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-00115

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer the Borderlands region with its bid to be UK City of Culture 2025.

Question reference: S6O-00113

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the reported shortage of housing in rural areas.

Question reference: S6O-00101

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is for cataract surgery.

Question reference: S6O-00106

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that patients and staff at Old Aberdeen Medical Practice are consulted on the future provision of its GP services.

Question reference: S6O-00121

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has done to assess how many Afghan refugees can be housed across all local authority areas.

Question reference: S6O-00105

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support rural health services following the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-00103

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to dental practices to alleviate pressures specifically related to COVID-19.

Question reference: S6O-00110

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to supporting the building of affordable homes for rent.

Question reference: S6W-02687

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Clare Haughey on 1 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of the expanded hours of funded early learning and childcare.

All councils are now offering 1140 hours of funded ELC to all eligible children, making high quality early learning and childcare available to families in line with the increased statutory entitlement which came into force on 1 August. This will save parents up to £4,900 per year for each eligible child. Up to 130,000 children are expected to benefit this year.

Scotland is the only part of the UK to offer the equivalent of 1140 hours to all 3 and 4 year olds regardless of their parents’ working status, putting children first. This is a fantastic achievement that has been delivered in the face of the pandemic by Scottish Government, Local Government and our local delivery partners.

Question reference: S6W-02396

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates the Heat Pump Sector Deal Expert Advisory Group will meet its objective to report on its findings and strategy, as set out in the group's interim report published in June 2021.

Heat pumps will be a strategically vital technology to deliver low carbon heat in buildings as part of the Scottish Government’s statutory target to meet net zero emissions by 2045. Following a call from the Climate Emergency Response Group, we have established an expert advisory group to make recommendations to Scottish Ministers on the scope of a potential heat pump sector deal for Scotland.

The group is independently chaired by Mike Thornton of the Energy Saving Trust and supported by Scottish Government officials. In June, the group published a detailed interim report offering views across a range of important issues for the heat pump sector. Since then, the group have met to discuss these issues further with a view to finalising their recommendations in late summer. We are confident that the group will meet this objective and we have committed to responding to the group's recommendations in our final Heat in Buildings Strategy.