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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-22094

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 2 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the national code of conduct for local government employees.

Question reference: S6W-22078

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on (a) its position on aligning its Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) with Scotland’s pathway for achieving net zero and (b) whether it has discussed creating a new methodology for assessing the contribution of individual infrastructure projects within the IIP to greenhouse gas reduction efforts.

Scottish Ministers are committed to complying fully with the requirements of section 94A of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and are engaging with Environmental Standards Scotland on this matter through the informal resolution process. To this end, the Scottish Ministers intend to publish an assessment of the extent to which investment in accordance with the Infrastructure Investment Plan is expected to contribute to the meeting of the emissions reduction targets in Part 1 of the 2009 Act. In the context of the informal resolution process, it is the Scottish Ministers’ intention to share with ESS the proposed assessment prior to publication. This will be done as soon as possible and before the end of the calendar year, with publication anticipated in early course thereafter.

An enhanced taxonomy approach will be adopted and will include an assessment on whether the IIP is contributing positively to the emissions reduction targets.

As set out in the Infrastructure Investment Plan, Scottish Ministers are committed to considering developments in methodologies for assessing the contribution of infrastructure investment plans to the emission targets and this will be pursued in relation to future IIPs.

Question reference: S6W-22355

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 2 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has set any targets on the number of jobs to be created through the £500 million strategic investment to help create thousands of green jobs and deliver the full economic potential of offshore renewables projects, as announced on 17 October 2023.

Our aim is to maximise the number of green jobs and we are considering how we can best work collaboratively with the renewables sector to do that.

The latest report from the Offshore Wind Industry Council (OWIC) [June 2023], predicted jobs in this sector in the UK could grow to over 100,000 by 2030. This OWIC report also shows a 4% increase in offshore wind jobs compared to 2021-22, showing that the sector currently supports over 32,000 jobs, almost 30% of which are in Scotland.

This £500m investment will help to support market certainty, creating the environment that will deliver these jobs, whilst creating a highly productive, competitive economy, embedding innovation and boosting skills.

Question reference: S6W-22061

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on embedding equality and human rights in social care services, including for accountability purposes and complaints by service users.

The Scottish Government is committed to advancing equality and furthering the realisation of human rights in Scotland. Social Care support is provided by Local Authorities and we are working closely with local government to further advance equality and realise human rights for supported people and staff. This includes recent updates to Self-Directed Support guidance, which was developed in participation with a wide range of stakeholders and is grounded in a human rights-based approach to social care. We are also co-designing Getting It Right For Everyone (GIRFE), a national practice model for health and social care, with pathfinders across Scotland and people with lived experience. Respect, dignity, kindness, and human rights are integral to the GIRFE approach, which seeks to put what matters to a person at the heart of the decision-making which impacts their own life.

The Scottish Government is also working to establish a National Care Service (NCS) to provide national oversight and accountability to locally delivered care support, community health and social work. We are committed to developing the NCS with human rights at its heart and ensuring that the voices of lived experience are central to our decision making. As part of our human rights-based approach to the development of the NCS, the NCS National Board will be underpinned by robust and effective complaints processes that deliver accountability for people accessing social care support, social work and community health services.

Question reference: S6O-02694

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the ability of children living in temporary accommodation to access health services, in particular in relation to current levels of treatment from mental health services.

Question reference: S6O-02686

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how its agricultural development projects will boost organic produce and improve environmental practice, as part of its work towards achieving its net zero targets.

Question reference: S6O-02702

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to local authorities to help reduce the number of people on social housing waiting lists.

Question reference: S6O-02688

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how its winter preparedness plan will aim to reduce pressure on the NHS.

Question reference: S6O-02681

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the development of rural skills to help deliver its commitments in relation to peatland restoration in the Programme for Government 2023-24.

Question reference: S6O-02690

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taken to increase recruitment and retention of staff in the Scottish Ambulance Service this winter.