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-03091

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how often it anticipates its proposed ministerial working group on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development will meet.

Question reference: S6W-03016

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has provided to bus operators in receipt of government funding on returning services to pre-pandemic levels.

Throughout the pandemic we have supported bus operators to keep Scotland moving, and have made up to £210 million in additional financial support available since June 2020. Operators receiving this funding enter into public service contracts and are required to meet certain conditions including running a specified level of service mileage set at 95% of pre-COVID levels unless otherwise agreed with Transport Scotland. Some operators are running less bus mileage due to constraining factors such as bus driver shortages. Given reduced patronage and changing travel patterns, operators are also required to adapt services to meet demand as it now arises. When doing so, operators are required to consult and cooperate with local transport authorities, have regard to public transport connectivity, and keep services under review. The model public service contract, setting out the full terms and conditions, can be found on the Transport Scotland website: https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/buses/covid-19-support-grant/

Question reference: S6W-03040

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has provided in relation to the Scottish Maritime Cluster’s participation in London International Shipping Week 2021.

Question reference: S6W-02999

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government under what circumstances it would consider exploring municipal ownership of Ardrossan Harbour with North Ayrshire Council.

Question reference: S6W-02976

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made implementing a student mental health action plan that embeds mental health and wellbeing into the curriculum.

We are well on our way to achieving our commitment to introduce more than 80 additional counsellors in colleges and universities. Funding for the 2021-22 Academic Year, set at £4.23 million, an increase of almost £0.6 million on last year’s budget, will help address the issue of equity of access, a key commitment in our Student Mental Health Action Plan.

Over the coming months, the Scottish Government will work closely with sector and wider stakeholders, to further ensure equity of access to counsellors and to take forward our commitments to embed mental health and wellbeing into the curriculum, through the development of a Student Mental Health Action Plan.

Question reference: S6O-00256

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many additional Qualified Teachers of Children and Young People with Vision Impairment will be recruited as part of its commitment to recruit 1,000 new teachers and 500 pupil support assistants in the next academic year.

Question reference: S6O-00241

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it supports veterans, and what official statistics it records to monitor this.

Question reference: S6O-00248

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will support the north east economy, in light of the impact of Brexit and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-00245

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to promote sustainable public procurement.

Question reference: S6O-00237

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of a backlog in toxicology analyses, how many final post-mortem reports following a sudden or unexplained death were not issued within the 12-week target in 2020 and 2021.