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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-33388

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which property classes are included in its definition of "hospitality" for its planned 40% non-domestic rates relief scheme for 2025-26.

The Scottish Budget announced 40% hospitality relief in 2025-26 for properties with rateable values up to and including £51,000, and capped at £110,000 per business.

Secondary legislation for this relief will be laid before the Scottish Parliament. It is the Scottish Government's intention that the relief will cover the same property uses as the 100% islands and remote areas hospitality relief in place for 2024-25 as set out in The Non-Domestic Rates (Islands and Remote Areas Hospitality Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, with the additional inclusion of music venues with a capacity of up to 1,500 and rateable values up to and including £51,000.

Question reference: S6W-33291

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants are currently employed in roles related to the deployment of artificial intelligence within the public sector.

The Scottish Government does not hold responsibility for the recording and monitoring of staff grades and structures across the public sector, so we can only respond in relation to our own staffing.

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being used in a number of policy areas and for a diverse range of purposes. Generally these activities will make up a small proportion of a staff members’ daily duties, while AI may be one technology among many deployed for a particular solution, so we only have a small number of staff whose job role is primarily focused on the deployment of AI.

Recently published FOI release (Scottish Government staffing and salary statistics: FOI release - gov.scot) shares that in 2024 we had 6 data scientists, and a wide range of functions involved in the preparation of data, design of digital services, and support functions which could be related to the use or deployment of AI.

Question reference: S6O-04259

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service regarding the setting of mandatory timescales for decisions relating to the charging and prosecution of criminal proceedings.

Question reference: S6W-32883

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the scope and format is for the review commissioned by Public Health Scotland into the potential regulation of alcohol advertising and marketing.

The Scottish Government has commissioned Public Health Scotland (PHS) to undertake an evidence review to support decisions on potential proposals in relation to alcohol marketing and advertising that may be taken forward in future.

The scope of the review will include analysis of published evidence and existing literature. The commission is not seeking delivery of new studies or research.

The review will be delivered independently of Scottish Government and PHS will deliver its conclusions solely on the basis of its assessment of the evidence.

The commissioning document will be published imminently.

Question reference: S6W-32886

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for the review commissioned by Public Health Scotland into the potential regulation of alcohol advertising and marketing.

Question reference: S6W-32562

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23524 by Elena Whitham on 11 December 2023, what engagement has taken place with stakeholders, including those representing business and consumer interests; in the event that no engagement has taken place, whether it still plans to consult with stakeholders on proposals for alcohol marketing, and, if so, (a) when and (b) in what format.

The Scottish Government remains committed to progressing work on protecting children and young people from exposure to alcohol marketing.

Public Health Scotland has been commissioned to undertake a review of the evidence for potential regulation of alcohol advertising and marketing that may be taken forward in future.

On receipt of Public Health Scotland’s findings, the Scottish Government will consider where the evidence supports taking forward a further consultation on a range of targeted proposals. This would include consultation with stakeholders representing business and consumer interests.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with business and industry stakeholders with an interest in alcohol policy.

Question reference: S6W-32885

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much the review commissioned by Public Health Scotland into the potential regulation of alcohol advertising and marketing will cost.

Question reference: S6W-32884

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the review commissioned by Public Health Scotland into the potential regulation of alcohol advertising and marketing will involve (a) calls for evidence and (b) stakeholder evidence sessions.

The evidence review undertaken by Public Health Scotland (PHS) will focus solely on existing literature, studies and research in order to set out potential areas of action on alcohol marketing and advertising. The commission is not seeking to develop or deliver new studies or research.

PHS will have independence in developing its review structure, resources and methods upon identifying its requirements for delivering this strand of work, ensuring that quality, integrity and transparency are achieved.

Question reference: S6W-32705

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 15 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questions S6W-30147 and S6W-31340 by Ivan McKee on 11 November and 21 November 2024 respectively, what the estimated cost would be in 2025-26, broken down by industry sector.

Question reference: S6W-32450

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32009 by Ivan McKee on 17 December 2024, whether it is accounting for inflation through business rate increases and, if so, what the reason is for taking this approach rather than through changes to rateable value.

The answer to question S6W-32009 shows the additional income arising from the Intermediate Property Rate being set at 55.4p in 2025-26, compared to setting it at 54.5p, keeping rateable values and all other variables constant.

Generally, rateable values only tend to change at revaluations which take place every three years, with the next one scheduled for 1 April 2026. Outwith revaluations, rateable values may change due to factors such as property expansions or improvements, changes due to proposals or appeals, or additions and deletions of property entries from the Valuation Roll.

In Scotland, there is no legislation linking the maximum possible uprating of the rates to inflation in the preceding year. Given that Scottish Ministers have chosen to set the Basic Property Rate to match or be below the Small Business Multiplier in England since 2007-2008, up until 2016-2017, September Retail Price Index (RPI) acted as a cap on inflationary increases in poundage in Scotland because in England, legislation used to link the maximum possible uprating of the Small Business Multiplier to September RPI of the preceding year. The independent Barclay Review of Non-Domestic Rates published in 2017 noted calls for increases in the poundage to be linked to the CPI rather than the RPI. Since 2017-18, annual changes in the rates in Scotland have been lower than the CPI increase.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers