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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: S6F-01727

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2023

To ask the First Minister what progress the Scottish Government has made in clearing the reported backlog of people waiting for key diagnostic tests.

Question reference: S6F-01716

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2023

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government has taken to bring the strike action by teachers to an end.

Question reference: S6F-01719

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2023

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to encourage people to become foster carers, following reports that only 40 of 400 children referred to Barnardo’s fostering service in Glasgow and Edinburgh have been placed with families in the last year.

Question reference: S6F-01709

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01708

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-13529

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has established a public health workforce development programme.

Work is currently underway in the Scottish Public Health Workforce Development Group to assess needs and agree priority actions in relation to the public health workforce. The group has gathered information from all local public health teams about their current workforce plans and issues. It will initially complete a baseline audit along with projections about future workforce needs. Considering opportunities to increase capacity in local public health teams will be a priority for the Group, Scottish Directors of Public Health, Public Health Scotland and Scottish Government. A leadership programme is already underway and some shared posts have been established across Scotland to increase capacity locally and nationally.

Question reference: S6W-13361

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the publication, Neurological Conditions: estimating the prevalence in Scotland of selected conditions using General Practice and Hospital Admissions datasets, for what reasons there are no data on the prevalence of Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS) from (a) NHS Highland and (b) NHS Ayrshire and Arran.

Question reference: S6W-13336

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10697 by Tom Arthur on 21 September 2022, and in light of its draft 2023-24 Budget published on 15 December 2022, how it will ensure parity with England for commercial premises liable for the higher property rate, in line with the independent Barclay Review of non-domestic rates recommendation, and its commitment in its Framework For Tax to "reduce the combined poundage rate for the largest properties to match the equivalent rate in England over the course of the Parliament".

On 1 April 2020 the Intermediate Property Rate (poundage +1.3p) was introduced for properties with rateable values between £51,000 and £95,000 which would previously have been liable for the Large Business Supplement (2.6p).

On 1 April 2023 we will further reduce the number of properties liable for the Higher Property Rate, by increasing the rateable value threshold at which this applies from £95,000 to £100,000.

Combined with the lowest poundage in the UK, these reforms mean that over 95% of non-domestic properties are already liable for a lower property tax rate than anywhere else in the UK.

Tax policy decisions are made at annual budgets in line with prevailing economic decisions.

Question reference: S6W-13258

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that families can afford to feed their babies throughout the cost of living crisis, in light of the 2022 report by the charity, Feed, which refers to some parents watering down infant formula.

Question reference: S6W-13261

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any additional financial support will be provided for families with children to counteract any increased cost of infant formula.