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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.

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Question reference: S6O-02909

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-02903

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reconsider its reported plans to downgrade the Wishaw Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.

Question reference: S6O-02899

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding the sale of low-welfare pets ahead of the Christmas period.

Question reference: S6O-02898

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether urban areas will be included in its land reform legislation.

Question reference: S6W-23569

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 13 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the £50 million fund announced on 19 December 2020 to bring vacant and derelict land back into use has been used to invest in new affordable housing.

Question reference: S6W-23583

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 13 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it defines the term "just transition" in the context of skills development.

The Scottish Government defines a just transition as both the outcome – a fairer, greener future for all – and the way we get there, by developing action in partnership with those most likely to be negatively impacted by the transition to net zero.

In the context of skills development, this means ensuring that workers have the skills they need to adapt to the transition, and that Scotland has the workforce required – both now and in the future – to seize the opportunities of net zero. As the Just Transition Commission has emphasised, a focus on skills development is also vital in addressing inequalities (for example, breaking down barriers faced by women and minority groups) across our economy. This is key to building the workforce of the future, and to ensuring the transition is truly just.

The Scottish Government has committed to developing a range of just transition plans – including plans for each of Scotland’s highest emitting sectors. These plans will be underpinned by extensive co-design and engagement, and will set out a clear approach to delivering a skills offering which can support our priorities for a just transition.

Question reference: S6W-23545

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to re-skill any staff who may lose their job at Grangemouth Refinery.

The recent announcement made by Petroineos relates to preparatory works, at this stage, to assess the development of an import terminal.

Therefore it is our understanding, that work to determine the potential future size of the workforce and subsequent impacts is still under development.

I understand that the recent announcement will create uncertainty for the highly skilled and valuable refinery workforce, and I have been clear in my engagements with both Petroineos as the operator, and the Unions that workers must be at the heart of any decisions around the site’s transition.

Furthermore, I have tasked the Grangemouth Future Industry Board to assess, at pace, options that are available to bring forward in support of industrial transition at Grangemouth, in line with our Just Transition Plan for the site, including options for maintaining and re-skilling the workforce.

Question reference: S6W-23305

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all available information on the operation of the Fund to Leave pilot scheme, including the number of any (a) women who have applied to the scheme and (b) grants provided to date by Scottish Women’s Aid-affiliated groups.

Scottish Women’s Aid is administering the pilot on behalf of the Scottish Government. The information requested is being collected by individual Women’s Aid groups involved in the pilot and will be provided to Scottish Women’s Aid to support administration.

We will work closely with the delivery partners to evaluate the pilot once all funds are spent with a view to evidencing the impact that providing this intervention has on women and to understand how effective it is at preventing their homelessness as a result of domestic abuse.

We will publish the evaluation, along with available data, after the pilot ends.

Question reference: S6W-23327

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20670 by Paul McLennan on 11 September 2023, whether it will provide an update on the dates on which the Innovative Finance Steering Group (a) has met and (b) plans to meet in (i) 2023 and (ii) 2024, and when it expects to publish the high level updates on the work of the group.

Question reference: S6W-23085

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which organisations representing local communities affected by Storm Babet have been part of any meetings involving its Storm Babet recovery taskforce up to 16 November 2023.

The extreme conditions of Storm Babet had significant impacts on a number of local communities in Scotland, particularly Brechin and the Angus Council area.

Given the unprecedented nature and scale of the storm’s impacts, a Ministerial Taskforce was established to encourage co-operation between local recovery groups and co-ordinate Scottish Government actions where they may support locally-led recovery efforts.

The Ministerial Taskforce met for the first time on 16 November. Chief Executive Officer of Angus Council Margo Williamson attended as Chair of the Tayside Local Resilience Group and set out the impacts of the storm on the Angus area and the need for support, particularly in Brechin.