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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-03776

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 4 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of air source heat pumps reportedly running at significantly cooler temperatures than gas boilers, what it recommends (a) older and (b) all homeowners do to maintain their heating at a gas boiler temperature level.

The Scottish Government commissioned a review to synthesise evidence on the operation of heat pumps with relevance to Scotland. The report is available at https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/research/projects/heat-pump-use-in-scotland-an-evidence-review/

As the report sets out, the temperature output from a heat pump or boiler is different from the temperature rooms are heated to: heat emitters, such as radiators, transfer heat into rooms by being heated to a higher temperature than the air in the room. While the output temperature of a heat pump is often lower than temperatures boilers commonly produce, when appropriately configured with building fabric and radiators or underfloor heating they efficiently bring indoor temperatures up to adequate levels. In addition, the report sets out evidence on less common high temperature heat pumps.

The microgeneration certification scheme (MCS) certifies heat pump installers to ensure that systems are appropriately designed to provide sufficient heat.

Question reference: S6W-03765

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 4 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33523 by Michael Matheson on 4 December 2020, whether it will provide the (a) updated figure for 2020-21 and (b) figure for 2021-22 to date.

Funding allocations to the E-bike Loan Fund, and unallocated funds for the financial years 2020-21 and 2021-22 up until mid-October are summarised in the following table.

Financial Year	Funding	Unallocated	Notes
2020-21	£3,786,966	£879,833
2021-22	£3,800,000	£2,553,887	* up until 14 October 2021

The unallocated funds in 2020-21 are made up of loan repayments received by EST throughout the year. These have been taken into account by EST and will form part of any future financial transaction e-bike loan budget.

Question reference: S6W-03586

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 4 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the developments regarding Aberdeenshire Council’s reported objection to the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme, what the updated timeline is to (a) start and (b) complete the work.

I can confirm that Aberdeenshire Council’s reported objection to the A90/A937 Laurencekirk Junction Improvement Scheme remains extant and would refer the member to the answer to question S6W-02821 on 23 September 2021. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-03547

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 4 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many two-year-olds are currently (a) receiving and (b) eligible for 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare in the (i) North Ayrshire and (ii) Inverclyde Council area.

The latest annual ELC Census data published in December 2020 as part of the Schools in Scotland Summary Statistics report showed that 178 and 123 two year olds were accessing a funded ELC place in North Ayrshire and Inverclyde Council respectively in September 2020.

In December, the Scottish Government will publish Schools in Scotland, Summary Statistics report for 2021. This report will include figures to show the number of registrations of two-year-olds at national and local authority level in September 2021.

Eligibility criteria for 2 year old funded ELC is largely determined by a parents’ receipt of low or no income ‘ qualifying benefits’ which are administered by UK Government. We do not have robust information on the current eligible population at a local authority or national level due to UK Government restrictions on data-sharing. The Scottish Government is working with UK Government departments and the Office for National Statistics to establish a legal gateway through which we can acquire further UK Government held data which will enable us to measure the eligible population more accurately.

Question reference: S6W-03580

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 4 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported shortage of bus drivers.

We are aware that bus operators are reporting increasing shortages of bus drivers which is affecting bus services in some areas. These shortages are linked to wider workforce pressures such as high demand for drivers in the HGV and other sectors as well as ongoing staff sickness due to COVID-19. We are working with the industry to monitor the impact on service levels and officials are also in regular contact with the Department for Transport to identify and address issues delaying licence applications and driver testing which is a reserved matter. We continue to support operators to run services despite continuing reduced demand due to the pandemic with up to £210 million in additional funding being made available since June 2020.

Question reference: S6W-03596

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 4 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes assessed to be at high risk from fire as part of a home fire safety visit have had a fire and smoke alarm system installed that is compliant with the new standard as a result of the £1 million funding provided through the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service in the period 2018-20.

To protect the most vulnerable, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) will fit interlinked alarms into owner-occupied homes where the individuals or households are assessed as high risk through their Home Fire Safety Visit assessment process. As of 20 October 2021, SFRS have installed 9,363 linked smoke alarms, 3,506 linked heat alarms and 1,733 CO alarms. This is a total of 3,482 homes assisted to comply with the new standard.

Question reference: S6O-00338

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported Crown Office findings that there has been a 9% increase in reported charges with a "domestic abuse identifier" during the COVID-19 pandemic, what action it is taking to support victims of domestic violence.

Question reference: S6O-00349

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the employment gap for disabled people, in light of the reported findings from the Annual Population Survey 2020-21 that the employment rate for disabled people was 47.4%, which was lower than that for non-disabled people.

Question reference: S6O-00350

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with the support available for cooperatives for the transition to a new economy.

Question reference: S6O-00357

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to protect the autonomy of Scotland’s universities.