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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.

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Question reference: S6O-03960

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress being made to improve the educational experiences of children and young people with additional support needs in school settings.

Question reference: S6W-30868

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 October 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Kate Forbes on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the economic impact was for Scotland of The 152nd Open, a major golf championship in 2024, and what plans are in place to ensure that Scotland continues to stage The R&A’s major championships.

The 152nd Open, which took place at Royal Troon in South Ayrshire from 14-21 July 2024, was a significant success for Scotland. The Championship enjoyed a record crowd for Troon, with over 250,000 spectators in attendance, more than half of whom travelled from outside of Scotland.

Independent research from Sheffield Hallam University’s Sport Industry Research Centre has found that The 152nd Open generated an estimated £87.3 million in total economic impact – new money entering the economy – for Scotland. Ayrshire received total economic impact of an estimated £43.8 million.

The figures for this year’s Championship bring the total economic benefit generated by the ten stagings of The Open in Scotland since 2005 to £1.36 billion.

The Open is synonymous with Scotland and of significant importance to our country from an economic and reputational perspective. Scottish Ministers have therefore committed funding for a renewed long-term agreement with The R&A starting in 2024, which will ensure that its major championships are staged in Scotland regularly until 2034. The agreement guarantees that 14 major championships organised by The R&A will be staged in Scotland across its lifetime, including five stagings of The Open.

The agreement also brings an exclusive benefits package for Scotland, covering elements such as international promotion, advertising and support for Scottish Government policies, notably in relation to sustainability and health.

As well as delivering significant economic benefits at national and local level, the investment in The R&A’s major championships will drive tourism and showcase Scotland as a world-class stage for major events.

Funding from the Scottish Government and VisitScotland is £1 million per year for 11 years, therefore totalling £11 million. Given the economic impact and wider value that can be expected, this represents very strong value for money.

Question reference: S6O-03873

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it has been undertaking with disabled people’s organisations regarding the delivery of its Disability Equality Plan.

Question reference: S6O-03619

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies indicating that forecast UK Government tax and spending plans would be funded by reductions in public investment, what assessment it has made of the potential impact that any changes to Scotland’s block grant resulting from this would have on Scotland’s public finances.

Question reference: S6W-27831

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recently published data by the National Records of Scotland regarding Scotland's Census 2022, which show that over 60% of the school-age population had no religion, whether it will follow the advice of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child and allow young people the right to opt out of religious observance in schools.

As stated in the Scottish Government’s Initial Response to the Concluding Observations issued by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, published on 25 March this year, the Scottish Government is considering its next steps on religious observance in schools to ensure compliance with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.

Under current legislation in Scotland, religious observance is not compulsory, and parents are legally entitled to withdraw their children from religious observance in local authority and grant-aided schools. This is supported by detailed guidance which states that ‘schools should include children and young people in any discussions about aspects of their school experience, ensuring their views are taken into account.’

This guidance is available at: Curriculum for Excellence: religious observance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Question reference: S6O-03522

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of any impact that Brexit is having on Scotland’s culture sector.

Question reference: S6W-27897

Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-03501

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provided to East and South Ayrshire Councils in 2023-24 for Discretionary Housing Payments.

Question reference: S6O-03457

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the net zero secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding any plans to review any unintended impacts of the fourth National Planning Framework on energy policy.

Question reference: S6W-27140

Asked by: Elena Whitham, MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any options that it is considering for restricting the advertising and promotion of alcohol and alcohol-branded products, following the consultation on restricting alcohol advertising and promotion, which was carried out between November 2022 and March 2023.

Further work is being undertaken to consider the range of views from our consultation on potential restrictions to alcohol advertising and promotion in Scotland.

We remain committed to progressing proposals to reduce children and young people’s exposure to alcohol marketing whilst also recognising the importance of balancing any potential impacts on business and industry.

We are continuing to engage with public health stakeholders and business organisations with an interest in alcohol marketing to ensure the Scottish Government strikes the right balance in achieving its public health aims.