Question reference: S6W-34376

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how any problems on the ScotRail network that are reported via the Railway Guardian app are followed up.

Question reference: S6W-34117

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to work with NHS boards and other stakeholders to reduce instances of patients refusing to leave hospital after being deemed “surgically fit for discharge.”

In addition to existing policies in place that address situations where patients who are deemed ready for discharge refuse to leave hospital, the Scottish Government continues to meet with NHS Boards to understand what actions can be taken to inform policy development and seek assurances on the implementation of Discharge without Delay and Home First principles, and reduce instances of patients refusing to leave hospital after being deemed fit for discharge.

Question reference: S6W-34087

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy’s visit to Berlin supports the Scottish Government’s objectives for expanding innovation opportunities in renewable energy.

Question reference: S6W-34379

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Railway Guardian app is contributing to increasing travel by rail in Scotland and, if so, how, and how any impact is being evidenced.

Question reference: S6W-33835

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of the Subsidy Advice Unit Report on the proposed subsidy to CalMac Ferries Limited on 17 December 2024 by the Competition and Markets Authority, whether Transport Scotland will undertake a route by route assessment explaining whether any level of service could be commercially provided.

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