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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-25340

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the importation to Scotland of nuclear energy generated elsewhere in the UK.

Security of electricity supply is a reserved matter and is delivered by the National Energy System Operator (ESO) across the whole of Great Britain under regulation from Ofgem.

We recognise the contribution that nuclear generation makes to the current energy mix in Scotland, including electricity generated from nuclear power generated elsewhere in the UK. However, we will continue to increase electricity generation from renewable and other low carbon sources.

Our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan sets out key ambitions for Scotland’s energy future including enhancing our energy security through the development of renewable and low carbon energy storage.

Question reference: S6W-25560

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) it and (b) public sector pension agencies, including the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, (i) have taken or (ii) will take steps to ensure that companies or agencies that conduct medical assessments of public sector workers with long COVID are made aware that long COVID clinics do not exist in some areas of Scotland, on the basis that NHS boards make their own arrangements for long COVID treatment, in order to ensure that ill health retirement pension applications are not refused simply due to the lack of attendance at a long COVID clinic.

Care and support for people with long COVID is being provided across the full range of services delivered by NHS Scotland. This includes assessment and investigation in a setting close to home by local primary care teams, and referral to community-based rehabilitation services or secondary care settings for further investigation of specific complications where appropriate.

SPPA’s occupational health advisers at Health Partners are aware that Long Covid Clinics do not exist in some areas of Scotland. Ill health retirement applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis and the medical decision-making process takes into account the available treatment options for an individual. This principle is also contained in the guidance issued by SPPA that should be considered by scheme employers responsible for managing ill health retirement applications from members of the Local Government Pension Scheme (Scotland).

Question reference: S6W-25561

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which agencies or companies are being used by public sector pension scheme agencies, including the Scottish Public Pensions Agency, to conduct medical assessments such as assessments for ill health retirement pension applications, also broken down by the geographical area in which these agencies or companies are located.

SPPA’s appointed medical advisers are Health Partners (OH) Ltd who operate nationally and also provide services to the police and fire services. Full information on local government pensions administration is not held centrally but a range of providers are used, including Optima Health (Falkirk), PAM Group (Strathclyde, Scottish Borders, Lothian, Highland, Tayside, and Fife), TAC Healthcare (Orkney), Genesis OHS (Dumfries and Galloway) and NHS Shetland Occupational Health Service.

Question reference: S6W-25562

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that long COVID patients in Scotland have been refused ill health retirement pensions because they have not attended a long COVID clinic.

We are not aware of reports that any long COVID patients have been refused ill health retirement from a public service pension scheme in Scotland solely because they have not attended a long COVID clinic. Each ill health retirement application should be assessed on a case-by-case basis and the medical decision-making process takes into account the available treatment options for an individual.

In assessing an ill health retirement application, the scheme manager must assess whether the individual is permanently incapable of carrying out the duties of their existing employment (lower-tier) or any regular employment of like duration (upper-tier) until their normal pension age. One of the factors which must be considered in making that assessment is whether the individual has received appropriate medical treatment. Where the member has not received appropriate medical treatment, permanent incapacity cannot be established. However, if a long COVID service was not available, according to the general principles of an ill-health retirement assessment, it would not be considered an appropriate treatment option for that individual.

Question reference: S6W-25571

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report of the independent review of the skills delivery landscape, which stated that success would be where “every individual in Scotland has equitable access to the learning opportunities required to reach a positive destination in their working life”, what steps it is taking to ensure that those living in the South Scotland region have the same access as others across Scotland to traditional building skills apprenticeship training.

Question reference: S6W-25564

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its expectations of universities regarding any minimum service levels during periods of industrial action, under the UK Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023.

The Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills wrote to Universities Scotland on 9 February to confirm that the Scottish Government will not be responding to any consultations on minimum service levels in education services, or providing assistance with the development of any regulations that may arise from such consultations.

The Scottish Government remains strongly opposed to the Strikes (Minimum Service Levels) Act 2023 and any associated secondary legislation which affects devolved services. This legislation seeks to undermine legitimate trade union activity and does not respect the Scottish Government’s Fair Work principles. Instead we will continue to encourage university employers to work with trade unions to reach fair and reasonable settlements, respecting the legitimate interest of workers, not seeking to curb their right to strike.

Under the Act it is a matter for individual employers in affected sectors to decide whether to issue work notices to trade unions specifying the workforce required to meet minimum service levels for a particular strike period. The Scottish Government has no intention of directing any employers within their control to issue work notices.

Question reference: S6W-25563

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether existing criteria for conducting medical assessments of public sector workers with long COVID, in relation to ill health retirement pension applications, reflect that long COVID clinics do not exist in some areas of Scotland, and, if not, what action it can take to ensure that this is the case.

Question reference: S6O-03243

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest report by the Royal Bank of Scotland on private sector activity, which showed that employment growth in Scotland was faster than any other UK nation or region.

Question reference: S6O-03247

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Immediate Priorities Plan developed with disabled people’s organisations.

Question reference: S6O-03245

Current Status: Withdrawn