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-32315

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what training and development opportunities to address complex case types are available to staff in the Aberdeen office of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS).

The Scottish Prosecution College delivers a variety of training courses including online and in-person training which is available to all staff within COPFS. This encompasses a wide range of topics, and case types, ranging from domestic abuse and sexual offence case training through to High Court and Sheriff and Jury case preparation. Specialist units within COPFS also provide additional training to staff within those units.

Question reference: S6W-32331

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 13 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases referred to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service in the last five years have resulted in no further action being taken.

Question reference: S6W-32235

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 9 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what methodology it used to calculate the increase of around 1% in real terms to the 2025-26 block grant settlement compared with the latest 2024-25 allocation, as set out in its draft Budget 2025-26, including the (a) figures and (b) sources of figures used in this calculation, and, following that methodology, whether it can calculate the percentage increase to three significant figures.

All figures are drawn from Table A.02 set out in Annex A of the 2025-26 Budget publication. The around 1% real terms increase figure quoted is in relation to the change in real terms in Resource Barnett Block Grant between the latest 2024-25 figure and the 2025-26 figure. All figures reconcile to the agreed HM Treasury aggregates. HM Treasury aggregates include some non-Barnett elements in the overall total which are excluded from the year on year comparators (these are disclosed elsewhere in the funding position at table A.02 - specifically within the Migrant Surcharge and Other/Budget Cover Transfer lines).The GDP deflator values used in calculating the real terms movement are as published by the Office for National Statistics.

Methodology for calculation.

Figures –.

2024-25 core Barnett settlement is £39,635 million (made up of the £38,202 million total UK Settlement plus £1,433 million of additional consequentials received at UK Budget Statement.
The 715 million ringfenced funding has been baselined in 2025-26 so is included in 41141 figure.
£41,141 million is the is the core Barnett Settlement for 2025-26.
GDP deflator is 1.0239

Calculating the % increase in real terms 2024-25 to 2025-26;

Real terms figures are quoted in 2024-25 process. The GDP deflator is used to put the 2025-26 funding in 2024-25 terms.

41141 / 1.0239 = 40180.68171

You then calculate the % increase by;

(2025-26 funding in 2024-25 real terms – 2024-25 funding) / 2024-25 funding * 100

( 40180.68171 – 39635.254 ) / 39635.254 * 100 = 1.38% increase to 3 significant figures.

Question reference: S6O-04205

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed plans to reduce delayed discharge with NHS Dumfries and Galloway.

Question reference: S6O-04202

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding the steps that it is taking to tackle child poverty.

Question reference: S6O-04201

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of the Changing Places Toilet Fund.

Question reference: S6O-04204

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how its draft Budget 2025-26 will support the delivery of drug and alcohol services across Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-04206

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on farmers giving the methane-reducing feed additive Bovaer to their cattle.

Question reference: S6O-04207

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to work with NHS boards and patient transport providers to ensure that access to healthcare is fair, equitable and efficient for island residents.

Question reference: S6O-04208

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the planned opening of the safer drug consumption facility in Glasgow, whether consideration has been given to opening a similar facility in Edinburgh.

Financial year marking applied	No Further Action cases
2019-2020	17,734
2020-2021	16,437
2021-2022	23,581
2022-2023	24,585
2023-2024	28,462