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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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Displaying 2017 questions Show Answers

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Question reference: S6W-29713

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the proposed £115 million of savings in the Health and Social Care budget outlined in its fiscal statement on 3 September 2024.

On the 3 September 2024, the Scottish Government pre-budget fiscal update outlined savings measures of £115.8m in the Health and Social Care budget, with funding redirected to support emerging pressures within Health and Social Care, not used for wider SG spending.

A breakdown of the savings can be found at: Scottish Government Pre-Budget Fiscal Update: Letter to Finance Committee - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-29724

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next update the Parliament on its just transition plan for Grangemouth.

Question reference: S6W-29547

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken of its funding of LGBT Youth Scotland, in light of reported allegations regarding safeguarding and the protection of children.

Question reference: S6W-29719

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to (a) complete and (b) fund its cladding remediation programme, in light of reports that some of the consequential funding that it received for this purpose has been allocated elsewhere.

The Scottish Government expects the cost of cladding remediation work to be met through a combination of responsible developers assessing and remediating their own buildings, consequential funding from the UK Government, and a devolved Building Safety Levy. This effectively matches the funding approach that the UK Government is taking in England.

Scottish Ministers have said they will spend the equivalent value of the £97.1 m received in consequentials on cladding remediation at the time it is appropriate to spend it.

Question reference: S6W-29723

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which company has been contracted to undertake the economic impact assessment for the Grangemouth Refinery.

Question reference: S6W-29314

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance has been issued on flag policy to (a) local authorities, (b) government agencies and (c) other governmental departments in the last six months.

The Scottish Government publishes detailed flag flying guidance annually on the Scottish Government website Guidance - Flag flying on government buildings: 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) and a link to the guidance is also available on the Scottish Government’s intranet pages, available to Directorates and other government departments. In addition, this flag flying guidance is issued to local authorities and government agencies.

The guidance sets out the relevant flag to be flown in recognition of national anniversaries and Royal events. It also provides advice on the half/masting of flags following national/international tragedies and events.

This guidance applies to Scottish Government buildings only and is provided to non-Scottish Government organisations for information purposes. It remains the prerogative of each organisation to set their own flag flying programme.

Separate communication was issued by email to Scottish Government external flag flying contacts in June 2024 in relation to the 80th anniversary of D-Day and for the Coronation of Their Majesties in May 2023.

Question reference: S6W-29827

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of properties still to be connected under the R100 Central contract.

Question reference: S6O-03766

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Just Transition Commission's recent report on the future of Grangemouth.

Question reference: S6W-29382

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when passenger ferries will run from Rosyth to mainland Europe.

The Scottish Government remains fully committed to the development of our ports, and the potential for new direct freight and passenger ferry services linking Scotland to Europe.

I have personally engaged with parties interested in introducing new ferry services, and Transport Scotland officials communicate regularly with potential operators and Scotland’s main ports. We have been clear throughout those discussions that UK Subsidy Control rules mean that any new service will be required to be delivered on a commercial basis.

We will continue to engage with port operators and others to explore opportunities for new commercial services, so that Scottish exporters and passengers have more direct routes to Europe. However, this is ultimately a decision for commercial operators.

Question reference: S6W-29482

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that three in 10 parents in Scotland believe that the COVID-19 pandemic showed that it is not necessary for their children to attend school every day, and how it plans to address this.

The Scottish Government wants all children and young people to get the support that they need to reach their full learning potential and to do so it is important that pupils not only attend school but that they engage in their learning.

The Scottish Government is clear that parents and carers have a role to play in supporting young people to attend school. We recognise that parents have a legal duty to ensure that their child attends school. Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1, our national guidance on attendance, encourages education authorities and schools to engage with children, young people and families to support improved attendance and reduce absence. We know engagement with children, young people and families to understand and address barriers to regular attendance is the most effective way of addressing this issue.

The Scottish Government has been working intensely to address concerns about the impact of the pandemic on attendance. Education Scotland are working to deliver enhanced support for schools and local authorities in monitoring and tracking absence, to develop policy at school and local authority level to support improvements in attendance, and to provide practical support for local authorities who need it. The Scottish Government has also strengthened our understanding of the issue, through increased analysis of attendance data, such as the data on persistent absence published in March 2024. The Interim Chief Inspector has been tasked with ensuring persistent absence is addressed in every school inspection, and identifying successful approaches which can be shared more widely.

We are considering the findings on attendance within the Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research and Education Scotland’s report ‘Improving Attendance: Understanding the Issues,” as part of the joint Scottish Government and COSLA action plan on relationships and behaviour, which published on 15 August.