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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-02560

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Fiscal Framework.

Question reference: S6O-02568

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Network Rail and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6O-02555

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the next set of export statistics will be published.

Question reference: S6W-21583

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Elena Whitham on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its review of the minimum unit price.

I am pleased to announce that today we have published the Scottish Government report on the operation and effect of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) in its first five years.

Later today, we are launching a consultation on the continuation of the minimum unit pricing legislation beyond 30 April 2024, when it is otherwise due to expire. We believe our proposals strikes a reasonable balance between the positive public health benefits and any effects on the alcoholic drinks market and subsequent impact on consumers.

The consultation builds on Ministerial engagement with business and health stakeholders which has taken place throughout the summer and is supported by an interim Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment which will also been published today.

We would encourage everyone to take the time to respond to the consultation.

Question reference: S6W-20985

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19318 by Siobhian Brown on 5 July 2023, whether it will provide an update on what the total spend by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) was on the contract with Systel for a new national command and control mobilising system, broken down by (a) in-house costs to the SFRS, (b) all costs to Systel or associated companies for (i) design, (ii) installation and (iii) trialling, (c) legal and other costs associated with the cancellation of the contract and (d) legal costs incurred to date since the cancellation of the contract.

The costs and implementation of the SFRS Command and Control Mobilising System are operational matters for the Service, who would be the appropriate source for this information. SFRS has provided assurances that it has had appropriate governance arrangements in place throughout the project. Throughout implementation, SFRS has worked within budgets with key targets built in and milestone payments only paid if satisfactorily reached. All public sector bodies in Scotland are expected to adhere to the public sector finance manual to ensure that value for money is applied to each spending decision. Public safety is paramount and SFRS has existing software and back-up systems in place at all times to ensure an effective service.

Question reference: S6W-21057

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when its dedicated Cabinet Sub-Committee for Keeping The Promise will meet, and who will attend.

Question reference: S6W-21164

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20478 by Jenny Gilruth on 5 September 2023, when the Strategic Board for Teacher Education will report on its study into issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers.

The Strategic Board for Teacher Education met on 4 September to consider their workplan including recruitment and retention issues. This work is ongoing and will be complemented by the project I am commissioning on education workforce modelling and research, which will be completed by the end of the year. The SBTE will use findings from the education workforce modelling and research project provide me with further advice on initial teacher education programmes.

Question reference: S6W-21047

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many care experienced children have been excluded from (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in each year since 2019.

The Scottish government collects and publishes data on school exclusions every other year. The most recent exclusion statistics for looked after children by setting can be found in the 2020-21 Education Outcomes for Looked After Children Report. The results from 2019 onwards are provided in the following table.

Stage	Number of pupils looked after within the year excluded - 2018/19	Number of pupils looked after within the year excluded - 2020/21
Primary	165	72
Secondary	616	379
Special	56	32
Scotland	837	483

Question reference: S6W-21250

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that the payments structure under the Agriculture Bill will be clear regarding (a) the conditionality attached to each proposed tier of support and (b) how funding would be delivered to each tier.

Question reference: S6W-20889

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that its recent statutory guidance on Scotland's Guiding Principles on the Environment is embedded in the process of developing a new agricultural policy framework.

The Scottish Government is committed to upholding high standards of environmental protection. The statutory guidance on Scotland’s Guiding Principles on the Environment will help ensure that these high standards are maintained through the policy development process. Once the duty to give due regard to the environmental principles comes into force later in the year, Ministers will be legally required to consider these principles in the development of new policies, including through the Strategic Environmental Assessment process. This requirement will encompass policies within the new agricultural policy framework. We have committed in our Programme for Government to ‘continue the Agricultural Reform Programme to produce more of our food sustainably, cut carbon emissions, and farm with nature, by increasing the uptake of carbon audits, soil testing, and biodiversity audits and funding to improve animal health’.