Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 43592 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-18346

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-18365

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many A&E departments there are; what percentage of those have dedicated mental health professionals, and how many (a) additional mental health professionals in A&E departments have been recruited under Action 15 of the Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027 and (b) mental health professionals in total are based in A&E departments, as of 1 May 2023.

The A&E departments across NHS Scotland currently include:

30 large consultant-led Emergency Departments; and
60 minor injuries units and community units.

At the end of the Action 15 commitment of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health Strategy 2017-2027, an additional 179.2 whole-time equivalent mental health professionals were recruited to A&E settings.

The Scottish Government does not currently collect the requested data on the total number of mental health professionals based in A&E departments. While data regarding the number of staff in post is available for specific mental health professional groups in NHS Scotland, this cannot be broken down by settings such as A&E.

Question reference: S6W-18353

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-18348

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Royal College of Pathologists, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-18185

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to address the reported 84% increase in the number of Scottish applicants refused a place at Scottish universities since 2006.

The 84% quoted by the journalist is not correct. UCAS data is not comparable back to 2006 due to changes in the main UCAS cycle including the introduction of Nursing in 2010 and Teacher Training in 2015. As such, comparisons are only appropriate between 2015 and 2022.

For comparable data, between 2015 and 2022, there has been an 8% increase in Scottish domiciled applicants accepted to Scottish providers. The number of unplaced applicants over the same time period has decreased from 17,155 to 13,930, a 19% decrease.

There could be multiple reasons for applicants not securing a place. They might have accepted a place at a provider in the rest of the UK, or a Higher Education course at a Scottish College or decided to pursue a Graduate or Modern Apprenticeship, neither of which go through UCAS.

Question reference: S6W-18318

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost of civil servants working on the National Care Service has been to date.

Question reference: S6W-18395

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Educational Institute of Scotland Further Education Lecturers Association (EIS-FELA) was made aware of the recently announced £46 million reduction in funding for colleges and universities.

Question reference: S6W-18320

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17663 by Lorna Slater on 23 May 2023, whether it will provide an answer to the question that was asked about which (a) businesses and (b) trade associations have confirmed to the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity that their “number one concern” is uncertainty created specifically by the UK Government not issuing an exclusion to the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020.

As set out in the response to S6W-17663, the Scottish Government and delivery partners such as Circularity Scotland, SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland continue to regularly engage directly with businesses to ensure all involved are ready for successful launch of the Deposit Return Scheme.

Any decision by an individual business or a specific trade association to make public their priorities is a matter for them. It is not appropriate for Scottish Government to do so.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-18299

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, following the Inter-Ministerial Group for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (IMG EFRA) on 17 April 2023, whether it has provided the additional information requested by the UK Government regarding the impact of the Deposit Return Scheme on businesses, and, if so, (a) on what date it did so and (b) what additional information it provided.

Throughout the development of DRS the Scottish Government and partners have developed and published a range of evidence on the benefits and impacts of the scheme.

The Scottish Government also provided all information which was required to make a decision on the IMA exclusion as part of the Common Framework Procedure.

The Scottish Government has responded promptly to any requests for further information from the UK Government to help with their decision on an IMA exclusion. In particular, on 18 and 28 April and 12 May, we provided further information on costs for businesses and consumers; on 18 May, we provided further information on the environmental and economic case for the inclusion of glass; and on 19 May, we provided further information on stakeholder views.

Question reference: S6W-18186

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments from a lecturer at the University of Edinburgh claiming that some undergraduate students had to "couch-surf" through the entirety of their first year due to lack of available accommodation.

The Scottish Government has no direct role in provision of student residential accommodation. However, we are determined to improve accessibility, affordability and standards across the rented sector and are carrying out, with a cross-sectoral expert group, a review of purpose built student accommodation, the recommendations from which are due to be submitted to Ministers soon .

Scottish Government is also developing proposals for improving privately-rented accommodation more generally, as set out in our draft New Deal for Tenants .

Monthly Cost
Aug-21	£102,000
Sep-21	£106,000
Oct-21	£116,000
Nov-21	£140,000
Dec-21	£153,000
Jan-22	£184,000
Feb-22	£207,000
Mar-22	£222,000
Apr-22	£319,000
May-22	£354,000
Jun-22	£383,000
Jul-22	£399,000
Aug-22	£468,000
Sep-22	£523,000
Oct-22	£618,000
Nov-22	£989,000
Dec-22	£846,000
Jan-23	£864,000
Feb-23	£921,000
Mar-23	£858,000
Apr-23	£882,000

Annual Cost
2021-22	£1,230,000
2022-23	£7,542,000
2023-24	£882,000