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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-04468

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of (a) an alcohol-related and (b) a drug driving offence in each of the last two years, broken down by Police Scotland operational division.

The Scottish Government criminal proceedings database does not hold information based on Police Scotland operational divisions.

The latest available information on the number of people convicted for ‘driving under the influence’ is published in the ‘Criminal Proceedings in Scotland – 2019-20’ statistical bulletin, table 4(b). A breakdown of the various crime types that make up this category is provided in the following table, please note that we are unable to separate alcohol related offences from drug related offences in some crime groups.

People convicted of offences related to driving under the influence¹, by crime type, 2018-19 to 2019-20

Main crime or offence	2018-19	2019-20
Total convicted	3,552	3,385
Driving motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs	315	303
Driving motor vehicle with blood alcohol content above prescribed limit	2,548	2,451
Driving motor vehicle while under influence of controlled drug above prescribed limit	-	4
In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drink/drugs	34	42
In charge of motor vehicle while blood alcohol content above limit	209	178
Failure to provide breath specimen at the roadside	42	43
Failure to provide breath, blood or urine specimen at police station	404	364

1. Where main charge.

Source: Scottish Government criminal proceedings database

Information on the number of people convicted for ‘causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink/drugs’ can be found under the 'Supporting documents' to the aforementioned bulletin at this link Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2019-20 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Question reference: S6F-00467

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what consideration the Scottish Government has given to increasing the minimum unit price for alcohol.

Question reference: S6O-00408

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what assistance it will provide to MSPs to make improvements to the ventilation of their local offices, in order to support their reopening when that decision is taken.

Question reference: S6W-03873

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 29 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing legislation similar to the Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992, particularly in relation to allowing homeowners temporary access to neighbouring land to carry out repairs or maintenance to their property.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to change the legislation in this area.

In relation to flatted properties, section 17 of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 gives homeowners reasonable access for maintenance and other purposes through the property of other owners. Section 17 may be viewed at:-

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2004/11/contents

There is no equivalent legislation for non-flatted properties. In some cases, title deeds, servitude rights over neighbouring land or the common law may provide the necessary access rights. Access to neighbouring land might also be permitted by way of a private arrangement between individuals. Where parties are in dispute, mediation can sometimes provide assistance.

If however, the member has evidence that a change in the law would be helpful, I would be happy to consider the issue further.

Question reference: S6O-00274

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring engagement across government with the public, private and third sectors to ensure that the experiences of people providing frontline support to the most vulnerable help shape the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-00246

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken with Inverclyde Council to encourage business development and inward investment into Inverclyde.

Question reference: S6O-00206

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any plans to reintroduce a full GP out-of-hours service in Inverclyde.

Question reference: S6W-02824

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the potential impact of COVID-19 vaccine certification on people who were recorded, following an investigation via the Yellow Card Scheme, as having had an adverse reaction to their first dose, and did not therefore receive a second dose for medical reasons.

We are developing an approval process for medical exemptions. It is important to say that the number of people for whom vaccination cannot be safely completed with the right support will be very small. Reasons for exemptions would be medical contraindications that might include severe anaphylactic reaction across the range of vaccines and those receiving end of life care. The detail of how this will work will be finalised and published before implementation.

Question reference: S6W-02836

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle sectarianism in Scotland.

The Scottish Government continues to take forward the recommendations of the Advisory Group on Tackling Sectarianism in Scotland which were reviewed positively by Professor Duncan Morrow in March 2017. The work has been focussed and delivered through education projects in schools, colleges, communities and workplaces for children and adults.

It is important that we all take responsibility to do more to rid Scotland of bigotry and prejudice. The Scottish Government is fully committed to tackling sectarianism in Scotland and have invested an unprecedented £15 million since 2012 including £557,000 in 2021- 22.

Question reference: S6O-00143

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Ferguson Marine regarding the building of vessels for CMAL.