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 42703 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-07836

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support is provided to victims of stalking.

The Scottish Government has long recognised the hugely damaging impact of stalking and acted to criminalise it via the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010.

In March 2022 we announced funding of £495,000 over the period 2022-25 from the new Victim Centred Approach Fund to enable Action Against Stalking to deliver expert support to victims and continue their work to improve the understanding of, and response to, stalking behaviours.

We are also providing up to £230,000 a year through the Scottish Legal Aid budget and £384,000 in 2022-23 from the Justice portfolio to the Scottish Women’s Rights Centre to offer free legal information and advice to women experiencing gender based violence, including stalking and harassment.

Question reference: S6W-07790

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide its revised estimate of the entire cost of the Haudagain Improvement project, in light of the reported delayed completion.

Question reference: S6W-07699

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) can and (b) will introduce compulsory training for the Scottish judiciary in relation to disability.

The Lord President of the Court of Session is responsible for making and maintaining appropriate arrangements for the training and guidance of Scotland’s judicial office holders as set out in the Judiciary and Courts (Scotland) Act 2008, the Tribunals (Scotland) Act 2014 and the Criminal Proceedings etc. (Reform) (Scotland) Act 2007. Judicial training is delivered by the Judicial Institute for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-07419

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Zero Waste Scotland report on Operational Assessment of Alternative Residual Waste Treatment Technologies, (a) when it will be published and (b) whether it includes an independent peer review, and, if so, who the peer review was conducted by.

Question reference: S6W-07633

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the starting salary for a police officer in Scotland, and how this compares with (a) England and (b) Wales.

At present, in Scotland a new constable will start on a salary of £26,737, and we understand that in England and Wales the lowest starting salary for a graduate is £21,654, and £19,164 for a PCDA (Police Constable Degree Apprentice).

More information on Police Officer salaries in Scotland can be found on the Police Scotland website using the following link: Pay and Grading Structure - Police Scotland

Question reference: S6W-07536

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Switched-on Taxi Loan Scheme, how many (a) applications it has received and (b) loans have been approved, and what the total value of loans issued is, to date.

The Scottish Government through Transport Scotland provide annual funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST) to deliver the Switched-on Taxi Loan scheme on behalf of Scottish Ministers.

a) To date the Switched-on Taxi Loan scheme has received 920 applications with a value of £37,822,348.

b) To date the Switched-on Taxi Loan scheme has offered 662 loans worth £22,859,952 to taxi owners and operators who have passed the credit, affordability and eligibility checks. Owners/operators who are unsuccessful are given the opportunity to appeal the decision directly with EST.

c) To date Switched-on Taxi Loan scheme has paid 574 applications to the value of £22,859,952. The remaining 88 applicants are finalising documentation or awaiting confirmed delivery dates for their new vehicles.

Question reference: S6W-07416

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the Dogs Trust's National Dog Survey that over 97% of dog owners own three or fewer dogs, and what engagement it has had with the UK Government to encourage it to reduce the number of pet animals, which may enter Great Britain in a motor vehicle during a single non-commercial movement, to three, in the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill.

The Scottish Government welcomes the research of the Dog’s Trust National Survey, and we will continue to engage with our stakeholders to improve animal welfare.

I would also like to refer the member to the answer to question S6W-07415 on 29 March 2022 regarding their query on engagement between Scottish Government and UK Government in relation to the Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill.

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-07535

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the interest-free Switched-on Taxi Loan Scheme will reopen to new applicants, and what action it is taking to promote the loan scheme to (a) taxi operators, (b) vendors and (c) manufacturers.

The Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland and its delivery partner Energy Saving Trust (EST), undertake a full review and evaluation of the Switched-on Taxi Loan Scheme at the end of each financial year. A decision on the future of this scheme will be made shortly.

To promote the loan scheme, EST undertakes comprehensive sector outreach each year, which includes sector events, business referrals, and the publication and dissemination of information and advice, including Vehicle Comparison reports to highlight the benefits of switching to an electric taxi.

Question reference: S6W-07506

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06967 by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2022, whether it will provide an answer to the specific question regarding whether it has taken legal advice on whether it is legally competent to tax the same piece of property under both the business rates scheme and the workplace parking levy; if legal advice was taken, whether it will publish this advice in order to allow the official legal position, as opposed to ministers' views, to be considered, and, if no legal advice was taken, whether it will confirm this.

I can confirm that the legal position has been considered and I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-06967 which sets out that the provisions in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019 were subject to policy and legal scrutiny and that there is no legal issue arising from this matter.

The content of any legal advice is confidential. By long-standing convention, successive Scottish and Westminster Governments have not disclosed the content of legal advice other than in the most exceptional circumstances.

Question reference: S6W-07989

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 April 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Matheson on 14 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of the Joint Business Plan for Unlocking Investment in Scotland’s Energy Sector.

The Scottish Government, in collaboration with the Scottish Energy Task Force, have committed to developing and publishing a Joint Business Plan for Unlocking Investment in Scotland’s Energy Sector.

This work is vital to identifying and overcoming many of the short-term barriers to decarbonisation and development of the energy system in Scotland, and enabling a green recovery from Covid-19.

I am pleased to say that the Joint Business Plan has now been published and is available here: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781804350119 .