Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 42391 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6F-01585

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2022

To ask the First Minister what impact any proposed reduction in the number of overseas student visas will have on Scottish universities.

Question reference: S6F-01586

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2022

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to build on the enduring legacy of Doddie Weir and support efforts to cure MND and similar neurological conditions.

Question reference: S6F-01589

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2022

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government will mark the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

Question reference: S6F-01578

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01579

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 December 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-12705

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reached a decision on the future location of the Registrar of Independent Schools.

The Scottish Government has taken the decision to locate the Registrar of Independent Schools within the new national agency for Scottish Education.

We have considered a range of options, including Professor Muir’s recommendation to locate the Registrar within the Scottish Government, and have undertaken further consultation with a range of stakeholders.

On balance, it is clear that there are significant benefits to locating the Registrar within the new national agency. For example, the Registrar’s location in the Scottish educational landscape is now well understood by those involved with independent schools, and this has worked extremely well in terms of knowledge and resource sharing, developing relationships and building trust. This includes the sharing of expertise and enhanced knowledge of the sector for all involved.

This decision will also ensure that the functional and organisational separation between the Registrar and the Scottish Government will continue to inspire trust and confidence within the sector as a whole.

Question reference: S6W-12190

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether people outwith the COVID-19 vaccine priority groups will be able to access a booster dose at a cost this winter should they not be covered by Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommendations and guidance.

Decisions to prioritise one population group over another for vaccination are not taken lightly, nor are they straightforward. That is why our prioritisation decisions have been, and will continue to be, guided by the independent expert advice provided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and senior Clinicians.

NHS Scotland will never ask someone to pay for the flu or COVID-19 vaccines if they are eligible. If they are not eligible for a free flu vaccine then they may be able to get vaccinated for a small fee at their local pharmacy. Please note it is not possible for anyone to pay for the COVID-19 vaccination, and there are currently no plans to implement this as an option.

Question reference: S6W-12191

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many adults with incapacity have been subject to a delayed discharge from hospital that was recorded as a code 9 reason in each year since 1999.

The Scottish Government is committed to safely reducing delayed discharge and is actively working with partners. People who no longer require hospital treatment benefit from being at home or in a community setting. Decisions about care and treatment should always be clinically based, in the best interests of the patient and taken in consultation with the patient, their families or representatives.

Information is available from July 2016. Due to a change in data definitions and reporting requirements data prior to this point are not directly comparable.

Figures from July 2016 to September 2022 (inclusive) are shown in Table 1. (Source Public Health Scotland)

Table 1: Number of patients aged 18 & over, categorised as Adults with Incapacity (AWI) under the AWI (Scotland) Act 2000, who were delayed in their discharge from hospital by Financial Year.

Financial Year	Number of Individuals
2016-17 (from1July 2016 onwards)	868
2017-18	1,042
2018-19	1,033
2019-20	1,110
2020-21	1,135
2021-22	1,503
2022-23 (to 30 September 2022)	1,086

1. The data relate to individuals aged 18 years and over recorded as delayed in their discharge from hospital, categorised as AWI, who were clinically ready for discharge from hospital and experienced one or more delayed bed days within the financial year.

2. An individual is counted once per financial year although they may have more than one delay in that financial year.

3. If an individual was delayed in multiple financial years, they will be counted once in each financial year they were delayed.

4. Further information on Delayed Discharges can be found on the Public Health Scotland (PHS) website: https://beta.isdscotland.org/topics/delayed-discharges/

5. The collection and reporting of delayed discharge information was revised from 1 July 2016. As such, data is not directly comparable prior and post July 2016. Further information is published on the website: Delayed discharges definitional changes in NHSScotland (isdscotland.org)

Question reference: S6W-12167

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether any Barnett consequential funding received in 2022-23 remains unspent.

The 2022-23 Autumn Budget Revision, and the associated guide, details how all Barnett Consequentials and other funding movements have been formally allocated to date.

The net funds available for deployment following the conclusion of the Autumn Budget Revision are £94 million. However all of these funds are being held against a number of pressures on the Scottish Government Budget, including the conclusion of some public sector pay agreements and the costs associated with resettlement of Ukrainian refugees.

The Spring Budget Revision will detail the final Scottish Budget allocations, utilising all funding that remains available.

Question reference: S6W-12166

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a full breakdown of how any Barnett consequential funding received in 2022-23 has been, or will be, spent.