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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 42362 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-30533

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent action it has taken to reduce the number of non-smokers, particularly young people, taking up vaping.

The Scottish Government’s Tobacco and Vaping Framework, published in November 2023, committed to taking action to reduce vaping among non-smokers and young people.

Alongside the Framework, we launched the Take Hold marketing campaign which successfully increased parents, carers and young people’s awareness of the harms and risks of nicotine addiction from vaping. New resources were also launched on Parent Club, NHS Inform and Young Scot on vaping.

The Scottish Government is committed to aligning with a four-nation approach towards banning the sale and supply of single-use vapes.

In order to align with timescales recently announced by the Welsh and UK governments and provide consistency across the four nations, the Scottish Government will lay legislation to amend the coming into force date in the Scottish regulations banning the sale and supply of these vapes recently passed by the Scottish Parliament from 1 April 2025 to 1 June 2025.

We continue to work closely across the four-nations on the development of the UK Tobacco and Vapes Bill to ensure that it reflects Scotland’s public health ambitions and remain hopeful this will be reintroduced as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6W-30411

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for the Centre for Contemporary Arts in Glasgow, in light of the reported announcement that it will close between December 2024 and March 2025.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with the culture sector to do everything within our powers and resources to help those most affected by current economic challenges.

Creative Scotland (CS), the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland, continues to have regular discussions with Glasgow Life and the Centre for Contemporary Arts Board members and staff. CS have offered them flexibility in the use of existing regular funding they receive, together with support for external expertise to inform their future operating model when they reopen.

Question reference: S6W-30381

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of foreign direct investments over the last five years can be classified as greenfield.

Question reference: S6W-30733

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the research that it commissioned on the experience of Gypsy/Travellers in Scotland during the so-called Tinker Experiment, which was originally due to be completed in September 2024.

Question reference: S6W-30659

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government by what means and metrics it assesses its own performance in delivering primary care services.

Scottish Ministers are responsible for securing the provision of general medical, general dental and general ophthalmic services, and of pharmaceutical services.

Health Boards have a duty to provide those services in accordance with regulations.

Each set of regulations makes its own requirements of the contractors providing various primary care services. General Medical Services contractors, for example, must respond to undifferentiated presentations; patients who are ill or believe themselves to be ill and require diagnosis. This is necessarily a matter of judgement and the regulations do not set targets or particular goals for GP practices. By comparison, routine dental and ophthalmic examinations take place at intervals set by the Scottish Government in accordance with clinical best practice guidelines.

Question reference: S6W-30415

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met the Scottish Funding Council to discuss funding for energy skills initiatives.

Question reference: S6O-03904

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to local authorities to help secure the future of community libraries.

Question reference: S6O-03906

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Independent
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on levels of compliance with ScotRail’s alcohol ban.

Question reference: S6O-03905

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to support oil and gas companies to collaborate with renewables companies to test and deploy new technologies.

Question reference: S6O-03902

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding cross-border machinery theft in rural areas, including the Scottish Borders.