Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 43118 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-24759

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 January 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to publish an action-oriented International Strategy setting out the outcomes that it will seek to achieve through international engagement up to May 2026.

Today, the Scottish Government has published its new International Strategy to guide our approach to international engagement and delivery to the end of the current parliamentary term. We have a successful record of delivering internationally since the beginning of devolution and want to continue to build on our strengths and seize global opportunities.

This new strategy looks across the wide range of Scottish Government responsibilities and priorities focusing on three key themes: (1) economy, trade and investment; (2) climate change, biodiversity and renewable energy; and (3) reputation, influence and relationships.

By being clear and precise in where we focus our efforts, the strategy will ensure that our international work continues to make a substantial, positive impact on the lives of people in Scotland and internationally.

Link to document: https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835218303

Question reference: S6W-24695

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many Historic Environment Scotland sites participated in the Historic Sundays scheme in each month that it ran.

Questions regarding day-to-day operational matters of Historic Environment Scotland, including information relating to Historic Sundays, are best answered by Historic Environment Scotland.

I have asked Historic Environment Scotland to respond directly to the member with a full reply to his question in writing. However, information on sites participating in Historic Sundays is available on the Historic Environment Scotland website at https://www.historicenvironment.scot/about-us/news/some-of-scotland-s-most-iconic-heritage-sites-set-to-offer-free-admission-this-winter/ .

Question reference: S6W-24694

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many people participated in Historic Environment Scotland’s Historic Sundays scheme in each month that it ran.

Question reference: S6W-24693

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans Historic Environment Scotland has to extend its Historic Sundays scheme beyond March 2024.

Question reference: S6W-24620

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24242 by Mairi Gougeon on 15 January 2024, whether it will provide further details of the delivery group that oversees and directs the delivery of the wild salmon strategy and implementation plan, including (a) who is involved in the group and (b) contact details for wider public engagement.

Question reference: S6W-24546

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to re-introduce the public health supplement for large retailers that sell alcohol, for the purposes of funding drug and alcohol prevention measures.

The Scottish Government is determined to do all we can to reduce alcohol-related harm and is working closely with Alcohol and Drug Partnerships and the third sector to do so. In 2022-23, £106 million was made available to ADPs, increasing to £112 million in 2023-24. This funding is used to ensure that local services meet the needs of people who experience alcohol and drugs harms.

The announcement in the Scottish Budget 2024-25 signalled the Scottish Government’s intent to explore the reintroduction of a Public Health Supplement. The exploratory work will include considering options for the design of any such supplement.

Question reference: S6W-24619

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its commitment to extend the fish counter network, as set out in its wild salmon strategy implementation plan published in 2023, whether it will fund a percentage of the cost of a fish counter and its monitoring for the River Dee, which is a Special Area of Conservation currently classed Grade 1, and, if so, what percentage.

Question reference: S6W-24606

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Emma Roddick on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it has provided to Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council Limited since 2019.

Edinburgh and Lothians Regional Equality Council received funding from the Scottish Government’s Promoting Equality and Cohesion Fund (PECF) during 2017-2021. High-level PCEF outcomes are set out in Grant Offer Letters, and are as follows:

A reduction in discrimination against people who share protected characteristics
Reduced levels of hate crime
Increased community participation, engagement and community cohesion
Addressing imbalances in representation in all aspects and levels of public life

Impact Funding Partners (formerly named as The Voluntary Action Fund) were the fund managers for PECF, acting on behalf of the Scottish Government. The fund manager engaged with organisations directly to agree on workplans and set specific objectives and outcomes.

Question reference: S6W-24569

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many online clicks its paper, Our marine sector in an independent Scotland, received in its first month following publication, broken down by (a) main paper, (b) easy read version, (c) each individual language version and (d) audio version.

We have previously answered two FOIs on website visits to the Building a New Scotland Papers:

Paper title: Building a New Scotland: Our marine sector in an independent Scotland

Main paper URL: https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-marine-sector-independent-scotland/

Main paper publish date: 21-11-2023

Main paper views in first month (all pages): 2,775

Easy read URL: https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-marine-sector-independent-scotland-easy-read-version/

Easy read publish date: 21-11-2023

Easy read views or download link clicks in first month: 298

Audio URL: https://on.soundcloud.com/5VJaA

Audio publish date: 21-11-2023

Audio link clicks in first month: 9

Community language landing pageURL: https://www.gov.scot/publications/building-new-scotland-marine-sector-independent-scotland/documents/

Translation publish date: 21-11-2023

Translation downloads in first month:

Arabic: 1

Bengalii: 1

Bulgarian: 0

Cantonese: 0

French: 4

Gaelic: 1

Hindi: 0

Italian: 3

Mandarin: 0

Polish: 1

Punjabi:1

Romanian: 0

Russian: 0

Spanish: 0

Ukrainian: 1

Urdu: 3

BSL YouTube Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDdIcputSSg

Date BSL Version Published: 21-11-2023

Views in first 30 days: 4

Question reference: S6W-24479

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it made of how many XL bully dogs there were in Scotland before (a) the UK Government’s announcement on 31 October 2023 of the changes to the Dangerous Dogs Act that ban XL bully dogs in England and Wales and (b) the First Minister’s announcement on 11 January 2024 that the Scottish Government it will, in essence, replicate in Scotland the legislation that exists in England and Wales.

The number of XL Bully dogs in the UK and Scotland is unknown and estimates vary significantly.

During the House of Commons scrutiny of the new safeguards in England and Wales, many expert witnesses highlighted the challenges of estimating numbers as XL Bully dogs are not a recognised breed of dog. Those witnesses were concerned about how many of these dogs may be registered as crossbreeds on veterinary practice management systems and pointed towards seeing various estimates of the number of XL Bully dogs, ranging from 50,000 to 150,000 in England and Wales.

If there were 50,000 XL Bully dogs in England and Wales, this may suggest an estimated population of 5,000 XL Bully dogs in Scotland. This figure carries a considerable degree of uncertainty.