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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.

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Question reference: S6W-26904

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is reviewing the performance of the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel scheme.

Since the Under 22s Scheme launched in January 2022, over 130 million free bus journeys have been made by over 700,000 cardholders across Scotland. This landmark policy is already helping young people and families with children cut costs for everyday and leisure travel, while at the same time helping to protect our climate. Scotland-wide free bus travel schemes for Young People and for Older and Disabled people provide access to free bus travel to a larger percentage of the population than schemes elsewhere in the UK.

In line with other travel/transport schemes, Transport Scotland are conducting process, impact and outcome evaluations of the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel scheme.

A baseline study to establish travel behaviour and seek to understand the attitudes and perceptions of young people towards travel was undertaken prior to implementation of the scheme. This report was published on the Transport Scotland website on 24 June 2022. Following this, a Year One Evaluation of the scheme was conducted between April and August 2023 and the report was published on the Transport Scotland website on 14 December 2023.

The next stage of the evaluation of the scheme is planned for 2025, three years after opening, and will focus on longer-term impacts of the scheme and whether any behaviour change has been sustained.

Question reference: S6W-26560

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it next plans to review the amount paid, per apprentice, to (a) colleges and (b) independent learning providers to deliver apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6W-26558

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding is made available to colleges to deliver apprenticeships.

In 2022-23 Skills Development Scotland provided Colleges with funding of £11,927,213 for the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships.

In addition, Colleges utilise credits to support the delivery of Modern Apprenticeships. Any credits used by colleges must comply with the Credit Guidance issued by the Scottish Funding Council.

In 2022-23 the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland provided Colleges £10,501,763 for the delivery of Foundation Apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6W-26559

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much total funding is made available to independent learning providers to deliver apprenticeships.

Question reference: S6O-03361

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence is conducted by Home Energy Scotland when selecting recommended suppliers to install energy efficiency improvements that are supported by Scottish Government funding.

Question reference: S6F-03010

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 April 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to reports of significant financial pressures within NHS Lothian and NHS Borders.

Question reference: S6W-25834

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB) on 5 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has provided an office-holder resettlement grant to the former Cabinet Secretary for NHS Recovery, Health and Social Care, following his resignation; whether it has been informed of any intention to decline or return such a grant, and, if this is not the case, (a) whether such a grant will be provided in instalments or by lump-sum payment and (b) when any such payment(s) is/are due.

The SPCB is required under the Scottish Parliamentary Pensions Act 2009, Schedule 2, to pay an Office Holder resettlement grant to an individual who –

(a) stops being the holder of a pensionable office, and

(b) is not appointed as the holder of a pensionable office during the following 90 days.

Under the Act, there is no provision to withhold or refuse the payment. Payment of the resettlement grant is made as a one-off lump sum payment on the next available pay day after the 90 days have lapsed.

Question reference: S6F-02813

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Scottish Information Commissioner’s intervention into its use and retention of informal communications, in light of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.

Question reference: S6W-24466

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 25 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which external consulting firms are working or advising on preparations for a National Care Service, and what the cost of any such contracts (a) has been to date and (b) is projected to be in the 2024-25 financial year.

a) A list of external consulting firms engaged to provide consultancy for research, co-design, engagement, and external support, and the cost of these contracts to date is provided in the following table.

These figures are as of 15 January and are provisional and subject to adjustment prior to and at year-end. Further costs may be incurred before the year-end.

Supplier Awarded Contract	Contract Expenditure to Date
Anderson Anderson Brown LLP (AAB)	£54,605
Anderson Anderson Brown LLP (AAB)	£26,220
Deloitte	£80,400
KPMG	£655,200
PwC	£82,032
PwC	£107,021
Socitm (Society for Innovation, Technology and Modernisation)	£380,778
Storm ID	£56,760
Capgemini Invents	£58,800
Capgemini Invents	£406,476
IPSOS Mori	£103,800
This is Milk	£30,376
This is Milk	£12,240
Civic Computing	£74,880
Total Contract Expenditure to Date	£2,153,762

There are two contracts in the preceding table totalling £24,174 that are attributed to the consultancy costs, but which do not relate to the NCS. These are included in total contract expenditure to date, but are not reported individually.

A further invoice of £12,240 relating to services provided by This is Milk is anticipated to be received before the end of the financial year.

b) No estimate of consultancy expenditure for financial year 2024-25 has been finalised, and no consultancy expenditure has been committed to for that year.

Question reference: S6W-24376

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 17 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions took place between the Minister for Housing and the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and their officials regarding the proposed reduction to spending on housing in its 2024-25 Budget.