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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-12930

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 15 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to improve the collection of data and information in the field of ecommerce.

Question reference: S6W-12751

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 15 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will seek to introduce a duty on preventing sexual harassment under the Scotland-specific regulations of the public sector equality duty, including a requirement to develop a standalone policy on sexual harassment.

The Scottish Government is currently undertaking a review of the operation of the Public Sector Equality Duty (PSED) in Scotland with the aim of ensuring the effect of the PSED is improved so that it becomes a key contributor to improved lives of people with protected characteristics. The results of a public consultation, which ran between December 2021 and April 2022 on a series of detailed and ambitious proposals for changes to the PSED regime, was published 30 November 2022.

The Scottish Government has not consulted on introducing a duty under the Equality Act 2010 (Specific Duties) (Scotland) Regulations 2012 on preventing sexual harassment, including a requirement to develop a standalone policy on sexual harassment.

Sex is one of the nine protected characteristics listed in the Equality Act 2010. Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010 places a general duty (known as the Public Sector Equality Duty, or PSED) on public authorities to have due regard to the need to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and promote good relations between people who share a protected characteristic and those who do not.

Question reference: S6W-12873

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of reports that the heaviest 5% of drinkers are consuming 10% more since the introduction of minimum unit pricing.

The pandemic has changed drinking behaviour, particularly for those who were drinking heavily before the pandemic. There is more work to be done to better understand the continuing impact of the pandemic on alcohol harms.

We are working on a range of actions to make alcohol treatment services more accessible to those who need them to support individuals reduce their alcohol consumption.

Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) was introduced to reduce the consumption of alcohol by individuals whose consumption is hazardous or harmful as well as reducing the overall population level of consumption. We are evaluating MUP over the first five years of operation and will report to parliament in summer 2023.

Question reference: S6W-12875

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether minimum unit pricing has achieved its aims, in light of reports that 2021 saw the highest number of alcohol-specific deaths in Scotland since 2008.

We are currently in the process of evaluating minimum unit pricing (MUP) as a whole over its first five years of operation. Public Health Scotland will be producing a final report on MUP in 2023, which will inform our evaluation report which will be laid in Parliament and published in 2023.

We will review the final evaluation report from Public Health Scotland before drawing overall conclusions on whether the policy has achieved its aims.

Question reference: S6W-12759

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the time that has elapsed since the passage of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, whether the next National Marine Plan will include interim spatial plans to give clarity on appropriate locations for all economic activities in Scotland's inshore waters until the relevant regional marine plans have been adopted.

Regional marine plans are currently being developed for 3 out of the 11 Scottish Marine Regions (Orkney, Shetland and the Clyde) with preparatory work being undertaken by Local Coastal Partnerships in other regions.

The purpose of a National Marine Plan is to set out the strategic policies for the sustainable development of our marine resources. The current National Marine Plan identifies broad spatial areas for certain types of activity (e.g. RENEWABLES 1 and AQUACULTURE 1, 2 and 3).

NMP2 will be developed in accordance with the policies, including the National Spatial Strategy, set out in the fourth National Planning Framework (once adopted)

Question reference: S6O-01734

Asked by: Graeme Dey, MSP for Angus South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it will seek to achieve a balance between food and energy security, in relation to permitting the use of productive agricultural land for the deployment of large-scale solar arrays.

Question reference: S6O-01732

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to improve and maintain the road network in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01736

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has with the UK Government regarding reports of delays of payment of Energy Bills Support Scheme vouchers.

Question reference: S6O-01738

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many vessels operated by CalMac, Northlink or Scotland’s local authorities will be operating past their working life expectancy by the end of the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6O-01733

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to supporting the gaming industry in Scotland during the cost of living crisis.