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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-21682

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21255 by Neil Gray on 21 September 2023, what it is doing to grow the number of manufacturing jobs.

A strong manufacturing sector with more jobs will be central to the successful delivery of our 10 year National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

The Making Scotland’s Future Programme, which is focused on strengthening and diversifying Scotland’s manufacturing sector, has a dedicated leadership and skills workstream alongside others supporting sectoral growth. This commitment to the sector’s growth is also demonstrated by our £26 million Low Carbon Manufacturing Challenge Fund (LCMCF) and the £75m investment in the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS). NMIS has a Manufacturing Skills Academy. It is also working with large and small manufacturers to unlock big productivity gains; develop new products and processes; transform workforce skillsets; win new orders; and grow their businesses.

The Scottish Government has also accepted the recommendations of the independent Equalities and Wellbeing Working Group and is working with the sector to support and diversify the manufacturing workforce.

Scotland remains the most attractive place in the UK outside London for foreign direct investment. Recent successes with substantial employment opportunities include a number in the manufacturing sector.

We are also developing a Green Industrial Strategy, which will set out how we will help businesses and investors to realise the enormous economic opportunities of the global transition to net zero and create good, well-paid jobs across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-21617

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has earmarked funds from the reported phased increases in fees from Crown Estate Scotland's finfish tenants from January 2023.

Question reference: S6W-21490

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost would be of introducing 20mph zones across Scotland, and what analysis has been undertaken on the potential cost to the Scottish economy of introducing 20mph speed limits.

The Scottish Government have supported local road authorities with £1.4 million in funding to undertake the necessary roads assessments which will determine the number of roads affected and the financial implications of introducing the national strategy for 20mph speed limits. The findings from the road assessments will enable the multi-stakeholder 20mph Task Group to scope the next steps for implementation at their meeting in October.

Question reference: S6W-21649

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19180 by Angela Constance on 27 June 2023, whether it still expects the Scottish Prison Service's updated mental health strategy to be published by the end of October 2023.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The SPS anticipate the Strategy will be finalised by the end of October and will be published at the end of this year.

Continued competing priorities impacted stakeholder capacity to contribute within the planned timeframe, and a need to divert SPS resources to support several acute cases of mentally unwell people in SPS care have contributed to a delay in publication.

The revised date now reflects the impact of those delays, whilst ensuring sufficient time is allocated in order to analyse the evidence gathered from consultation with mental health experts and those in our care with lived experiences.

Question reference: S6W-21618

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it expects the forecast income to be from the reported phased increases in fees from Crown Estate Scotland's finfish tenants from January 2023.

Question reference: S6W-21484

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to encourage partners in the college sector’s collective bargaining process to implement the recommendations of the report, Lessons Learned – resetting national collective bargaining in the colleges sector.

Question reference: S6W-21562

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to public petition PE2046, and whether it will consider enabling birth certificates to be issued in respect of any baby stillborn after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Question reference: S6W-21532

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many fines (a) it and (b) its agencies have issued to (i) publicly-owned and (ii) privately-owned water companies in each of the last five years, also broken down by the total value of fines issued in each year.

We are unaware of any fines issued by the Scottish Government to Scottish Water in the last five years; there are no privately-owned water companies in Scotland.

Following referral by relevant agencies to the Procurator Fiscal, fines issued in the period are set out below:

Referral by Scottish Environment Protection Agency:

2019 - £600

2020 - £19 000

2021 - £6 700

Referral by Health & Safety Executive:

2020 - £140 000

Additionally, there has been one enforcement undertaking of £53 800 accepted by SEPA in 2021 and a direct penalty of £10,000 to Scottish Road Works Commissioner in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-21620

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when its proposed Scottish Languages Bill, announced in its Programme for Government 2023-24, will be introduced to the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-21495

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it will reintroduce free COVID-19 lateral flow testing for (a) health and social care staff and (b) the general public.

Targeted testing is in place to support clinical decision making and surveillance. We are working closely with Public Health Scotland, our clinical advisors and the other UK nations to routinely review our position and the clinical advice on COVID-19 in light of new variants. Evidence to date does not support a return to widespread community testing however we will continue to monitor the situation closely.