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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: S6O-01815

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last spoke to NHS Lothian and NHS Borders.

Question reference: S6O-01824

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has conducted on the effect of the rent cap on the number of homes available for rent in the private sector.

Question reference: S6W-13685

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to invest in more flood defences in the South Scotland region.

It is the responsibility of local authorities to develop and deliver flood protection schemes in Scotland. Since 2008, the Scottish Government has provided £42million/ yr through the general capital grant to support the delivery of flood risk management actions. The 2020 PfG also committed an additional £150 million over the course of this parliament.

Flood Risk Management Plans have been developed to reduce the devastating and costly impact of flooding in Scotland. The plans coordinate the efforts of all organisations that tackle flooding and concentrate the work to where the risk of flooding and benefits of investment are greatest. The 2015-2021 Plans included a number of flood protection schemes in the South Scotland region including in Hawick and Whitesands.

Flood Risk Management Plans for the period 2022-2028 were approved by Scottish Ministers in December 2021 and published by SEPA in January 2022. A COSLA/ Scottish Government Funding Working Group has been set up to discuss funding arrangements for flood risk management actions including those set out in the
‎ 2022-2028 plans. This group will put recommendations to the joint Scottish Government/COSLA officers’ Settlement Distribution Group. Ministers and Council Leaders’ will subsequently be provided with advice in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-13653

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 18 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the support available to prevent suicide among students in universities and colleges in Scotland.

The Scottish Government and COSLA published ‘ Creating Hope Together , Scotland’s ten year suicide prevention strategy’ in September 2022 alongside an initial three year action plan. The development of the strategy and action plan involved engagement with key stakeholders, including those working across the further and higher education sector, as well as people with lived experience of suicide. The action plan includes a focus on developing tailored approaches to suicide prevention to meet the needs of different groups, and students are identified as one such group.

The Government is also currently developing a Student Mental Health Plan, due to publish in Spring 2023, which will complement ‘ Creating Hope Together’ and the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, which is due to publish in Spring 2023. The Student Mental Health Plan will provide a framework for action by universities and colleges.

The Student Mental Health Plan will be informed by key research, such as the Mental Health Foundation’s Thriving Learners Surveys and Universities UK’s ‘Suicide-safer universities’ resource. The development of the Plan is being driven forward by the Student Mental Health and Well Being Working Group, which I chair. Membership includes NUS Scotland, Think Positive, Universities Scotland and Colleges Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-13678

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action Scottish Water is taking to prepare for the impact of any increasing extreme weather events, including the impact of episodes of freezing weather leading to increasing instances of burst pipes.

Scottish Water is investing over £87 million during the current regulatory period (2021-27) to improve its network of water mains and reduce the risk of interruptions to supply for customers. It is also continually working throughout the year to actively find and repair water leaks on the network and to manage water resources. Unfortunately, there can be an increased risk to water pipes as a result of a freeze and rapid thaw, as was experienced recently in December 2022, and Scottish Water operatives worked tirelessly in freezing conditions during this time to respond to the issues which occurred on the water network. During this period, Scottish Water also saw an increase in bursts on customer private supply pipes and internal plumbing, which had a significant impact. Scottish Water has an annual campaign to raise awareness about how important it is for customers to protect their pipes by taking appropriate measures. More information about this is available on their website at "Winter Wrapped Up" and "Protect your Pipes".

Question reference: S6W-13568

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what communications strategy it has developed to help charities to share public health messages on government media outlets.

The Scottish Government works closely with relevant third sector organisations at a policy and communication level when developing public health messaging. Charities across Scotland are invited to disseminate vital public health messages via relevant charity outreach and platforms.

No specific strategy is in place to help charities share public health messages on government social media feeds. Any request from a charity for information to be shared on Scottish Government social media feeds is reviewed on a case by case basis by relevant officials across policy and communications.

Question reference: S6W-13374

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 18 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to spend on (a) Facebook, (b) Instagram, (c) Twitter, (d) YouTube and (e) Tik Tok in relation to its Winter Heating Payment advertising campaign.

Social Security Scotland posted on its Twitter and Facebook accounts to raise awareness of Winter Heating Payment. There has been no spend to date on Winter Heating Payment advertising through social media channels. This will be part of further advertising planned for early this year. Social Security Scotland's budget breakdown by channel is still to be confirmed and will be based on insight, taking advice from their media buying agency.

Question reference: S6W-13794

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 18 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13291 by Mairi McAllan on 10 January 2023, whether it will provide a breakdown of how many trees it has planted in each year since 2007 in the (a) East Lothian and (b) Midlothian local authority areas.

Question reference: S6W-13604

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by Peel NRE that its decision to withdraw plans for a facility in Clydebank to turn plastic waste into fuel for buses and cars was made due to the Scottish Government’s moratorium on thermal treatment facilities, which “creates a negative environment”, and what assessment it has made of the number of jobs and value of investment that could result from such a facility.

The Scottish Government’s priority is to move to a circular economy, which means reducing our demand for raw material, increasing reuse and repair, and recycling more. Where we do produce unavoidable and unrecyclable residual waste, we must ensure we treat it responsibly.

In terms of waste incineration, the independent review of the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy made it clear that Scotland does not need additional waste incineration facilities to treat our unavoidable and unrecyclable municipal residual waste beyond those for which planning permission has already been granted. That is why National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4), as approved by parliament on 11 January, makes clear that development proposals for energy-from-waste facilities will not be supported except under very limited circumstances. The independent review did not consider waste to fuel facilities, such as the proposed plastics to hydrogen development.

Scottish Government has not assessed the number of jobs or value of investment that could result from such a facility. However, available evidence suggests that delivering a circular economy provides local employment opportunities and lower cost options to access goods. 10,000 tonnes of waste can create up to 296 jobs in repair and reuse, compared to 1 job in incineration, 6 jobs in landfill or 36 jobs in recycling.

Question reference: S6W-13550

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of when it will deliver its commitment to roll out a national thrombectomy service that enables approximately 800 stroke patients to receive the procedure each year.

Work is ongoing to establish the most effective means, and timescales, of further expanding access to thrombectomy, including how the increased budget will be best used in recruiting staff to maximise the number of patients able to benefit from this treatment.

By working with National Services Division, we aim to ensure that decisions taken on potential expansions of the thrombectomy service consider the wider access requirements of patients across Scotland and ensure access is as equitable as possible.