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: S6F-03493

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government is doing to ensure that young people are equipped with the skills to recognise online misinformation and disinformation.

Question reference: S6F-03490

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-30795

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12859 by Jenny Gilruth on 20 December 2022, what further progress has been made regarding the reform of the Traffic Regulation Orders system.

There are currently no imminent plans to make any further amendments to the Traffic Regulation Order (TRO) system, following the amended Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) regulations which were introduced in November 2021.

The Scottish Government will continue to engage with a range of stakeholders including the local authority sector, Police Scotland and business and active travel representatives to understand any issues that arise from the various road order processes.

Question reference: S6W-30786

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the total cost of the consultation process for the proposed Oban Municipal Harbour project, from December 2023 to date.

The Scottish Government applies fixed fees for its processing of Harbour Orders in Scotland. These are as follows:

£2,000 for an order the sole purpose of which is to amend the borrowing powers of an existing authority;
£4,000 for any other order that would not empower an authority to undertake works;
£6,000 for an order which expressly empowers an authority to undertake works where an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required; and
£10,000 for an order which expressly empowers an authority to undertake works where it is decided that an EIA is required.

As this proposal does not involve works, the fee paid by Argyll and Bute Council to the Scottish Government for the Argyll and Bute Council (Oban) Harbour Revision Order application is £4,000.

Question reference: S6W-30774

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the anticipated timescale is for the electrification of the Maryhill railway line in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-30748

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are plans to increase rail services from Carstairs railway station.

Question reference: S6W-30701

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to make a formal pay offer to police officers.

The negotiation of police officer pay is carried out through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland (PNBS), which has been negotiating the police officer pay claim since it was received on 10 May 2024.

The Official Side (Scottish Ministers, the Scottish Police Authority and Police Scotland) made what I believe was a strong offer, of a 4.75% uplift for all ranks and changes to terms and conditions. However, this was rejected on 29 October 2024 by the PNBS Staff Side and they registered a ‘failure to agree’ with the PNBS.

Under the PNBS constitution, a period of conciliation will now take place and if agreement can still not be reached, the two Sides of the PNBS will enter into an arbitration process through ACAS. These procedures provide officers with the safeguard that, should the PNBS fail to agree on a position through collective bargaining, an independent panel can consider the merits of each side’s position.

I remain hopeful that an agreement can be reached through conciliation but I recognise that arbitration may be required, so that the independent panel can consider the sides’ positions and then make an award.

Question reference: S6W-30702

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publicly respond to the Scottish Police Federation's submitted pay claim for a 5.7% pay increase for 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-30688

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it currently provides to family members, particularly children, who have someone in their family who is addicted to alcohol or drugs.

All family members, including children and young people, need support in their own right when their family is affected by substance use.

The ‘Whole Family Approach’, supported by the ‘Family Inclusive Practice Framework’, is being implemented locally to ensure tailored support and access to resources for everyone in need. Local services will receive a £6.5 million investment per year over the life of the Parliament.

In addition to this, we provide annual funding to national organisation Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs, which offers free resources, helplines, peer support groups, and counselling specifically designed for families using substances.

In 2023, Scottish Families Affected by Alcohol and Drugs received government funding to expand their ‘Routes’ initiative nationally for young people impacted by parental substance use.

Through the Routes initiative, young people can access counselling services and attend peer support groups to help reduce isolation, as well taking part in group experiences and developing practical skills to increase their chance of a happy and fulfilling future.

We are investing nearly £4 million to expand the successful Routes model in to Falkirk, Aberdeenshire, Renfrewshire, North Lanarkshire, East Lothian and Orkney.

Question reference: S6W-30703

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Police Federation regarding a 2024-25 pay award for police officers.

On 23 May 2024 I met with David Kennedy and David Threadgold from the Scottish Police Federation, as part of my regular meetings with policing partners, where we discussed various topics of interest, including the pay claim for 2024-25.

During the discussion it was noted that negotiations on the police officer pay claim would progress through the Police Negotiating Board for Scotland.

The Police Negotiating Board for Scotland consists of two sides, the Official Side with representatives from Scottish Ministers; Scottish Police Authority; and the Chief Constable of Police Scotland, and a Staff Side with representatives from Scottish Chief Police Officers Staff Association; Association of Scottish Police Superintendents; and the Scottish Police Federation. Representatives of both sides have engaged regularly to discuss the Staff Side claim, the full Board met on 25 June 2024 and most recently on 31 October 2024.