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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-23091

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider reclassifying environmental offences from "Miscellaneous offences" to their own distinct category of offences in its annual Recorded crime in Scotland publications.

During 2019 and 2021 the Scottish Crime Recording Board consulted users on Recorded Crime National Statistics. This included gathering their views on suggested changes to how crimes and offences were grouped within the statistics, and in the way findings are presented within the bulletin. The Recorded crime and police activity statistics consultation: summary of responses was published in March 2022.

As a result of this consultation, the previously named Miscellaneous offences group was split into two groups – Antisocial offences and Miscellaneous offences. The splitting of this group allowed for more detail at the crime category level, including the introduction of an Environmental offences crime category. Since June 2022, recorded crime statistics have been published at both crime group and crime category level, on a quarterly basis.

The Scottish Government do not have any current plans to consult further on the way we present this data, however we would be happy to provide more detailed data on specific crime or offence categories on request.

Question reference: S6W-23088

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15178 by Lorna Slater on 16 March 2023, whether it will provide an update on the work of its Serious & Organised Crime Taskforce in relation to Serious Organised Criminal Gangs (SOCG) activity in waste crime.

Environmental Waste Crime is a priority for the Serious Organised Crime Taskforce (SOCT), which has established an Environmental Waste Crime Working Group to take forward appropriate activity to disrupt the impact of organised crime groups in this sector and reduce the harm they cause to communities. Membership of the Working Group includes SEPA, COPFS, HMRC, NCA, Office of the Traffic Commissioner, Police Scotland and Resource Management Association Scotland.

The SOCT has recently published its Progress Report. The report offers case studies on some of the activity including environmental waste crime, undertaken by the SOCT and partners since March 2020.

Serious Organised Crime Taskforce Progress Report 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-22918

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of the First Minister finding an old mobile phone with WhatsApp messages on it, whether it is the case that the First Minister had reported a mobile phone as missing, and, if it is the case, what steps were taken to address any potential security issues arising from a phone that had been used for government business being unaccounted for.

Question reference: S6W-22917

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22874 by Shona Robison on 8 November 2023, whether it will confirm on what date(s) the First Minister's WhatsApp messages were provided to the UK COVID-19 Inquiry.

Question reference: S6W-22916

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date the First Minister reportedly found an old mobile phone that he had been using during the COVID-19 pandemic for government business.

Question reference: S6W-22923

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of the First Minister finding an old mobile phone with WhatsApp messages on it, (a) for what reason and (b) on what date the First Minister was issued a replacement mobile phone.

Question reference: S6W-22964

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 28 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported comments of Creative Scotland that it remains in the dark regarding the Scottish Government's future funding commitments.

The Scottish Government will take decisions about the allocation of funding in 2024-25 and future years subject to the outcome of the Scottish Budget process and associated approval by the Scottish Parliament.

Once the draft budget is published on 19 December we will engage closely with Creative Scotland and the wider culture sector as we develop plans for the £100m increased investment over the next five years.

Question reference: S6W-22966

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 28 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which of its ministers and officials are attending COP28.

List of Scottish Government Ministers and Senior Civil Servants attending at COP28

Humza Yousaf, First Minister of Scotland

Mairi McAllan, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition

Colin McAllister, Chief of Staff to the First Minister, Co-ordination of the Special Advisers (SpAds) team

Leanne Dobson, Special Adviser Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition

Emily Mackintosh, Senior Communications Special Adviser

Richard Rollison, Director for International Trade and Investment

Jemima Gordon-Duff, Deputy Director International Climate Change

Junior officials are also attending but names are redacted due to the FOI protocol.

In early 2024, the Scottish Government will proactively release a report on COP28 setting out what was achieved, who went, what they did and how much it cost.

Question reference: S6W-22956

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has taken any steps to support NHS boards in implementing a scheme for free period products for NHS workers.

In February 2022, we wrote to Chief Executives of territorial Health Boards asking that they provide free period products for their staff, if they did not already do so. All of them confirmed that these products were available for staff.

As part of the annual Staff Governance Standard Monitoring exercise for 2022-23, Health Boards have been asked how they are ensuring all staff have access to emergency period products in the workplace. Returns from this, are expected on 4 December 2023.

NHS staff can also access period products, free of charge, as and when they are required from either the local authority in which they live or in which they work.

Question reference: S6W-22982

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken, since March 2023, to review the current law on abortion.

The 2023 Programme for Government set out that the Scottish Government will begin a review of abortion law, within specified limits, following the Scottish Parliament’s consideration of the legislation on safe access zones.

The review will aim to identify potential proposals, by the end of this parliamentary term, for reforms to ensure that abortion services are first and foremost a healthcare matter. In addition, initial scoping work to prepare for this review has started.

The Scottish Government has, since March 2023, been supporting Gillian Mackay MSP on her Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) Bill which was introduced into Parliament on 5 October 2023.