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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-03787

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on building new nuclear fusion plants.

Question reference: S6W-03786

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of five of the 15 potential sites being in Scotland, what its position is on the proposed prototype fusion energy plant being considered by the UK Government for one of these sites.

The UK Atomic Energy Authority’s (UKAEA) has identified five potential site for the UK’s first prototype nuclear fusion reactor. This includes one location in Scotland at Ardeer. The Scottish energy strategy, published in December 2017, confirmed the Scottish Government’s continued opposition to new nuclear stations under current technologies. Our priority continues to be to support energy efficiency, develop Scotland’s huge renewable resource and to promote storage and flexibility.

Question reference: S6O-00369

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a full assessment of the outcomes of the COP26 discussions and the implications for Scotland’s energy strategy.

The Scottish Government will consider in detail the decisions and outcomes from the COP26 Summit, as well as the comprehensive Scottish Government programme that is running alongside. Our forthcoming draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will take a whole-system view of the energy sector and highlight our commitment to ensuring that the transition to net zero is inclusive, creates good green jobs, is fair for all, and that no one is left behind. It will provide an early opportunity for Scotland to build on the agreements and priorities that emerge from COP.

Question reference: S6O-00382

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to encourage people to use public transport rather than cars.

Question reference: S6W-03751

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether a digital sales tax will be included in its forthcoming Retail Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-03748

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the introduction of a digital sales tax.

Question reference: S6W-03750

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government within what timeframe it anticipates its Retail Strategy will be published.

The Scottish Government is working with retail businesses, trade unions, academia, public sector and trade organisations to develop a Retail Strategy that will enable the retail sector in Scotland to play its part in creating a fairer, greener and stronger Scotland. The Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth Building made a statement to Scottish Parliament on 26 October confirming that the Retail Strategy will be published later this year.

Question reference: S6W-03749

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 8 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with the UK Government regarding the introduction of a digital sales tax in Scotland.

There has been no discussion between the UK and Scottish Governments over the introduction of a digital sales tax in Scotland. The Scottish Government is closely monitoring the UK Government’s planned forthcoming consultation on the arguments for and against an online sales tax, as announced in its final report to their fundamental review of business rates published alongside the UK Budget on 27 October.

Question reference: S6W-03866

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding implementation of the Ivory Act 2018.

Scottish Ministers, alongside Scottish Government officials, have been in regular contact with the UK Government to bring forward legislation to implement the Ivory Act 2018 later this winter. The ban is then expected to come into force in Spring 2022.

The Scottish Government is required to obtain approval from the Scottish Parliament to proceed with proposals by Scottish Ministers to consent to the making of UK secondary legislation affecting devolved areas. I wrote to the Rural Affairs, Islands and Natural Environment Committee in September with notification of our intent to proceed with this secondary legislation. Formal consent to proceed with the legislation is then possible, once the Committee has given it due consideration.

Question reference: S6W-03819

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 8 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many people it currently employs on a temporary basis in each of its directorates.

The following table shows the number of directly employed staff on Fixed-Term appointment contracts at 30 June 2021, broken down by Directorate. These are our most recently published data.

DG	Directorate	30-Jun-21
		Fixed Term Appt
DG CEA	DIRECTORATE FOR CONSTITUTION AND CABINET	1
	DIRECTORATE FOR COVID CO-ORDINATION	10
	DIRECTORATE FOR EXTERNAL AFFAIRS	1
	DIRECTORATE FOR ORGANISATIONAL READINESS	5
	PARLIAMENTARY COUNSEL OFFICE	2
DG COM	DIRECTORATE FOR EQUALITY, INCLUSION & HUMAN RIGHTS	4
	DIRECTORATE FOR HOUSING AND SOCIAL JUSTICE	5
	DIRECTORATE FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND COMMUNITIES	8
	DIRECTORATE FOR SOCIAL SECURITY	15
DG CORP	DIRECTORATE FOR COMMUNICATIONS AND MINISTERIAL SUPPORT	18
	DIRECTORATE FOR DIGITAL	24
	DIRECTORATE FOR FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT	1
	DIRECTORATE FOR LEGAL SERVICES (SOLICITOR TO THE SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT)	11
	DIRECTORATE FOR PEOPLE	15
DG ECON	DIRECTORATE FOR AGRICULTURE AND RURAL ECONOMY (ARE)	10
	DIRECTORATE FOR CHIEF ECONOMIST	2
	DIRECTORATE FOR COVID BUSINESS RESILIENCE AND SUPPORT	7
	DIRECTORATE FOR CULTURE, TOURISM AND MAJOR EVENTS	2
	DIRECTORATE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT	2
	DIRECTORATE FOR ENERGY AND CLIMATE CHANGE	9
	DIRECTORATE FOR FAIR WORK, EMPLOYABILITY AND SKILLS	6
	DIRECTORATE FOR MARINE SCOTLAND	18
DG EJ	DIRECTORATE FOR ADVANCED LEARNING AND SCIENCE	1
	DIRECTORATE FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES	5
	DIRECTORATE FOR EARLY LEARNING & CHILDCARE	1
	DIRECTORATE FOR JUSTICE	4
	DIRECTORATE FOR LEARNING	4
	DIRECTORATE FOR SAFER COMMUNITIES	11
DG HLTHSC	DG HLTHSC	2
	DIRECTORATE FOR CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER	4
	DIRECTORATE FOR CHIEF NURSING OFFICER	8
	DIRECTORATE FOR COMMUNITY HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE	7
	DIRECTORATE FOR COVID PUBLIC HEALTH	29
	DIRECTORATE FOR DIGITAL REFORM AND SERVICE ENGAGEMENT	6
	DIRECTORATE FOR HEALTH FINANCE, CORPORATE GOVERNANCE & VALUE	4
	DIRECTORATE FOR HEALTH PERFORMANCE AND DELIVERY	3
	DIRECTORATE FOR HEALTH WORKFORCE	8
	DIRECTORATE FOR HEALTHCARE QUALITY AND IMPROVEMENT	4
	DIRECTORATE FOR MENTAL HEALTH	6
	DIRECTORATE FOR MENTAL HEALTH AND SOCIAL CARE	30
	DIRECTORATE FOR POPULATION HEALTH	7
	DIRECTORATE FOR PRIMARY CARE	2
Total		322
Directorates with no fixed term appointment staff are not listed