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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-03867

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 23 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil service jobs have been redistributed to the South Scotland region over the past five years, broken down by area.

During the last five years no civil service jobs within the Scottish Government have been specifically relocated to South Scotland region.

However, in the Scottish Government Main bargaining unit (SGM), which comprises Core SG Directorates and associated Agencies, there are approximately 560 jobs located within the South Scotland region. This represents 4.75% of staff in SGM. For example the Agriculture and Rural Economy Directorate has regional offices in Ayr, Dumfries, and Galashiels. The Marine Scotland Directorate has coastal operations based in Ayr and Eyemouth. Executive Agencies Accountant in Bankruptcy and Scottish Public Pension Agency are located in Kilwinning and Galashiels respectively.

The Scottish Prison Service, Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service, and Forestry and Land Scotland are separate employers and also have a presence all over Scotland, including South Scotland region.

The Scottish Government is piloting a hybrid working model which will enable Scottish Government staff, where the role allows, to have more flexibility in their work location across Scotland and include a mix of home and office working. In March 2021, the Scottish Government’s Population Strategy recognised that changes to working norms may offer new opportunities to support civil servants who wish to live and work in locations outside of our main locations in Edinburgh and Glasgow. As part of this, the Scottish Government committed to actively considering its workplace footprint and exploring the opportunities of distributing its workforce in greater detail. This work is in its early stages. However, as a first step, the Scottish Government will be piloting local hubs outside of Edinburgh and Glasgow so that staff can work at office locations closer to their home.

Question reference: S6F-00519

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what discussions have taken place between the Scottish Government and the postal and banking sectors regarding the continued access to everyday services, particularly for rural, digitally excluded and vulnerable consumers.

Question reference: S6F-00522

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on whether nuclear power is an essential part of Scotland's transition to net zero.

Question reference: S6F-00500

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to Rape Crisis Scotland's Survivor Reference Group: Police Responses in Scotland Report.

Question reference: S6F-00501

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to a SEPA investigation uncovering the single largest illegal export of household waste from Scotland, resulting in Saica Natur UK Limited being fined £20,000.

Question reference: S6F-00493

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00494

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 November 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6T-00301

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to NHS boards that are under pressure.

Question reference: S6T-00296

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools are currently shut due to staff shortages resulting from COVID-19 cases.

Question reference: S6W-04425

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many deaths have been attributed to alcohol-related liver damage in each year since 1999.

Information about alcohol specific deaths, which includes deaths by latest cause, is published annually by National Records of Scotland. The latest data was published on 17 August.

There have been 16,917 deaths attributed to alcohol liver disease since 2000. Records prior to the year of 2000 do not include latest cause of death, so it is not possible to report the number of deaths attributed to alcohol-related liver damage for 1999 year.

More information is available on Alcohol-specific deaths | National Records of Scotland (nrscotland.gov.uk)