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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: S6O-03349

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to deliver a safer speed limit of 20 mph by 2025 on all appropriate roads in built-up areas.

Question reference: S6W-26877

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the economic and creative growth of Scotland’s unscripted screen sector.

Question reference: S6W-26480

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jackson Carlaw (on behalf of the SPCB) on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body (SPCB) whether SPCB staff are permitted to wear disability awareness lanyards.

Colleagues with adjustment passports can wear Sunflower lanyards and/or pins or badges but must also wear a parliament issued purple lanyard.

It’s estimated that 70-80% of disabilities are hidden, including physical and mental health, sensory such as visual, auditory and processing difficulties, chronic conditions, and rare diseases. The SPCB want to make it easier for staff and visitors who have a non-visible disability to get the support they need. SPCB staff have been trained to recognise the Sunflower and offer help or adjustments as part of our existing reasonable adjustment process.

Question reference: S6W-26412

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of the pilot of the NHS Education for Scotland training module on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Question reference: S6W-26413

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 9 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on funding commitments for the research priorities identified in the report of the James Lind Alliance's Priority Setting Partnership for myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), which was published in May 2022.

The Scottish Government has no plans to create specific funding commitments for the research priorities identified in the report of the JLA PSP on ME/CFS

Within the Scottish Government, funding of Health and Care Research comes under the remit of the Chief Scientist Office (CSO).

The CSO's Translational Clinical Studies (TCS) Committee and Health Improvement, Protection and Services Research (HIPS) Committee each meet twice per year to consider funding applications. Details of the application process are published on the CSO website.

https://www.cso.sc ot.nhs.uk/grant-funding/response-mode-funding-schemes/

Applications on the underlying causes, diagnosis, treatment and management of ME/CFS are welcomed. Any such applications would go through CSO's standard independent expert review process to allow funding decisions to be made.

Through UK-wide funding agreements, researchers based in Scotland are able to access research funding programmes administered by the National Institute for Health & Care Research (NIHR). Within their individual remits, these programmes can consider applications for research in ME/CFS. CSO is working with the health research community in Scotland to ensure awareness of these opportunities and to maximise the number of high quality applications from Scotland to the NIHR research funding programmes going forward.

Question reference: S6W-26190

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 4 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding its work to support the enhancement of Channel 4's operations in Scotland, what its position is on Channel 4’s reported proposals to Ofcom for it to retain its 91% production quota for England and introduce a 65% London quota, and what representation it has made to (a) Channel 4 and (b) Ofcom regarding these proposals.

While the Scottish Government welcomes Channel 4’s progress to enhance its operations in Scotland, in particular with the creation of a creative hub in Glasgow in 2019, it has been our long-held view that Channel 4 should have a higher quota for network production commissioned from Scotland and our position remains that the quota should be based on population share, in terms of both hours and spend.

The Scottish Government’s view is that Ofcom’s current proposals to retain Channel 4’s 91% production quota for England and introduce a 65% London quota are unacceptable and we have made that clear in our response to Ofcom’s consultation. At a recent meeting with Ofcom’s Chief Executive, I restated that view and strongly urged a rethink of the current proposals. I also intend to meet with Channel 4 Chief Executive in the coming weeks to set out our expectation that Channel 4 makes considerable progress towards increasing its level of network production outside of London and from the nations, on a fairer basis.

The Scottish Government considers it vital that more productions are devised and produced in Scotland to support the creative economy and so that Scotland’s diverse communities see themselves reflected in its output. We strongly believe that broadcasting media should deliver for each part of the UK, with fair investment in our creative industries, and an appropriately authentic representation for Scottish audiences, and we will continue to make those views clear in our engagement with broadcasters, Ofcom and the UK Government.

Question reference: S6W-26411

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to create a working group with relevant stakeholders on the implementation of the NICE guidance on myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

Question reference: S6W-26410

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the Fair Fares Review will be published.

The Scottish Government is pleased to announce that today we will publish the Fair Fares Review.

The Review sets out a range of actions to be taken in the short, medium and long term to make our public transport system more available, accessible and affordable to the people of Scotland, and ensure that it is of high quality, whilst maintaining its long term financial sustainability.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank those stakeholders and delivery partners who have engaged with Transport Scotland on the Review. I look forward to working with them as we progress the Review`s recommendations and actions and make public transport the preferred choice for most people in Scotland.

The Fair Fares Review can be found at:- www.transport.gov.scot/fairfaresreview

Question reference: S6W-25794

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22254 by Gillian Martin on 30 October 2023, whether it will provide an update on what measures have been implemented to manage non-native gamebird releases where there is potential for highly pathogenic avian influenza transmission from infected gamebirds to (a) native wild birds, (b) other wildlife, (c) dogs and (d) the shooting community.

On 11 August 2023, Ministers launched the Wild Bird HPAI Response Plan that sets out how the Scottish Government and its partners will respond to any further outbreaks of HPAI in wild birds in Scotland, and this plan remains a live one, with the aim of incorporating evolving science and advice from epidemiologists, virologists and wildlife experts.

Instances of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 amongst captive birds and wild birds have reduced significantly in Scotland. Since the beginning of the current HPAI outbreak season on 1 October 2023, there have two infected premises in Scotland (both in November 2023) and seven positive findings of the virus in wild birds (with only one finding in 2024).

However, we are aware of the virus continuing to circulate in other parts of Great Britain and Europe, and the risk level for the virus associated with wild birds remains at medium across Great Britain, whereas it is low for kept birds. The Scottish Government continues to promote best practice biosecurity measures to all involved in the game industry, through various forms of media, including regular biosecurity and industry stakeholder meetings.

Question reference: S6W-25832

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it encourages the installation of solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage.

Actions which we have taken and are undertaking to enable greater deployment of solar in Scotland are provided in Annex G of the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

Through our Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme, domestic owner occupiers in Scotland can claim funding for solar PV and energy storage systems. More information can be found on the HES website - Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan: overview · Home Energy Scotland .

As part of its programme, the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) provides rolling funding which supports communities, charities, and faith organisations to decarbonise their buildings and reduce energy bills. This includes solar PV and energy storage, where decarbonised heating has also been installed. Let's Do Net Zero Community Buildings Fund · Local Energy Scotland

To support the development of battery energy storage solutions (BESS), the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) has already invested £6.6 million in Aberdeen-based firm Verlume, whose multi-use BESS technology uses intelligent energy management to deliver a constant output of power from renewable sources.