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-08293

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government who is included on the Single Building Assessment Register of Assessors.

Question reference: S6W-08309

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the recent visit of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands to Catalonia, what the method of international travel was, and how any carbon emissions resulting from this travel were offset.

Myself and officials used a low cost carrier to travel from Scotland to Catalonia for the visit.

Travel is an essential part of official Government business and Ministers take their responsibility to travel sustainably very seriously and aim to use more sustainable forms of transport wherever possible.

A carbon emission levy is collected against air travel on a journey by journey basis. The levy aims to compensate for the carbon that our business travel generates. It raises funds that are put into projects that will remove the same amount of carbon from the atmosphere.

The carbon emissions levy is applied to all journeys undertaken by air as follows:

Domestic – £5 per journey

European – £6 per journey

International – £15 per journey

Question reference: S6W-08321

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Police Scotland regarding ending its training of the National Police of Colombia in light of (a) the reported crackdown on protesters in Colombia in spring 2021 and (b) an Amnesty International report that stated that the protestors had faced intentional police violence.

The Scottish Government supports Police Scotland’s international activity which involves reaching out to all parts of the world, including Colombia. This activity supports the prevention of crime at source and ensures the sharing of best practice in policing in order to help the stabilisation of communities beyond our borders. All Police Scotland activity is underpinned by a human rights-based approach which has a strong focus on community engagement. Central to that is an emphasis on de-escalating conflict and ensuring that the right to protest can be freely and peacefully exercised.

Question reference: S6W-08308

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of the recent visit of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands to Catalonia, broken down by the cost of travel, accommodation, and expenses.

Ministers and Civil Servants travel for a range of reasons including ensuring that the people of Scotland are effectively represented and ensuring that Scotland’s voice is heard on important issues.

The purpose of the trip to Catalonia was to further engage with Catalonian Government on agriculture, food and drink and climate change following engagement at COP26 and moreover attend Seafood Expo Global event. The Seafood Expo is a major seafood event where many key Scottish seafood companies exhibit as well as international companies and organisations.

Total costs (Flights and hotels for Minister, Private Office and Food and Drink officials) was: £3165.49. This can be split into circa £1340 in flights and £1850 in accommodation.

Incidental and meals expenses maybe claimed by officials in line with travel and subsistence policy and Ministerial expenses will be published in due course.

Question reference: S6W-08388

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether SEEMiS maintains a log of (a) which user accounts have accessed, contributed to or edited existing notes on a particular record and (b) the date and time at which they did so.

Question reference: S6W-08386

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance documents, other materials or training teachers and other SEEMiS users should be familiar with before using the system.

Question reference: S6W-08208

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the decision to put in place a recruitment freeze in its health and social care directorate was made by the Chief Executive of NHS Scotland and Director-General Health and Social Care.

The Chief Executive of NHS Scotland and Director-General Health and Social Care put in place a temporary pause on filling vacancies not currently advertised within Health and Social Care Directorates from 4 April 2022. Over the last two years, the Health and Social Care directorates have expanded to respond to the pandemic. The pause has been put in place for a short period to recognise the changing nature of the response now needed from the Portfolio. It allows time to consider the future size, shape and services that need to be delivered and how staff can be supported appropriately. The recruitment pause is designed to ensure that any planned activity is aligned to the organisation’s longer term workforce plan.

Question reference: S6W-08209

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the recruitment freeze in its health and social care directorate (a) was put in place and (b) will come to an end.

Question reference: S6W-08163

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that genetic testing is embedded as a standard of care in the treatment pathways for people with cancers.

The Scottish Government fully recognises the role of genomics in improving patient outcomes particularly for people with cancer. Our genetic laboratories across Scotland already provide a range of cancer genetic tests to support the diagnosis and treatment of cancer.

We have committed £6.2 million of funding to genomics in 2022-23 which will support expanding our genomics capabilities in NHS Scotland.

Furthermore, we have provided funding to NSD to establish a Transformation Team led by a Lead Clinical Scientist alongside resource that specialises in transformative programme management and Data Analytics. The Team will be operational from June 2022.

This team will be responsible for delivering the rapid adoption of a number of genetic tests for cancer across the genetic laboratories as well as developing an action plan for the implementation of the recommendations from the Genetic Laboratory Major Service Review.

Over the coming months we will be expanding the membership of our Scottish Genomics Leadership Group (SGLG) and relevant work streams to include a wider pool of stakeholders than those currently on the SGLG. This expanded structure will consider the recommendations from the Major Services Review as well as considerations for further genomics expansion. The availability of genetic testing for the treatment of cancer as a standard of care will be a key consideration of the work taken forward.

Question reference: S6W-08339

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many vouchers issued through the ScotSpirit Holiday Voucher Scheme between October and December 2021 have been used to date.

Delivery partners hold the ScotSpirit budget enabling them to book breaks for unpaid carers and low-income families with participating businesses rather than issuing physical break vouchers. This person centred approach ensures that delivery partners work with individuals to broker and book the type of break that best meets their individual needs.

From October to December 2021 just over £58K was spent on breaks.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

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