Chamber and committees

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: S5F-02290

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 April 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 May 2018

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-02258

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 April 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2018

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-02186

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 March 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 March 2018

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5F-02161

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 March 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2018

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5O-01906

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 March 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported anti-abortion protests near hospitals, what action it is taking to ensure that women are able to access abortion services safely, in privacy and free from harassment.

The Scottish Government believes all women should have access to abortion services as part of routine care, and available free from stigma and harassment.

Whilst the right to public assembly is an important right, such rights must be balanced with the rights of communities affected by any protests to go about their business as undisturbed as possible and without fear for their safety. Any gatherings of this nature must be conducted outside hospital grounds in order to allow the hospital to function, and patients to attend, without disruption.

Police Scotland has powers available to them to deal with any disorder and to ensure that public safety is maintained. The Scottish Government fully supports Police Scotland to take appropriate and proportionate action where necessary to protect public safety.

Question reference: S5W-14686

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 13 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence (a) ministers and (b) officials have had with (i) Smartmatic, (ii) Scytle and (iii) any other suppliers of electronic or online voting systems.

The Scottish Government's Digital Strategy includes a commitment to explore and trial the potential of electronic voting solutions. This follows on from the successful electronic counting of votes in Scotland's local government elections, most recently those held in May 2017.

In addition, our current consultation on Electoral Reform - which is open until‎ 29 March 2018 - invites responses on a range of issues including seeking views on electronic machine voting and online voting.

In the context of this work, to inform our understanding of the electronic voting landscape, in recent months Elections Team officials have had engagement with a wide range of informed stakeholders. Among these stakeholders were several commercial suppliers of electronic voting machines and online voting technology, including Smartmatic and Scytl. This engagement has included both meetings and correspondence with Elections Team officials but not with Scottish Ministers.

I gave the opening address at an event organised jointly by the Scottish Government and Edinburgh University School of Informatics, 'Scotland's Democratic Future: Exploring Electronic Voting'. In addition to electoral practitioners, academics and others, this event was attended by the following e-voting suppliers: UK Engage; Smartmatic; Scytl; Idox; Modern Democracy; and CGI. Details at: https://www.ed.ac.uk/informatics/news-events/seminars/scotland-democratic-future-electronic-voting

It should be noted that, in early 2015, during the procurement exercise to contract a supplier to deliver the e-counting of the 2017 local government elections, there was some engagement with both Scytl and Smartmatic, though this did not include any discussion of electronic voting solutions. Neither of these suppliers submitted a bid for the e-counting contract.

Question reference: S5W-14687

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 13 March 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings (a) ministers and (b) officials have had with (i) Smartmatic, (ii) Scytle and (iii) any other suppliers of electronic or online voting systems; who attended each meeting, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S5F-02112

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 March 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2018

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5W-14589

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5F-02020 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 February 2018 (Official Report, c. 17), what information it holds regarding the targets of non-UK military missions that have been supported by refuelling planes using Prestwick airport since it was taken into public ownership.

Question reference: S5W-14594

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 February 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 28 February 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5F-02020 by Nicola Sturgeon on 8 February 2018 (Official Report, c. 17), what correspondence (a) ministers and (b) Transport Scotland have had with, or about, non-UK military forces and related activities regarding Prestwick airport since it was taken into public ownership.