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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: S6W-13271

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by the National Farmers Union Scotland that "deteriorating and unreliable" lifeline services to and from island communities are "increasingly impacting on the farmers and crofters who depend on them", and what assessment it has made of the economic impact of cancelled and delayed ferry services on the crofting industry.

I have not received any correspondence from the National Farmers Union for Scotland on this matter.

The Scottish Government has undertaken reports on the economic condition of crofting, and the measures to support crofting in Scotland. The latest of these was published on Tuesday 20 December 2022, https://www.gov.scot/publications/economic-condition-crofting-2019-2022/ .

The importance of farming and crofting to our rural and island areas is fully appreciated by the Scottish Government.

I am aware that the NFU have raised an issue in relation to agricultural vehicles and CalMac’s systems. I am more than happy to meet with the NFU to discuss their concerns and to ensure systems are improved to support agricultural traffic when using the CalMac fleet, however I note I am yet to receive any formal representation from the NFU on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-13225

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to close any ScotRail ticket offices.

During 2022 and in line with Schedule 17 of the Ticketing and Settlement Agreement, ScotRail undertook a review and consultation of ticket office opening hours. The aim of the review was to establish whether adaptions/changes should be made to reflect changes in travel patterns and ticket purchasing preferences and to reduce ticketless travel.

This work was put on hold until key industrial disputes at ScotRail were resolved. As this has now happened, the Scottish Government is considering the results of the consultation exercise, including any impacts on passenger safety and the needs of passengers with mobility or accessibility needs. The results of this consideration will be announced in due course however it has already been confirmed that there are no proposals for ticket office closures.

Question reference: S6W-13806

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-13805

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-13629

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly published less information in its publication, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics, in December 2022 compared with previous months.

The Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics, in December 2022, explains that the Scottish Government are currently conducting a data reconciliation project to gather updates on the checking, matching and availability statuses of expressions of interest shared with local authorities. This record level information will allow us to more confidently calculate the values estimated from the local authority survey. An update on this project will be provided in due course. As a result of this exercise, we have reviewed the Local Authority Survey. The survey has been reduced and no longer includes questions on expressions of interest, private hosts, properties, property and disclosure checks.

Question reference: S6W-13565

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to include all ethnic minority groups in the Interim Governance Group to Develop National Anti-Racist Infrastructure.

The Scottish Government is using a range of interventions across its policies to advance the Race Equality Framework and human rights for all minority ethnic groups, one of which is the Interim Governance Group.

The Interim Governance Group is a short-life working group with a specific remit to provide advice and feedback to Scottish Ministers on establishing long-term anti-racist infrastructure. Its membership includes those with experiences of intersecting marginalisation(s) and the realities of systemic racism and expertise in tackling it. Individuals were also appointed on the basis of having extensive knowledge and/or experience of policy making in Scotland, and design and implementation of policy/systems. More information on the remit and membership of the group is available here: https://www.gov.scot/groups/interim-governance-group-to-develop-national-anti-racist-infrastructure/

The intention is that the work of the IGG will support the development of improved infrastructure and accountability that has a positive impact on the lives of all racialised minority communities. Racialised outcomes are not experienced uniformly, and effective interventions need to take specific experiences into account. In Scotland, this includes important disparities impacting Black/minority ethnic groups.

Ensuring that communities are engaged with policy developments, including in long-term oversight and governance, is of utmost importance, and we are looking to explore mechanisms and routes to achieve that in the best way possible. Policy areas focussed on anti-racism and race equality are actively engaging with a range of stakeholders and communities as part of their work. The Interim Governance Group has commissioned a programme of community engagement, to both disseminate information about forthcoming anti-racist policy infrastructure and to gather community members' and organisations' perspectives on how it can work best to deliver genuine change-making policy and practice in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-13435

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which suppliers (a) registered for and (b) attended the Single Building Assessment(s) for Fire Safety in Scotland remote suppliers event, which was held on 14 December 2022.

Question reference: S6W-13559

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many school pupils received instrumental music tuition in 2020-21, and what percentage this is of the total number of school pupils.

Question reference: S6W-13555

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Creative Scotland board’s reported decision to use a proportion of its National Lottery reserves to maintain funding for regularly funded organisations at 2022-23 levels in light of a reduction in Scottish Government funding of £6.6 million.

The Scottish Government recognises the difficult situation that the culture sector is facing currently.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6O-01744 11 January 2023. The answer to the Oral Question can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-11-01-2023?meeting=14081 .

The Scottish Government remains keen to conclude some work on multiyear funding, and will discuss this with Creative Scotland, even if economic uncertainty means that the figures for later years can be at most only indicative. The outlook, following the recent Autumn Statement by the UK Government, is even more challenging for the later years of the Resource Spending Review period.

Question reference: S6W-13580

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many students have (a) applied for and (b) received discretionary funds to support their higher education in each year since 2020.

In the academic year 2020-21, there were 33,761 applications to the Higher Education Discretionary Funds across colleges and universities. The Discretionary Funds include the additional Covid Fund, introduced to support students during the pandemic.

27,500 applications were successful.

These figures come from the financial returns provided by colleges and universities, and reflect the applications made to them. The overall total applications number is not disaggregated into individual students’ applications - it could include several applications being made by the same individual student.

Data for 2021-22 is not yet available, and is due to be published in the annual SAAS Statistical Publication in August.