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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-02762

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding any impact of the Autumn Statement on Scotland’s public finances.

Question reference: S6O-02753

Asked by: Marie McNair, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment set out in its Programme for Government 2023-24, whether it will provide more details of how it plans to increase the number of people earning the real Living Wage.

Question reference: S6O-02770

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making towards achieving a circular economy, including through the development of the wind turbine decommissioning sector.

Question reference: S6O-02757

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to propose a parliamentary debate on waiting times for elective care for both outpatient and inpatient appointments.

Question reference: S6O-02767

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce accidents and improve overall safety on the A77.

Question reference: S6W-22696

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the recruitment process will be for the advisory group that is to be established as per section 29 of the Scottish National Investment Bank Act 2020.

Question reference: S6W-22706

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what childcare support is available for working parents of two-year-olds.

Local authorities in Scotland have a statutory duty to offer 1140 hours of high quality funded early learning and childcare (ELC) to all eligible children within their area. An ‘eligible child’ is described in the legal framework as all 3 and 4-year-olds from the relevant start date, and some 2 year olds are also eligible.

A range of research shows that while attending high quality ELC improves outcomes for all children, the children facing the most disadvantage benefit the most. Eligibility criteria for early access to funded ELC at age two currently target children in households that receive low or no income benefits, children with care experience, and children whose parents have care experience themselves.

Targeting eligibility for funded ELC at age two in this way ensures that those who will benefit most from high quality ELC provision, benefit first. While some two-year-old children of working parents will be eligible for this offer, eligibility is not dependant on the working status of parents. Currently, the offer of 1140 hours of high quality ELC is available to around a quarter of families with a two-year-old.

The Scottish Government has committed to work with local authorities and our partners in the sector to develop plans to expand access to funded ELC for two-year-olds. We will also continue to work closely with local authorities and providers to maximise uptake of the existing offer as we develop these plans. Further detail, including on the additional investment required to deliver the childcare expansion over this Parliament, will be set out later this year at the Scottish Budget for 2024-25.

Working families can access other support with childcare costs through UK-wide schemes like Tax Free Childcare or Universal Credit. Information about these schemes is available at the UK Government website Childcare Choices . This includes an eligibility checker.

Question reference: S6W-22619

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has tabled any formal proposals to the recognised trade unions regarding an extension of driver-only operation on the ScotRail network.

Question reference: S6W-22676

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will decide whether it plans to fund the purchase of a new plating line at Ferguson Marine.

The independent due diligence on the initial request for capital investment, which included a request for a new plating line, concluded that further work is required to develop a robust business case and support an investment that is compliant with subsidy control rules. Scottish Government is therefore working with Ferguson Marine to examine options to develop the initial investment proposal so that it is compliant with subsidy control rules and aligned with current and potential future commercial opportunities for the yard.

Question reference: S6W-22682

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what 10 breeds, or types, of dog have most often been the subject of Dog Control Notices in each year since 2018.

he system of Dog Control Notices is operated by local authorities. Information requested on what breeds, or types, of dog have most often been the subject of Dog Control Notices in each year since 2018 is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government funded the creation of the Scottish Dog Control Notice Database. This national database went live in February 2022 and brings together the records of all local authorities into a centralised database, that is accessible by local authorities and Police Scotland.

The national database was created and is managed by the Improvement Service. The following table provided by the Improvement Service shows the requested Dog Control Notice information for 2022 and 2023.

Active Dog Control Notices on 31 December 2022

Dog Breed	Dog Control Notice Count
Other	298
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	195
German Shepherd	105
Border Collie	45
Rottweiler	42
American Bulldog	37
Staffy Cross	31
Siberian Husky	27
Akita	25
Lurcher	18

Active Dog Control Notices as at 8 November 2023

Dog Breed	Dog Control Notice Count
Other	346
Staffordshire Bull Terrier	213
German Shepherd	136
Border Collie	55
American Bulldog	52
Rottweiler	51
Staffy Cross	47
Siberian Husky	31
Akita	27
Lurcher	22

Where the dog breed is not known or it is a mongrel/cross breed, local authority dog wardens who issue the Dog Control Notice will select ‘other’ as the breed of dog.