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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-23190

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on which (a) sectors and (b) materials should be prioritised to reduce Scotland's material footprint based on Scotland’s Material Flow Accounts.

While the Material Flow Accounts are useful for quantifying how much of a resource we are consuming and producing, Zero Waste Scotland has indicated that the current model has a limited degree of granularity in the materials being consumed and it does not explicitly attribute this material consumption or waste generation to individual economic sectors. Zero Waste Scotland is currently exploring the scope for mapping material flows to economic sectors.

Question reference: S6W-23389

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to support consultants with their workload so that they have sufficient time to engage in research and in supporting and training junior doctors.

The Scottish Consultants Contract is designed to ensure that Consultants who work within NHS Scotland have time for supporting professional activities. How much time received is based on working patterns and forms part of the job planning process they undertake with their employers.

The time that is dedicated to supporting professional activities can be used for research, teaching, training and supervising Junior Doctors.

Question reference: S6W-23306

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21689 by Lorna Slater on 3 October 2023, whether (a) Palladium, (b) Lombard Odier or (c) Hampden and Co Bank is contracted by (i) Forestry and Land Scotland, (ii) Scottish Water, (iii) Cairngorms National Park and (iv) Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park to provide support in delivering peatland restoration works or in mobilising private finance into nature; what payments have been made to any of those parties in the (A) last financial year and (B) current financial year to date; what the (aa) value and (ab) duration is of any extant contracts, and what procurement process was followed to secure any such contractual arrangements that are in place.

No payments have been made to Lombard, Hampdens or Palladium from Forestry and Land Scotland or Scottish Water over the last two years. Both Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority have made payments to Palladium during this period.

Your question regarding what contracts are in place, their value, duration and procurement processes is on operational matters so I have asked the Chief Executives of the National Park Authorities to write to you addressing these points .

Question reference: S6W-23307

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to support the Scottish night time industry.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting the hospitality and night-time industry, having been the hardest hit of all sectors from the Covid-19 pandemic and cost crises.

The Scottish Budget 2023-24 ensures the lowest poundage in the UK for the fifth year in a row and supports a package of rates relief worth an estimated £749 million, including the Small Business Bonus Scheme. Around half of properties in the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors are eligible for 100% relief this financial year. Decisions on non-domestic rates for 2024-25 will be made as part of the Scottish Budget, which will be published on 19 December.

The Scottish Government is also supporting the sector through the Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group and through the New Deal for Business Group. In addition, the Town Centre Action Plan aims to revitalise our towns and town centres, which contributes to supporting the night-time economy.

Our recent request of the UK Government for a reduced rate of VAT for the hospitality sector was rejected.

Question reference: S6W-23297

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the refreshed Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan that it committed to publishing in its Programme for Government 2023-24, whether the (a) Far North, (b) Highland, (c) Kyle of Lochalsh, (d) West Highland and (e) Inverness-Aberdeen train line will be included in the refreshed plan.

Question reference: S6W-23266

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that bus gates, such as those in Aberdeen, do not penalise coach drivers servicing trade and tourism locations by them incurring fines.

Local authorities have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure the expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic. These duties include the making of Traffic Regulation Orders for such things as restricting access on roads to certain types of vehicles as they see fit, such as bus gates.

It is therefore for local authorities to determine what vehicles should be permitted depending on the local specific circumstances and not an area where Scottish Ministers would intervene. Notwithstanding this, Aberdeen City Council has confirmed that the recently opened bus gates in Aberdeen City Centre, supported by Transport Scotland’s Bus Partnership Fund, do permit coaches.

Question reference: S6W-23189

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects on national reuse rates in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-23163

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on developing and delivering the Student Mental Health Action Plan.

Following the publication of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy in summer and Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan and Mental Health Workforce Plan in autumn we will shortly consult on a draft Student Mental Health Action Plan which flows from these recent publications.

Targeted consultation with Members of the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group, on the draft Student Mental Health Action Plan will be undertaken in the coming weeks, with the aim of publishing a completed Plan in early 2024.

Question reference: S6W-23158

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are in place to revoke or suspend cards issued through the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme in cases where young people have been found to be using them while committing acts of antisocial behaviour.

Free bus travel is one of several services provided through the National Entitlement Card. Therefore, it would not be appropriate for transport operators to remove cards from cardholders due to the impact this may have on access to other services, such as free school meals.

Tackling allegations of antisocial behaviour are matters for the police and local authorities using the enforcement powers and resources available to them. The Scottish Government will continue to work with these partners to explore and strengthen options to tackle antisocial behaviour.

Question reference: S6W-23146

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the finding by Marie Curie that, by 2040, 60,000 people will be estimated to die with palliative care needs in Scotland.

We are developing a new palliative care strategy to achieve the very highest standards of care right up to the end of life, and to ensure high-quality palliative care wherever and whenever it is needed.

As part of work being undertaken to develop the strategy, we are working with Public Health Scotland to get a better understanding of population-level palliative care needs, now and in the future. This includes consideration of the research that has been carried out by Marie Curie.