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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-24276

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to develop a legal framework regarding Scottish living heritage.

The Scottish Government has no plans at present to develop such a framework for living heritage/ Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Living heritage is protected through the UNESCO 2003 Convention for the Protection and Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The convention has virtually global coverage, with over 180 nations signed up. However, despite Scottish Government encouragement the UK remained one of a very few countries that had not ratified until the UK Government announced their intention to ratify on 23 December 2023.

The Scottish Government has been a vocal supporter in recognising the intrinsic value of our Intangible Cultural Heritage and is pleased that Scotland already has an online Intangible Cultural Heritage inventory at https://ichscotland.org/ with ongoing collaborative work continuing between Museums Galleries Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Creative Scotland and local communities throughout Scotland.

Going forwards, the Scottish Government will work with the other UK nations alongside key Scottish stakeholders to develop methods to incorporate Scottish living heritage entries into a Scottish list and a UK wide list.

Question reference: S6W-24323

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to measure unrecorded passenger journeys on the ScotRail network.

Question reference: S6W-24277

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to develop an inventory of living heritage, and, if so, whether it will provide details of this.

The Scottish Government has been a vocal supporter in recognising the intrinsic value of our Intangible Cultural Heritage and is pleased that Scotland already has an online inventory at https://ichscotland.org/ with ongoing collaborative work continuing between Museums Galleries Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland and Creative Scotland.

With the UK Government’s notified intention to ratify the UNESCO convention for safeguarding of intangible cultural heritage, the Scottish Government will work with the other UK nations alongside key Scottish stakeholders to develop methods to incorporate Scottish entries into a Scottish list and a UK wide list.

Question reference: S6W-24460

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will be required to accept any amendments, as they apply in Scotland, to the Social Security (Industrial Injuries) (Prescribed Diseases) Regulations 1985, in accordance with the report, Industrial Injuries Scheme Benefits in Scotland: Agency Agreement, in the event that the UK Government accepts the recommendations in the Industrial Injuries Advisory Council report, Review and Update of the Prescription for Prescribed Disease D1 (Pneumoconiosis), and whether this will require the Scottish Ministers to lay a Scottish statutory instrument in order to do so.

The Industrial Injuries Scheme (IIS) continues to be delivered by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) though an agency agreement. The agreement requires alignment between the way in which IIS is delivered in Scotland and its delivery in the rest of the UK and therefore any changes to the UK legislation to be reflected in relevant Scottish legislation. This would typically require a Scottish statutory instrument.

Question reference: S6W-24396

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23928 by Jenni Minto on 3 January 2024, when it plans to bring forward secondary legislation to enable the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

The secondary legislation to enable HIS to regulate independent healthcare services, including non-surgical cosmetic procedures, which are provided by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from premises other than registered pharmacies and/or outwith the terms of NHS contracts, will be brought forward by the end of Summer 2024.

The scoping of further regulation of non-surgical cosmetics procedures, including consideration of the level of training required to perform these procedures, is underway.

Question reference: S6W-24382

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that bus travel is affordable for fare-paying passengers travelling to access employment, education and training.

Question reference: S6W-24426

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what procurement procedure was followed by the Scottish Housing Regulator to determine its statutory managers list.

Question reference: S6W-24397

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23865 by Jenni Minto on 21 December 2023, when the policy to distribute condoms in the women's prison estate was introduced, and whether sanitary products are available in the men's prison estate, and, if so, when this policy was introduced.

The provision of condoms in all prisons (male and female) in Scotland has been a long standing health intervention dating back before the publication of ‘Respect and Responsibility: A Strategy and Action Plan for Improving Sexual Health’ in 2005.

All individuals in the care of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) are provided with basic hygiene items and products. This includes clothing such as underwear and socks as well as sanitary products, body wash, shampoo, etc. This is to support the health, wellbeing and dignity of the individual.

Question reference: S6W-24438

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider enhancing statutory protection of community-controlled housing associations and co-operatives in its proposed Housing Bill, in light of the number of takeovers or transfers of engagements that have occurred since 2010, which has reportedly caused a decline in community-ownership of housing assets in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has no plans for any changes to the current regulatory system for social landlords. All Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) are subject to the same regulatory requirements. The Scottish Housing Regulator has one statutory objective to safeguard and promote the interests of tenants and others who use local authority and RSL housing services. It is right that the focus of its statutory role should be on protecting tenants interests.

Question reference: S6W-24292

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many GP premises formerly owned or leased by GP contractors have been acquired by NHS boards in each year since 2017, when the National Code of Practice for GP premises was published, also broken down by the number of acquisitions by (a) lease and (b) ownership.