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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

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Question reference: S6W-23866

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) the Retail Industry Leadership Group's reported opposition to New Year's Day closure and (b) whether such an industry-led body is ever likely to support the reported calls by Usdaw and retail workers for retail stores to close on New Year's Day.

Fair Work is at the core of the Retail Strategy, benefitting retail business by making them more attractive to workers, and more resilient, productive and profitable. Any decision on New Year’s Day trading will balance our Fair Work ambition with prevailing economic conditions which remain difficult for the retail sector.

The Retail Industry Leadership Group (ILG) was established to drive and support delivery of the actions set out in the Retail Strategy, in particular on improving fair work across the sector. Its purpose is to represent the views of the industry and we value its independent analysis. The views and recommendations of the ILG is just one of the matters that Ministers take into account when determining how to proceed on any given policy issue.

Question reference: S6W-24201

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates its proposed £17,496,000 reduction in funding for Ferguson Marine, as set out in the 2024-25 Scottish Budget, will have on its ability to deliver Hull (a) 801 and (b) 802 within its respective revised timescale.

Question reference: S6W-24176

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many registered GlobalScots there were in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-24184

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it uses planning powers and conditions to influence road risk standards in (a) development and (b) construction supply chains.

Depending on the nature, scale and location of a proposed development, planning authorities are required to consult specified statutory consultees before determining planning applications. For example, the relevant local roads authority, or Transport Scotland for trunk roads, must be consulted on proposed developments affecting existing roads or comprising the creation of a new road. It is for the relevant planning authority to take into consideration any responses from such consultees which raise material planning considerations in determining the application.

The use of planning conditions is subject to a series of tests, set out in Scottish Government Circular 4/1998. Case law has established that only matters which are relevant to planning can be the subject of a condition; furthermore planning conditions should only be used where they are necessary to make development acceptable (i.e. planning permission would be refused if not for the condition). In addition, planning conditions should not duplicate the effect of other legislative controls such as the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 or relevant Health and Safety legislation.

Question reference: S6W-24169

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have applied to the VisitScotland Quality Assurance scheme in each year since 2016.

VisitScotland has provided the following data:

Year End Date	Count
end Dec 2016	281
end Dec 2017	196
end Dec 2018	181
end Dec 2019	188
end Dec 2020	116
end Mar 2022	204
end Mar 2023	173

It should be noted that:

The figures show only new applicants in each year, the figures do not include renewals.
Figures include re-joined businesses, meaning those who left the scheme and subsequently re-joined.
Figures show unique sites and one business may have multiple sites.
Reporting period changed in 2021 from calendar to fiscal year.

Question reference: S6W-24173

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding has been made available for the (a) Access to Music Making and (b) Strengthening Youth Music Fund for (i) 2023-24 and (ii) 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-24175

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is the case that it now holds information on how many handheld music devices provided through Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative are currently in use, and how much funding it has made available for the future use of these devices, and, if it is the case, whether it will provide this information.

Question reference: S6W-23968

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what barriers exist to potentially changing the status of Holyrood Park so that access restrictions can be changed or removed.

Without further information about which status the member is referring to, it is difficult for the Scottish Government to provide any further information about the applicable procedure, as this could range from a statutory procedure set out in the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 to a change in the legislation applicable to the Park in the Holyrood Park Regulations 1971 (as amended in 2001 and 2005). These regulations were made under the Parks Regulation Act 1872 and the Parks Regulation Amendment Act 1926, both of which are still in force.

There are also vehicular access restrictions in place for the Park. Some of these, such as the speed limit and the restrictions on commercial vehicles, are required by the Holyrood Park Regulations. Others, such as the road closures during the day on Saturdays and Sundays, have been introduced by Historic Environment Scotland in order to manage the safety of the Park users as well as improve visitors’ enjoyment of the Park.

For more clarity, I would advise the member to contact Historic Environment Scotland directly with her specific enquiry at chiefexecutive@hes.scot so it can offer a thorough and tailored response.

Question reference: S6W-23964

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Historic Environment Scotland regarding the legislative and regulatory frameworks associated with Holyrood Park.

The previous Minister for Culture, Neil Gray MSP, and Lorna Slater MSP (in a constituency capacity) met with Historic Environment Scotland in May 2022 to discuss specific issues relating to the management of Holyrood Park around speed limits and car parking.

I, and wider Scottish Government officials continue to meet with Historic Environment Scotland regularly to discuss a broad range of issues which affect our many and varied Properties in Care. The most recent regular meeting was held on 13 December.

Question reference: S6W-24033

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland in 2022.

The Scottish Government provided funding to the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland in 2022 to support the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award.

The objectives for this funding were:

to raise public awareness of the social, economic and environmental importance of good architecture;
to act as a spur for excellence by example; and
to raise the profile of the best Scottish architecture at home and abroad.