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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: S6O-01751

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reduce antisocial behaviour in the Central Scotland region.

Question reference: S6W-13061

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to promote locally-sourced, organic food for school meals throughout Scotland.

All local authorities are under a statutory duty to have regard to any guidance, such as ‘Better Eating, Better Learning’, issued by Scottish Ministers on the application of the principles of sustainable development when providing food or drink or catering services in schools. Local authorities, supported by Scotland Excel, remain committed to using local and sustainable produce in school catering wherever possible. It is up to each local authority to decide what produce, including organic, to use in their catering services, taking into account local needs, priorities and circumstances.

Question reference: S6W-12937

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its anticipated outcomes are of appointing a Chief Entrepreneur, and what the timetable is for delivery.

The outcome which the Scottish Government anticipated would be delivered through its appointment of a Chief Entrepreneur was to have someone with exceptional experience of growing start-up companies to scale with the credibility and influence necessary to command the respect of industry, investors and public sector leaders to take on a key role at the heart of government which covers designing, advising on and supporting effective programmes to successfully embed entrepreneurship across all sectors of the Scottish economy. This current appointment achieves that outcome. Under the terms of his contract, the Chief Entrepreneur will be in post for an initial term of two years.

Question reference: S6W-12936

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings its Chief Entrepreneur has had with education institutions since his appointment.

The Chief Entrepreneur has had 9 meetings with education institutions since his appointment, not including daily engagements through email, social media and wider events. These engagements reflect the urgency and drive which the Chief Entrepreneur has brought to his work in government as well as the broad base of engagement and relationship building required in order to successfully embed entrepreneurship across all sectors of the Scottish economy. A list of all engagements undertaken by the Chief Entrepreneur in this time will shortly be published through the FOI process.

Question reference: S6W-12933

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many applicants were considered for its new Chief Entrepreneur role.

Professor Logan was selected for this role in line with the Scottish Ministerial Code, which enables Ministers to make appointments providing they are satisfied that the preferred candidate is being appointed on the basis of merit. Professor Logan was selected from a list of outstanding candidates on the basis of his exceptional experience in growing companies to scale, advising and investing in Scottish start-ups, his strong relationship across industry and investors, and his work in teaching entrepreneurship at the University of Glasgow. This list was assembled, and the decision made, following discussions with key figures in industry, academia, the entrepreneurial ecosystem and public sector leaders.

Question reference: S6W-12934

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the annual salary is for its new Chief Entrepreneur role, and what (a) expenses and (b) support the post-holder is entitled to.

Question reference: S6W-12932

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the job description is for its new Chief Entrepreneur role.

Question reference: S6W-12935

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings its Chief Entrepreneur has had with businesses since his appointment.

The Chief Entrepreneur has had 24 formal meetings with businesses since his appointment, not including daily engagements through email, social media and wider events. These engagements reflect the urgency and drive which the Chief Entrepreneur has brought to his work in government as well as the broad base of engagement and relationship building required in order to successfully embed entrepreneurship across all sectors of the Scottish economy. A list of all engagements undertaken by the Chief Entrepreneur during this period will shortly be published through the FOI process.

Question reference: S6W-12929

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 15 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much turnover has been generated by ecommerce businesses in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Data is not collected in this way, because many firms engaged in e-commerce are likely to also be trading in other ways. However, the Digital Economy Business Surveys (DEBS) carried out in 2017 and 2021 offers some insight. These surveys contain estimates of the proportion of total business sales were made via e-commerce in the previous 12 months.

Proportion sales made via e-commerce by Scottish Businesses, % (not including sole traders)

	2017	2021
100%	1	4
80 - 99%	4	5
60 - 79%	3	3
40 - 59%	3	4
20 - 39%	4	5
Less than 20%	15	13
Any sales via e-commerce	30	35
None	66	61
Don't know	4	4
Base	3,258	3,346
Source: Digital Economy Business Survey, 2017 & 2021 DEBS has been carried out approximately every three years since 2014. Note that sole traders were not included in these surveys.

Question reference: S6W-12928

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 15 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many ecommerce businesses have been founded in Scotland in each of the last five years.

Data is not collected in this way, because many firms engaged in e-commerce are likely to also be trading in other ways. However, in 2021, 35% of businesses in Scotland made sales via e-commerce, compared to 30% in 2017. (Source: Digital Economy Business Surveys (DEBS); 2017 and 2021. DEBS has been carried out approximately every three years since 2014. Note that sole traders were not included in these surveys.)