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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-15028

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent steps it has taken to ensure that the time chartering of ferries, to provide additional passenger and freight capacity on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract, is compliant with the Fair Work Action Plan.

Time charter crew are employed by the vessel owner and therefore the onus is on them to ensure Compliance with the Fair Work action plan. CalMac Ferries Limited would only be responsible if the charter is on a bareboat basis or the vessel is owned by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd. Consequently, both companies do insist that all crew are paid the real Living Wage on time charters, and if this is not provided by their employers they would supplement to ensure they equal the Living wage.

Question reference: S6W-15289

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of railway stations are currently equipped with defibrillators.

Question reference: S6W-15032

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Minister for Transport’s reported commitment on this issue, what steps it has taken to ensure that its private sector consultant, Ernst and Young, meets with trade unions organising Scotland’s ferry workers to discuss Project Neptune.

Question reference: S6W-15085

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to fulfil its commitment to end the placement of 16- and 17-year-olds in young offenders institutions.

The Scottish Government is committed to ending the placement of under 18s in Young Offenders Institutions (YOI) and supporting care based alternatives. We have already made significant progress, with the number of under 18s in YOI down to 4 on 28 February from over 200 in 2007. The Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Bill, introduced to Holyrood on 13 December 2022, will end this practice if it gains Parliamentary approval.

Such action is integral to Keeping the Promise, a pledge which has cross party support and to which this government remains steadfastly committed.

Beyond legislative change we are working closely with Local Authorities and the third sector to create the conditions for change. A practice guide for community alternatives has been drafted with key partners for expected publication by May 2023. The Children and Young People’s Centre for Justice are supporting engagement with key partners and children and young people on the future of secure care, including defining issues, developing options for change and delivering on this, where agreed with Ministers.

We are engaging with secure care providers and local authorities to increase secure care capacity for under 18s. We are exploring funding options to provide financial sustainability for secure care providers going forward.

Question reference: S6W-15178

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is currently taking to tackle waste crime.

The Scottish Government’s Serious & Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCTF) has identified environmental crime and in particular Serious Organised Criminal Gangs (SOCG) activity in waste crime as a priority area and supports the broad network of Scottish and UK regulators in working collaboratively to act against waste criminals.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is also a partner in the Joint Unit for Waste Crime set up by the UK Government in 2020, which aspires to reduce the impact of SOCG activity across the UK, on the environment and the economy, by targeting the criminal groups and activities posing the greatest risk, including those operating cross border.

We are working with other UK governments and regulators to implement a UK-wide mandatory digital waste tracking service. Implementation of this service will help SEPA to track regulatory compliance and tackle illegal waste exports and fly-tipping.

Alongside this, the Scottish Government is also currently developing a new National Litter and Flytipping Strategy, which will help to tackle and minimise the instances of flytipping in Scotland. Our consultation proposals set out a range of proposed measures, including strengthening enforcement to deter flytipping behaviour.

Question reference: S6W-15177

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates waste crime has cost the public purse in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S6W-14784

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13023 by Jenny Gilruth on 9 January 2023, when it will fulfil its commitment to reduce train journey times between Inverness and Edinburgh to 2 hours 45 minutes, as referred to in the original question.

Transport Scotland, alongside industry partners, is exploring options for lengthening passing loops on the line to enable longer and more frequent freight and passenger services.

Enabling the transfer of freight traffic, particularly from the adjacent A9 to the Highland Main Line, will produce significant carbon savings and improve safety and traffic flow on the A9.

We will fund the infrastructure enhancements necessary to produce further journey time savings on the Highland Main Line once a robust business case has been established for this expenditure.

Question reference: S6W-15016

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take, regarding the issuing of an apology to the people affected by the practice of historic forced adoption in Scotland, in light of the recent apology issued by the Welsh Deputy Minister for Social Services.

We are currently considering next steps to recognise those affected by historical adoption practices.

In the meantime, we have commissioned a scoping study of the support services available in Scotland for people affected by historical adoption practices. This will help us understand where services need to be improved or enhanced to better meet the needs and expectations of those affected by historical adoption. The research started in January and will take approximately 8 months.

Last year the Scottish Government committed funding of around £145,000 to provide specialist support and counselling, and we have now agreed a proposal to establish a peer support group to be delivered through the charity, Health In Mind. The planning and implementation of this support service has begun and is informed by people affected by historical adoption.

Question reference: S6W-15097

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of the procurement procedure used by Circularity Scotland in appointing Biffa as the official waste collection and logistics service provider, and what information it holds on how this contract opportunity was advertised.

Circularity Scotland (CSL) are a private non-profit organisation and are therefore not subject to public procurement requirements. Decisions regarding their contracts are for them – this is entirely appropriate for a scheme that has industry responsibility at its heart. CSL carried out an extensive tender process over a period of around 12 months before appointing Biffa to be the scheme’s official logistics service provider.

Question reference: S6O-02059

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the status of NHS Forth Valley since its escalation to Stage 4 of NHS Scotland's National Performance Framework.