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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-14212

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) how it works with Capital Credit Union to promote any benefits of credit union membership to (a) SPCB and (b) MSP staff.

The SPCB is pleased to be able to confirm that it is a member of Capital Credit Union. SPCB staff and staff employed by MSPs are reminded that they can make regular monthly deposits into their savings account directly through payroll and a link to the Capital Credit Union website is provided to all staff on the SPCB’s payslips platform.

The SPCB is committed to supporting staff with the cost of living and as part of a range of measures to support staff it is actively working with Capital Credit Union and Work and Save Scotland to develop a range of resources designed to promote the benefits of credit union membership. Further details will be shared with SPCB staff and MSP staff in due course.

The SPCB believes that this is the right thing to do, recognising that financial wellbeing is an urgent priority for staff.

Question reference: S6W-14155

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on artificial intelligence within health and social care since 2017, broken down by NHS board.

The Scottish Government continues to consider the use of Artificial Intelligence in health and social care through Scotland's AI strategy and the forthcoming Data Strategy for Health and Social Care.

As the implementation of Artificial Intelligence technologies often rely on appropriate use of allocated funding to NHS boards, we do not hold information centrally on the amount specifically spent on Artificial Intelligence within health and social care.

Question reference: S6W-14449

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not produced another Two Year Annual Report on Activities of the National Performing Companies since October 2018, and whether it plans to recommence publication of these reports.

Question reference: S6W-14491

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the Public and Commercial Services Union industrial action, on 1 February 2023, on the work of Creative Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-14206

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to help improve training for staff working in licenced premises to tackle suspected cases of spiking.

The Scottish Government held several roundtable meetings to bring together partners including representatives from the night-time industry and licensed premises sector to discuss the prevalence of spiking and a range of initiatives and information available on spiking.

Key outcomes from roundtable discussions focussed on messaging, training and prevention, with the Violence Reduction Unit supporting Police Scotland and businesses within the night-time economy sector to continue roll out of the bystander training to raise awareness for staff to help keep people safe.

Businesses within the night-time economy sector invest in training for staff and support a number of initiatives to keep people safe. The Scottish Government has long supported the industry-led Best Bar None Scotland initiative, a unique national accreditation and award scheme, which has been supported by the Scottish Business Resilience Centre – with input from Police Scotland – for a number of years. It is aimed at raising standards and rewarding licensed premises who undertake positive management practices in support of a safe night out. There was an acknowledged impact on the scheme as a result of the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis and the Scottish Government will be working with partners to identify options for improving delivery of its core objectives.

Question reference: S6W-14210

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions it has had with the night time and events industries in relation to tackling spiking.

Question reference: S6W-14207

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential benefits of increasing funding for anti-spiking policing or campaigns.

The Scottish Government has taken a proactive approach to understand the prevalence, raise awareness and address concerns about the incidence of reported spiking in Scotland.

Several roundtable meetings have taken place to help steer the joint Scottish Government and public sector response to the act of spiking. These meetings have been designed to discuss the range of initiatives and information available on spiking. Significant work was undertaken to raise awareness and heighten vigilance in the run up to the return to college and university campuses. Information has also been made available on the safer.scot website, to inform and support the public around the subject of spiking. This has been promoted through the roundtable membership and by the representative organisations and sectors.

Furthermore, Police Scotland has prioritised its response to incidents of spiking. A comprehensive Investigative Strategy has been developed and circulated to provide guidance and direction to staff responding to and investigating incidents of spiking. A Detective Superintendent has national investigative oversight and Senior Investigating Officers have been appointed within each policing division to lead on all spiking related investigations locally.

Question reference: S6W-14166

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it has done to collaborate with and support small and medium-sized digital health and care enterprises to offer a clear product route from development to implementation at scale.

Question reference: S6W-14161

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff have used the Turas platform in each year since it was launched.

Question reference: S6W-14165

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it has done to collaborate with and support small and medium-sized digital health and care enterprises to be innovative.

Digital Health and Care provides funding to DHI which in turn supports enterprises of assorted sizes to develop ideas and solutions that can be applied in health and care settings. We support DHI with their industry leadership group which meets with medium sized organisations for input and feedback.

We also work closely with the Scottish Governments CivTech programme collaborating with other areas of government to attract ideas from companies of all sizes that put forward solutions to a specific challenge within in health and care.