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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-35476

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact of proposed employer national insurance charge increases on GP practices in Scotland, including whether there is an option for applying exemption thresholds.

Scottish Government continues to call on the UK Government for analysis and mitigation of the impact of National Insurance changes on all commissioned services in the public sector, including GP practices.

Since the Autumn Statement published on 30 October 2024, Scottish Government has made continued representation to the UK Government on the significant impact that the changes will have on the health and social care landscape. In particular we note the continued inequity which leaves many commissioned services unable to claim the Employment Allowance, despite its extension to more businesses from 6 April due to the relaxations announced in the Budget.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government wrote to the Chief Secretary to the Treasury last month again highlighting the risks to GPs and other contractors and asking for specific consideration and review of the Employment Allowance to allow them to claim this relief. She further pressed the Chief Secretary on the impact of the National Insurance changes in a meeting on 27 February.

It remains the view of Scottish Government that mitigations are essential to safeguard existing service provision, and that greater recognition is needed of the impact to these vital public services – and the people who rely on them – if appropriate compensatory funding or extension of existing tax reliefs is not afforded.

Question reference: S6O-04467

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 March 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is adequate access to support in schools for children with additional support needs in island areas, including the Orkney constituency.

Question reference: S6W-35477

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to renegotiate the current GP contract.

Question reference: S6W-35220

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which contractors bid to build HMP Highland.

Question reference: S6W-35219

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since 2011 was the timescale for the completion of HMP Highland communicated to it, and what the estimated timescale was at each update.

There has been regular communication between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service on HMP Highland, including time-scales for completion, since 2011, in line with updates to the Infrastructure Investment Plan.

In December 2011 the Scottish Government was updated that completion dates for HMP Highland were uncertain.
In October 2015 the Scottish Government was updated that estimated operational date was 2019.
In September 2016 the Scottish Government was updated that estimated operational date was 2020.
In July 2018 the Scottish Government was updated that estimated operational date was 2021.
In April 2019 the Scottish Government was updated that estimated operational date was 2023.
In September 2020 the Scottish Government was updated that estimated operational date was 2024.
In September 2022 the Scottish Government was updated that estimated operational date was 2025.
In February 2024 the Scottish Government was updated that the most likely time-scale for construction completion was 2026.

Question reference: S6W-35224

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what additional resources it will provide to prison officers working in overcrowded conditions at HMP Inverness until the new replacement prison is completed.

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

I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-35129 on 4 March 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-35218

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates since 2011 were any costs of HMP Highland communicated to the Scottish Government, and what the estimated costs were on each date.

There has been regular communication between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service on HMP Highland, including costs, since 2011, in line with updates to the Infrastructure Investment Plan.

In September 2011 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £52m.
In August 2014 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £62.8m.
In December 2015 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £66m.
In July 2018 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £73.9m.
In November 2018 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £80.5m.
In March 2020 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £92m.
In February 2021 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £98m - £110m.
In July 2022 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland was estimated at £139.5m.
In February 2024 the Scottish Government was updated that the total capital investment for HMP Highland would be £209m.

Question reference: S6W-35216

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 10 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have been given early release from HMP Barlinnie in each month since January 2022.

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

SPS have proactively published a range of data relating to Emergency Release (ER) on SPS Website, this includes a recently published a summary report of ER returns to custody data.

We continue to be as open and transparent as possible, whilst continuing to meet our statutory obligation to ensure that those in our care have their personal information protected; as such we have taken the decision not to publish a breakdown of establishments of those released under the ER scheme as some of the data could relate to a small group of individuals, which may lead to their inadvertent identification.

Question reference: S6W-35288

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 7 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to question S6O-04224 and the two supplementary questions by Jim Fairlie on 22 January 2025, whether it will provide an update on the assurances that, under the proposed changes to the schedule 1 bird monitoring licence conditions, in cases where it is not reasonably practicable for fieldworkers to provide written notification to landowners of monitoring activity, notification can be provided through NatureScot’s licensing division.

Question reference: S6W-35287

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 February 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 7 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ask NatureScot to meet with the Scottish Raptor Study Group to discuss concerns around proposed changes to the schedule 1 bird monitoring licence conditions.