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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: S6F-02447

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-21958

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19839 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 July 2023, whether an electronic QR code option is now being included on vouchers for reusable nappy kits in the Baby Box.

The Scottish Government’s universal Baby Box programme, the only one in the UK, opened for registration on 15 June 2017. Nationwide delivery of Baby Boxes began on 15 August 2017 for all babies born and resident in Scotland.

We commenced issue of reusable nappy vouchers with a QR code at the start of September, giving parents the option to register for the reusable nappy kits by QR code or by post.

We are committed to ensuring every baby born in Scotland should get the best start in life by ensuring that every family with a new-born has access to essential items needed in the first six months of a child’s life.

Question reference: S6W-21992

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects that a biodiversity code, which mirrors the woodland and peatland codes, will be (a) drafted, (b) consulted on and (c) ready for implementation.

The Scottish Government is not aware of a timetable in place for the drafting, consultation phase or implementation of a biodiversity code that could operate in Scotland. The Woodland Carbon Code and Peatland Code both operate at a UK-scale and the role of Scottish Government in developing a similar biodiversity code, alongside other administrations and public bodies, would have to be determined. There is a range of work underway that will help to inform the development of such a Code when appropriate including a Scottish Government CivTech project to develop a potential model for a biodiversity code, the publication of biodiversity metrics research commissioned by Scottish Government; and the UK-scale British Standard Institutes work on Nature Investment Standards.

Question reference: S6W-21961

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) reduced and (b) extended opening hours are under consideration for any booking offices on the ScotRail network.

There are no plans to close any ScotRail booking offices, unlike plans from UK Government to close ticket offices operated by its train operators. The importance of staff being deployed appropriately across the network to enhance passenger safety and control of antisocial behaviour is clear.

It is important to consider how best to continue to offer services that support those customers who need staff assistance, while also taking into account the substantial increase in ticket purchases made across digital platforms.

Question reference: S6W-21964

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of new train stations that opened in the parliamentary session (a) from 12 May 1999 to 6 May 2003, (b) 7 May 2003 to 8 May 2003, (c) 9 May 2007 to 10 May 2011, (d) 11 May 2011 to 11 May 2016, (e) 12 May 2016 to 12 May 2021 and (f) 13 May 2021 to date, broken down by those that include (i) staffed booking office facilities and (ii) ticket machines.

Question reference: S6W-21991

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Funding has been awarded to (a) micro, (b) small, (c) medium-sized and (d) large businesses to date.

Question reference: S6W-21965

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are for a public consultation to be undertaken regarding staffing requirements at ScotRail (a) train stations and (b) booking offices, now that ScotRail is in public ownership.

Question reference: S6W-21960

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps have been taken to increase station and booking office staffing levels, including filling all current vacancies, to meet any anticipated increase in passenger usage during the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot.

ScotRail officials advise that, independently from ScotRail Peak Fares Removal pilot, it is working to reduce the number of current vacancies by introducing a new recruitment method to advertise externally with more general adverts now being used rather than advertising for specific roles. This will enable ScotRail to recruit for various roles simultaneously to speed up the process of filling vacancies.

ScotRail has also secured additional external support to work alongside its internal recruitment team, which is now in place.

Question reference: S6W-22084

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has been contacted by any organisations or local authorities about any issues in relation to finding people qualified to assess buildings for the presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Issues of RAAC competence and capacity building were discussed at the RAAC Cross-Sector Working Group meeting of 22 September. Minutes from that meeting are published on The Scottish Government Website at: Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC): Cross Sector Working Group - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Out with Working Group engagement, officials have reported no specific queries from organisations or local authorities on the cited topic.

Question reference: S6W-21941

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 02 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water has an estimate of the true volume of sewage that has been discharged into Scotland's waterways in each of the last five years.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked its Chief Executive to respond. His response is as follows:

"Typically, monitors are designed to measure the duration of spills and not flow or volume. Scottish Water is not required to measure the volume of spills other than in a specific limited number of locations where specific equipment is in place to do this. Where Scottish Water is required to measure this, it provides data to SEPA on an annual basis.

The new Event Duration Monitors that are being installed under the improving urban waters routemap will give spill numbers and durations, and not flows or volumes."

However, it should be noted that volume data is not always meaningful as spills are dependent on factors beyond Scottish Water’s control, most notably the weather. The more important metrics are the quality of water in receiving water bodies and as the member is aware, comprehensive monitoring of water bodies is already undertaken by SEPA to assess water quality, water resources, physical condition and aquatic ecology which are combined to produce an overall classification of the water environment. 87% of Scotland’s entire water environment is assessed by SEPA as having a ‘high’ or ‘good’ classification for water quality and Scotland’s River Basin Management Plans (RBMP) have measures in place to achieve 92% ‘good’ water quality by 2027.