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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-11728

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the launch of a Scotland-wide HIV Testing Week ahead of World AIDS Day.

The Scottish Government is committed to eliminating HIV Transmission in Scotland by 2030.

There are no current plans for a testing week in 2022. However, the Scottish Government commissioned an expert-led HIV transmission elimination proposal. Increased and more effective testing is an important focus of the report, which will be published on World AIDS Day. Plans to take that work forward will be published alongside it, and that work will consider both long and short term steps that can be taken to improve testing uptake.

In the meantime, the Scottish Government continues to provide funding to HIV Scotland to support hivtest.scot, a pilot project which provides postal HIV self-testing kits to people across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-11804

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 October 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update to the Parliament regarding NHS Highland’s escalated position.

NHS Highland has now received all five reports from the Independent Review Panel (IRP) of the Healing Process and the work of the IRP is now concluded.

The Board has made significant progress against the majority of the recommendations included in both the Independent Review Panel (IRP) of the Healing Process and the Sturrock reports. As part of this work, the board have ensured that systems and processes are in place which would allow colleagues to speak up and be heard.

A decision has been taken by Scottish Government Health and Social Care Management Board to de-escalate NHS Highland from Stage 3 to Stage 2 of the NHS Board performance escalation framework in relation to Governance, Leadership and Culture.

NHS Highland will remain at Stage 3 for Financial Management and Mental Health Performance until further progress is made in the provision of mental health services, and a national review of NHS Scotland’s financial position is complete. Measures are in place to support NHS Highland will continue for these areas.

You can find out more about the NHS Board performance escalation framework here: NHS healthcare standards: Board performance escalation framework - gov.scot ( www.gov.scot )

Question reference: S6W-11499

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that any Scottish investment zones are delivered in line with its commitment to keep pace with EU environmental standards under the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021.

Question reference: S6W-11500

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6F-01419 by Nicola Sturgeon on 6 October 2022 (Official Report, c. 21), when it plans to begin exploratory discussions with the UK Government about new investment zones for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-11502

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether environmental protections would be reduced in any Scottish investment zones.

Question reference: S6W-11501

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether legislative and/or regulatory change would be required to provide for any investment zones in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01485

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made regarding increasing the employment rate for disabled people.

Question reference: S6W-11744

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 October 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress to improve the resilience and capacity of the fleet for the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service.

As I have made clear in recent parliamentary statements, this government is absolutely committed to improving the lifeline ferry fleet and better meeting the needs of island communities.

I indicated in my statement to Parliament on 8 September that I would consider what more could be done to provide additional capacity in the CalMac fleet.

I undertook to involve all parties in next steps relating to Project Neptune and I am pleased that members had the opportunity this week to hear directly from Ernst and Young about their review and the report as part of that work.

I can announce today that additional funding has been prioritised to enable Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) to accelerate the procurement of replacement vessels for the Calmac fleet.

Today, CMAL has launched a procurement for two additional vessels to be constructed to the same specification as the existing vessels currently under construction for Islay. This will significantly accelerate the replacement of the major vessel fleet and also help deliver on our aim of providing a more standardised vessel type that can be used interchangeably on a variety of different routes, providing potential economies of scale and enhanced public value.

It is expected the contract will be awarded before the end of the year. The overall project costs are estimated at around £115 million, including allowance for minor port improvements.

Our intention is that these vessels would be deployed on the Skye triangle routes to Lochmaddy and Tarbert delivering dedicated services to these communities in the peak season rather than the shared vessel operation currently in place. This will also create the opportunity for significantly increased capacity and resilience for the communities of the Western Isles. It will also deliver an additional vessel overall in the Calmac fleet.

This will also allow consideration of all options to deploy Vessel 802 on an alternative route, including potentially alongside her sister ship the MV Glen Sannox on the Arran route which would provide additional capacity on this busy route in the peak season. All the options will be discussed with island communities at the appropriate time.

Transport Scotland, Calmac and CMAL will of course engage with residents, businesses and communities on the detail of how services and timetables for these additional vessels should be deployed to ensure that their needs and interests will be met.

Since this government was elected in May 2021, we have bought and deployed an additional vessel in MV Frisa in June, made significant progress in the construction of vessels 801 and 802, commissioned two new vessels for Islay, progressed investment in essential harbour infrastructure, and now we are delivering a further two new vessels. At the same time we are continuing to work on pursuing all reasonable and appropriate opportunities to enhance capacity and resilience in the short term through second hand vessels. I will update Parliament on progress in that regard as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6W-11233

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what budget it has allocated for (a) the prevention of the destruction of the marine environment and (b) efforts to police marine protection, including by vessels operated by (i) Marine Scotland and (ii) any other authorities.

Question reference: S6W-11264

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to fulfil its commitments to protect nature in Scotland and maintain or exceed EU environmental standards, in light of the reported plans by the UK Government to dismantle laws protecting nature.

The Scottish Government is deeply concerned by, and fundamentally opposed to, the UK Government’s plans to potentially dismantle laws protecting nature as outlined in their Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill. As drafted, the Bill will undermine the Scottish Government’s ability to protect Scotland’s natural environment because unless existing legal protections set out in retained EU law are preserved, they will be removed from the statute book at the end of 2023. In addition it is unacceptable for the UK Government to give itself powers to act in areas of devolved competence. Devolution must be respected.

The Scottish Government will do everything within the powers available to us to prevent such dismantling of laws protecting nature and to protect devolution. We remain fully committed to protecting nature in Scotland and maintaining or enhancing environmental standards. The Scottish Government shall achieve alignment with improvements to EU environmental standards, wherever this is possible and within our interests, including where appropriate through specific powers within the UK Withdrawal from the European Union (Continuity) (Scotland) Act 2021.