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-05494

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much it cost to produce the Zero Waste Scotland report, How should Scotland Manage its Scrap Steel?, which was published on 25 October 2021.

Question reference: S6W-05493

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported calls from the British Metals Recycling Association to withdraw the Zero Waste Scotland report, How should Scotland Manage its Scrap Steel?, over serious concerns about its accuracy.

ZWS is a company limited by guarantee that is independent from the Scottish Government and it is for Zero Waste Scotland to respond to calls about its reports. Zero Waste Scotland has advised us that the analysis is based on UK-wide data, which is the best and only data set currently available relating to scrap steel management in Scotland, scaled to allow for different scenarios to be modelled and compared within a Scottish context.

Question reference: S6W-05647

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Amnesty International report, Amazon, let workers unionize! Respect for workers’ rights is not a choice, regarding the issuing of legal notices to trade union organisers attempting to recruit members at Amazon facilities in the UK.

The Scottish Government expects employees in all workplaces to be treated fairly and is doing everything it can to drive up employment standards and promote Fair Work practices, including effective worker voice, with the powers available to us.

We continue to call for employment law to be devolved in order to protect and improve worker’s rights and to create fairer and more inclusive workplaces.

The Scottish Government remains committed to supporting strong Trade Unions in Scotland for the benefit of workers and our economy. We have provided funding of £250,000 annually for the last five years to STUC, to help unions embed the Fair Work Framework in Scotland's workplaces. We will continue to call on employers to ensure appropriate channels for effective voice in the workplace, including engaging with relevant trade unions for their sector to improve working conditions and employment practices in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-05652

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04188 by Maree Todd on 16 November 2021, whether sportscotland allocated capital funding to support the development of a tennis centre at Park of Keir for financial year 2021-22.

sport scotland’s budget for 2022-23 is currently in development and is subject to financial arrangements for 2022-23 agreed between Scottish Government and sport scotland.

However, at this stage sport scotland does not expect to have any expenditure against a tennis facility at Park of Keir in 2021-22. Consequently, sport scotland intends to retain the same budget allocation for a tennis facility at Park of Keir in 2022-23 as in 2021-22 (as outlined in response to S6W-05651 on 20 January 2022).

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-05648

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations in the Amnesty International report, Amazon, let workers unionize! Respect for workers’ rights is not a choice.

The Scottish Government agrees with Amnesty International on the importance of meeting international human rights law and standards, and welcomes the recommendations in the report. Both public authorities and private enterprises have a responsibility to ensure that human rights are respected and protected in the workplace. These rights include the right to join and form trade unions, and to enjoy safe and healthy working conditions.

The Scottish Government notes that Amazon acknowledges these obligations, which are further underlined by the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. It is important that such commitments are given practical effect in a manner that ensures the rights of employees are properly respected across all aspects of a company’s operations, both in Scotland and in a global context.

The Scottish Government is very clear that trade unions are social partners and play an essential role in promoting good employment practice and in ensuring that Scotland’s workers have an effective voice.

Under the current constitutional settlement, employment law (including trade union law) is reserved to the UK Parliament. The long-standing position of the Scottish Government is that employment law should be devolved, so that all necessary action can be taken in Scotland to protect and improve workers’ rights and to create fairer and more inclusive workplaces.

Question reference: S6W-05526

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many health and social care staff are currently being tested for COVID-19 each day, and what additional capacity has been secured for PCR testing and analysis.

Health and Social Care staff are offered PCR weekly testing and over the winter period have been asked to undertake daily Lateral Flow Device (LFD) tests due to the risk posed by Omicron. Public Health Scotland (PHS) produce a weekly COVID-19 Statistical Report, which provides the number of LFD tests reported by Health and Social Care Workers in Scotland and PCR testing data by health board is published on the accompanying dashboard.

Health care PCR testing is primarily conducted through NHS Scotland and the three Regional Hub Laboratories provided a significant boost to our NHS Scotland lab capacity. Care home testing was transferred out of the UK Government testing programme and into the Regional Hubs to ensure swift processing and communication of results.

Question reference: S6W-05543

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether agency staff employed in health and social care settings will be given the same priority as permanent staff for COVID-19 PCR tests.

As demand for COVID testing reaches new levels, we continue to adapt the Test & Protect system in order to protect the vulnerable and support the resilience of essential workforces.

From Wednesday 29 December prioritised booking slots have been made available at test sites for all essential workers, including health and care workers and this covers agency staff. Prioritised booking slots can be accessed by clicking to confirm you are an essential worker when booking a test online.

This is in addition to the local arrangements that Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) and NHS health boards have in place for PCR testing for employees including agency staff.

Question reference: S6W-05534

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government who is responsible for co-ordinating civil contingency and national resilience planning.

In Scotland there are key categorised responder organisations, defined in the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (CCA), such as the blue light services, health boards, local authorities, and SEPA that are responsible for ensuring the effective management of emergencies. They are required by the CCA to be part of one of three Regional Resilience Partnerships (RRPs) who are supported by staff provided by Scottish Government.

Resilience Division leads on civil contingencies and resilience planning within Scottish Government, though all policy areas are responsible for risks that sit within their portfolio, such as Health for public health outbreaks, and Animal Health and Welfare for animal health outbreaks. Resilience Division supports internal and external partners to prepare, respond and recover from emergencies such as severe weather, major incidents and public health outbreaks.

Question reference: S6W-05069

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much uncommitted expenditure will be suspended during the review of the national flood defence programme.

COSLA recommended to Scottish Ministers that the flood protection schemes eligible for funding in the Flood Risk Management Strategies published in December 2015 which are not yet “legally committed” are to be paused and reviewed. Ministers accepted this recommendation and a review of these projects is being undertaken to assess their status and viability. COSLA will present the review findings to Ministers in due course. This pause and review of schemes is one element of the work being taken forward to review the current funding and distribution arrangements for flood risk management. The Scottish Government has not currently suspended any expenditure on the flooding programme.

The Scottish Government continues to prioritise funding for flood risk management. The flooding budget is increasing by 70% from £210 million to £360 million over the next 5 years. Local authorities are responsible for commissioning and delivering flood protection schemes. In recognition of the importance of reducing flood risk the Scottish Government has provided, since 2007, a total of £42 million a year through the general capital grant to local authorities to allow them to invest in flood protection schemes.

Question reference: S6O-00677

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils in East Kilbride will be included in the roll-out of free school breakfasts and the expansion of free school lunches.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

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