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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-06398

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is (a) taking and (b) planning to take in relation to the future of HMP Kilmarnock.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

Following the decision by Scottish Ministers to transfer HMP Kilmarnock Prison to the public sector on expiry of the 25-year contract on 16 March 2024, SPS will become responsible for the management and operation of the establishment.

In preparation for this transfer:

(a) SPS is in continued dialogue with the contractor KPSL, and their sub-contractor, Serco Justice Services. SPS has also been engaging with surveyors to carry out Dilapidation Surveys of the existing site.

(b) The management of the transfer of HMP Kilmarnock into public ownership, will be undertaken by SPS. As part of this work SPS will liaise with key partners and Third sector service providers to ensure the transfer is successfully concluded.

Question reference: S6W-06397

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether any discussions on the future of HMP Kilmarnock will include the trade union, Community, which reportedly represents the majority of prison staff.

Question reference: S6W-06273

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government which organisations it (a) has met and (b) plans to meet, to discuss the draft Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.

The list of organisations that were met with ahead of the consultation on the draft Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill are included in the published consultation document .

Since the consultation on the draft Bill was published in December 2019 meetings have been held with the following organisations:

Bayswater Support Group

Office of the Children and Young People’s Commissioner

Engender

Equality and Human Rights Commission

Equality Network and Scottish Trans

Fair Play for Women

Faith and Belief Representatives Group

For Women Scotland

Frontline Feminists Scotland

LGB Alliance

LGBT Health and Wellbeing

LGBT Youth Scotland

Murray Blackburn Mackenzie

National Records of Scotland

Scottish Civil Justice Council

Scottish Human Rights Commission

Scottish Women’s Aid

Stonewall Scotland

Transgender Trend

Woman’s Place UK

Women and Girls in Scotland

Women’s Declaration International, Scotland

Women Speak Scotland

Women Voting With Our Feet

Currently, meetings have been scheduled but are yet to take place with the following organisations:

Free Church of Scotland

Scottish Feminist Network

Question reference: S6F-00886

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-00819

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the creation of a development and recovery agency for Glasgow.

The Glasgow Regional Economic Partnership recently published a Regional Recovery Strategy for the area which aligns closely with the priorities outlined in our National Strategy for Economic Transformation published earlier this week.

Assisting with the City Centre recovery is the Glasgow City Centre Task Force which Scottish ministers work closely with on economic recovery and Glasgow City Council has been allocated £2.6m from the City Centre Recovery Fund to take forward local priorities.

The Scottish Government works closely with the Regional Economic Partnership and the Glasgow City Centre Task Force and we value their knowledge and expertise and do not believe a further Agency is required given the existing arrangements.

Question reference: S6O-00850

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-06657

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 18 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason nightclubs are reportedly being refused grants from the Nightclub Closure Fund on the basis that their music is not louder than 85 decibels.

The Nightclub Closure Fund was available to nightclubs for support with meeting staffing costs for the period during which they were required to close between the 27 December and 24 January 2022. In order to qualify for this funding, businesses were required to meet eligibility as set out in guidance. This included the requirement to be trading as a nightclub as of the 20 December. In order to prove this, businesses were asked to confirm that they met five conditions including that their licence confirmed that the music exceeded 85DB after 1am. Where this was not the case businesses have been asked to provide further evidence of this.

Following notification of a decision on their applications, businesses were able to ask for this decision to be reviewed, including where this has been due to out of date information contained on licensing details.

There have been 25 reviews requested; 14 decisions overturned, 6 of these where the reason for rejection was noise levels and upon receipt of further information have been overturned. In addition 11 decision have been reviewed and upheld.

Question reference: S6W-05736

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what further funding it will provide to outdoor education centres in light of the reported reduced uptake from schools and short-notice cancellations as a result of COVID-19 restrictions.

Question reference: S6W-05689

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what documents are required when making an application under the Young Persons' Free Bus Travel Scheme.

People applying for a Young Persons Free Bus Travel National Entitlement Card (NEC) card are asked to provide 'proof of person' (the young person's name and age) and proof of residence (where the young person lives). For those aged 11 and over a digital photograph is required.

Young people aged 16 and over apply for the new NEC card themselves, whilst parents or guardians apply on behalf of children aged 5-15.

Full details of the acceptable proofs for the Young Persons Free Bus Travel Scheme are listed on the NEC website at Proofs | National Entitlement Card (nec.scot).

Question reference: S6O-00701

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what oversight role it plans to take over the Clyde Metro project, in order to support its timely delivery.