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-04392

Asked by: Marie McNair, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting local authorities, such as West and East Dunbartonshire councils, that have to make PFI and PPP payments.

Question reference: S6O-04390

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comment by the Scottish Information Commissioner that Scotland’s non-departmental public bodies, also known as quangos, are costing taxpayers £6.6 billion annually.

Question reference: S6O-04393

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the total funding that it has provided for local government has changed over the last decade in real terms and as a proportion of total spending.

Question reference: S6O-04389

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government increasing employer national insurance contributions, how it is supporting local authority finances.

Question reference: S6O-04407

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how the proportion of ScotRail trains that were cancelled in 2023-24 compares with other rail operators across the UK.

Question reference: S6O-04383

Asked by: Ben Macpherson, MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting Edinburgh’s economy.

Question reference: S6W-34823

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the reported decline in the number of fully qualified GPs from 4,514 in 2022 to 4,438 in 2024 on people's access to primary care services.

Question reference: S6W-34993

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage responsible dog ownership, specifically with relation to the use of crates for domestic pets.

The vast majority of dog owners are responsible people who take good care of their animals and enjoy the widespread benefits of dog ownership and companionship.

The Scottish Government Code of Practice on the Welfare of Dogs, approved by the Scottish Parliament, provides dog owners with information on caring for their pets. This has been promoted by various marketing campaigns in recent years working in partnership with the relevant stakeholders.

Furthermore The Scottish Government would encourage all dog owners to follow the guidance and advice from reputable organisations such as the Scottish SPCA, the Dogs Trust and others if they require assistance with the use of crates for their dogs and crate training.

Question reference: S6W-34994

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce legislation aimed at reducing the amount of time domestic pets can be left unaccompanied in crates.

Question reference: S6W-34874

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 26 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many positions in the Scottish Government include (a) diversity, (b) equality and (c) inclusion in their job title, and what the total staffing cost is of these positions.

As at 30 September 2024, the date of the most recently published Scottish Government workforce statistics, the total number of job titles registered in our HR management information system including a) diversity (including neurodiversity) was 8 b) equality (including equalities) was 35 and c) inclusion was 9. Some job titles include a combination of these terms, the total number of individual positions is therefore 46.

The total staffing cost for these positions for the period April to September 2024 (our most current figures) was £1,985,502.