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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: S6W-21909

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of its most recent period of evaluation of existing provisions for the use of recordings as evidence in chief in High Court and Sheriff Court cases.

The Vulnerable Witnesses (Criminal Evidence) (Scotland) Act 2019 (“the Act”) makes it easier for child and vulnerable witnesses in the most serious cases to pre-record their evidence. The phased implementation plan for the Act builds in periods of evaluation to ensure that the roll out of its provisions is undertaken in a managed and effective way.

To date the Act has been commenced in relation to child complainers and witnesses giving evidence in the High Court in relevant cases. An evaluation of the operation of the Act in those cases has been conducted and a report of that evaluation is being finalised.

The Scottish Government established a cross-sector implementation group to monitor roll out of the Act. Once the evaluation report has been considered by the group it will be published on the Scottish Government's website with an aim to publish before the end of the year.

Question reference: S6W-21912

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to implement the use of pre-recorded evidence in chief for all complainers in serious sexual offence cases, as recommended in the Dorrian Review.

An automatic presumption in favour of pre-recording the evidence of complainers is a key feature of the Sexual Offences Court that the Victims, Witnesses and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill seeks to establish, which is subject to scrutiny and agreement by Parliament.

In the meantime, existing courts already have the power to direct that the evidence of vulnerable witnesses be pre-recorded, and evidence by commissioner hearings are regularly used to pre-record evidence of complainers in serious sexual offences.

Question reference: S6W-21983

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is regarding changes in land use from farmland to commercial forestry, and how many hectares of farmland have changed their use to commercial forestry in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government’s policy and approach regarding woodland planting on agricultural land is based on the findings and recommendations of the Woodland Expansion Advisory Group, which were accepted by Ministers in 2013.

This policy is reflected in published “Guidance about Woodland Creation on Agricultural Land”. This guidance applies to applications to the Forestry Grant Scheme and is published on the Woodland Creation pages of the rural payments website under “Further information and technical guidance”.

30,995 hectares of land with a capability for agriculture classification (LCA) 2-7 has been converted to commercial forestry in the last five years (there is no classification 1 land in Scotland). The breakdown by year was as follows:

Year	Hectares
2018	6,233
2019	6,057
2020	7,356
2021	6,182
2022	5,167

Of the 30,995 total, 561 hectares was on prime arable land (LCA classes 2-3.1) and 6,713 hectares was on non-prime arable land (LCA classes 3.2 and 4.1).

Question reference: S6W-21982

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions have taken place between Scottish Forestry and Scottish Woodlands Ltd regarding new planting in the Canonbie/Langholm area, and how many hectares of planting have been discussed in principle across all planned projects in this area.

Scottish Forestry follows the published Woodland Creation Application Guidance process when dealing with forestry agents and applicants. In line with this process, Scottish Forestry has held pre-application discussions with Scottish Woodlands in relation to proposals in the Canonbie/Langholm area. These discussions have been focused on identifying and addressing potential environmental sensitivities that will need to be taken into account as the woodland designs are being developed.

Since 2016, across all planned projects in this area, 4522 ha of initial new planting proposals have been discussed in principle.

Question reference: S6W-21858

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Heat in Buildings Workforce Assessment Project outlined in its Heat in Buildings Strategy.

In partnership with Scottish Renewables, we commissioned Climate Exchange to conduct a research project with the aim of assessing the ‘clean heat’ and energy efficiency workforce and the potential required workforce that would be needed to meet the targets set out within our Heat in Buildings Strategy. The report was published in July 2022 and can be found here - https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/research/projects/clean-heat-and-energy-efficiency-workforce-assessment/

The report was used to inform the development of our Heat in Buildings Supply Chains Delivery Plan which was published in November 2022.

Question reference: S6T-01591

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the impact of Storm Babet on communities in Aberdeenshire, Angus, Tayside and Perthshire.

Question reference: S6T-01590

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the recently announced Centre of Teaching Excellence.

Question reference: S6T-01598

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statement issued by COSLA that the handling of the recent announcement about the council tax freeze undermined the spirit and the letter of the Verity House Agreement.

Question reference: S6F-02449

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2023

To ask the First Minister, in light of the launch of Scotland’s new HIV anti-stigma campaign in partnership with the Terrence Higgins Trust, what action the Scottish Government is taking to eliminate new transmissions of HIV.

Question reference: S6F-02459

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2023

To ask the First Minister what steps are being taken to eradicate long waiting times for NHS treatment, in light of Public Health Scotland data showing that over 1,500 patients have waited more than three years.