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: S6O-00500

Asked by: Joe FitzPatrick, MSP for Dundee City West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its pilots to provide free bicycles for school-age children.

Question reference: S6O-00494

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how its policies across government will support island communities to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-00496

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how its policies across government will support families on low incomes to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-00501

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to people in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency who are in fuel poverty.

Question reference: S6O-00498

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, A Vision for Scotland's Railways, produced for Scotland's rail unions.

Question reference: S6W-04495

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker MSP (on behalf of the SPCB) on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what assessment was made of users' safety when updating the Scottish Parliament garage entry system.

In designing the new service yard and garage, both the safety of the overall operating system and the safety of those using and accessing the garage were fully considered and assessed.

Design assessments were made in relation to users’ safety and these assessments included:

· A design specification, setting out the safety requirements of the new system.

· An access report, covering the proposed flow of vehicle travel in the system.

· A design risk assessment. This was carried out by the gate manufacturer to reduce or eliminate risks from gates and barriers with appropriate safety measures.

· Safety features including automated traffic controls and safety sensors on all moving parts, including all barriers and gates.

· A health and safety review which resulted in updated health and safety arrangements in the service yard area.

The design process set out the safety standards the component parts of the new vehicle entry system was required to comply with. These included the European Standards relating to the safety of security gates and barriers. These were therefore installed and commissioned to appropriate European Directives. This process was carried out in conjunction with the Parliament’s Health and Safety Adviser.

In addition, a review of existing health and safety arrangements in the service yard area was carried out as part of the new system design. Existing arrangements include a 5mph speed limit in the service yard, annual training including vehicle movement toolbox sessions, marked pedestrian walkways and the requirement for pedestrians to wear hi-vis clothing at all times in this area. These existing assessments are considered appropriate in addressing any safety risks in the area.

Question reference: S6W-04487

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have undertaken the training developed by Keep Scotland Beautiful since the publication of the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan 2020-2025 in December 2020.

The Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) published in December 2020 sets the Scottish Government’s approach to ensuring our workforce has the skills to support Scotland’s transition to net zero. This approach includes raising awareness amongst employers of all sizes of the need to change behaviours and workplace practices to contribute to the transition to net zero and of the options available for upskilling and retraining.

The implementation of the CESAP requires a collaborative approach to action and investment across employers, local and national government, and its skills agencies.

The Scottish Government does not however hold information on the number of businesses that have undertaken training developed by Keep Scotland Beautiful.

Question reference: S6W-04547

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on establishing a mechanism for members of the public to make representations regarding licensing applications under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021.

The Scottish Government does not believe there is a need to establish a mechanism for members of the public to make representations on applications submitted under the Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021. Whilst no formal mechanism exists, members of the public can at any time raise concerns with a local authority about persons engaged in or seeking to engage in any statutory licensable activity covered by the aforementioned legislation and local authorities can, if they consider such action to be warranted, investigate or take into consideration any representations made. The 2021 Regulations place a duty on the local authority to consider as part of the application process whether any applicant for a licence is a fit and proper person to hold a licence.

Question reference: S6W-04570

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much North Ayrshire Council will pay in Public Private Partnership (PPP) and Private Finance Initiative (PFI) payments in the financial year 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-04576

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £25 million Coronavirus (COVID-19): Business Ventilation Fund has been used to date, and to whom it has been distributed.