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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: S6O-02456

Asked by: Ruth Maguire, MSP for Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how the Fuel Insecurity Fund is supporting residents in the Cunninghame South constituency.

Question reference: S6O-02463

Asked by: Annabelle Ewing, MSP for Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact that any future devolution of employment law to the Scottish Parliament would have on its long-term labour market strategy.

Question reference: S6O-02467

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement by the local government empowerment minister in July, whether it will provide an update on what discussions he has had regarding the roll-out of the Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund.

Question reference: S6O-02478

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how its action to achieve net zero will be supported by the recently agreed partnership between Skills Development Scotland and Built Environment – Smarter Transformation.

Question reference: S6W-20313

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 July 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice has had with the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition and (b) Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy regarding carbon reduction policies and their potential impact on disabled people.

The impact of climate change policies on disabled people is a key consideration in just transition planning. We are currently engaging widely on priorities for our Just Transition Plans to ensure the transition to net zero and climate resilience reflects the needs of everyone across Scotland before developing the specific policies and engaging in bilateral meetings at Cabinet Secretary level. We are currently working with several disabled people’s organisations to enable them to engage with their members on our behalf and ensure that the needs of disabled people are reflected both in the Plans, and in wider Scottish Government policy.

Question reference: S6W-20559

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 30 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to evaluate the decision to return to full exam coursework following the release of 2022-23 student exam results.

As a Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), SQA operates at arm’s length to ministers and is responsible for its own operational decisions, including decisions relating to course assessments.

SQA’s decision to return to full course assessments for the National Qualifications in 2023-24 was made following engagement with the National Qualifications Group and wider education community, informed by extensive feedback gathered as part of their evaluation of the 2022 arrangements.

I discussed these matters directly with the Chief Examiner, including feedback from the SSTA and other teachers, and received assurance that the impact of the removal of modifications will be carefully considered in the grading process in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-20555

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 30 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its statistical report specifically examining Scotland's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) results, including internationally comparable data on maths, science and reading performance.

Question reference: S6W-20348

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last received an update from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on its work to expand and strengthen the national Community Asset Register on behalf of Scotland's resilience community, and when a new digital platform for the register is expected to become operational.

The Scottish Government last received an update from the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) on the national Community Asset Register (CAR) at a meeting in early June 2023. SFRS confirmed that a CAR ‘action plan’ has been developed, to monitor progress of the actions required to improve the CAR, and SFRS will keep SG officials updated as progress is made. Before the end of 2023, SFRS plans to carry out further promotion of the CAR internally, and to review the Service Level Agreement between SFRS and the other emergency responders. SFRS also reiterated its intention to continue to further develop the digital platform currently being used for the CAR but has stated, however, that the planned Information & Communication Technology (ICT) improvements could not be delivered in the current financial year due to existing demands within the current SFRS ICT work plan. The necessary improvements are to be tabled for discussion as a priority for inclusion in the 2024-2025 ICT work plan.

Question reference: S6W-20361

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15147 by Maree Todd on 16 March 2023, whether it will provide updated information regarding how many individuals have been reported to Police Scotland for selling vapes and e-cigarettes to children and young people under 18, and how many of these sellers have been (a) charged and (b) convicted, in each year since 2019, including any figures that it holds for 2022-23.

Data from the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service show, for the period 2018-19 to 2022-23, 17 charges were reported in relation to selling a nicotine vapour product to a person under the age 18.

In total, 9 of these charges were prosecuted, of which 4 were convicted. 3 charges were marked no further action and 2 are ongoing. 3 charges were marked for a Direct Measure (Warning) and 5 marked for No Action.

A breakdown of charges for each year is shown in the following table:

Action Taken:	Outcome:	2018-2019	2019-2020	2020-2021	2021-2022	2022-2023
Court	Convicted	1	0	0	1	2
	Ongoing	0	0	0	0	2
	No Further Action	1	1	0	0	1
Direct Measure	Warning	0	0	0	1	2
No Action Taken		0	1	1	1	2
Total		2	2	1	3	9

Source: Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

Question reference: S6W-20622

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 August 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 30 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it anticipates it will permit the creation of Licensed Legal Services Providers under the Legal Services (Scotland) Act 2010 before the end of 2023, and what it is waiting for before permitting such creation to begin.