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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-27733

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it logs and collates incidents of dog attacks in each local authority area to understand the extent of any problem.

The Scottish Government does not collate data on dog attacks broken down by local authority area.

However, Public Health Scotland collects data provided by NHS Health Boards on the number of inpatient and day case admissions to hospital where a diagnosis of dog attack (bite or strike) was recorded.

I would refer you to the answer given to question S6W-24486 on 24 January 2024 for the available data from 2004 to 2022.

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-27734

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what research has been undertaken into whether dog harnesses are as effective at controlling aggressive dogs as leads.

There are various research papers that that can be found online that are relevant in this area. This includes : Dog Pulling on the Leash: Effects of Restraint by a Neck Collar vs. a Chest Harness - PMC (nih.gov) .

In addition, there are papers on the behavioural and biomechanical effects of using harnesses from a welfare perspective, for instance: Effect of harness design on the biomechanics of domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) — SRUC, Scotland's Rural College

Question reference: S6W-27644

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on (a) what the outcomes were of the Lifting the Spirit trial at Elgin in 2013 and (b) whether it was operationally successful, and what it did to build on that trial.

The movement of freight is a commercial matter and the Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our 2016 rail freight strategy, and put into practice with significant investment, a freight-first approach, and through our regulatory rail freight growth targets. The Lifting the Spirit Trial at Elgin in 2013 was led by regional transport partnership HITRANS, in partnership with the Scotch Whisky Association, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Moray Council and the EU Food Port. Their report is publicly available with lessons learnt. It is for the industry to lead on any follow up activities and Network Rail remains engaged with the industry through the Scotland Freight Joint Board and works with Freight Operating Companies and Freight End Users to enable modal shift to rail.

Question reference: S6W-27645

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the trial in 2020 of bringing timber out of Caithness by rail has not been meaningfully followed up, in light of it reportedly being successful.

The movement of freight is a commercial matter and the Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our 2016 rail freight strategy, and put into practice with significant investment, a freight-first approach, and through our regulatory rail freight growth targets. The 2020 timber by rail trial in the Far North of Scotland proved the concept and provided lessons for the industry on the Scottish timber market, rolling stock/wagon capability and availability, operational considerations and the finances/economics of moving timber by rail. It is for the industry to lead on any follow up activities and Network Rail remains engaged with the industry through the Scotland Freight Joint Board and works with Freight Operating Companies and Freight End Users to enable modal shift to rail.

Question reference: S6W-27681

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of providing (a) bus and (b) taxi replacement services for any cancelled scheduled ScotRail train services in financial year (i) 2021-22, (ii) 2022-23 and (iii) 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-27684

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2024

Question reference: S6W-27680

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 June 2024

Question reference: S6W-27736

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consequences a dog might face where it attacks and physically injures a pedestrian.

There are powers available under a range of legislation that can be used depending on the specific situation. This is ultimately a matter for those involved in enforcing the law to decide based on the facts and circumstances of each individual case.

However, a dog that attacks and injures someone faces being seized, and could ultimately be destroyed. For example, where a dog owner has been found guilty of possessing a dangerously out of control dog under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991, the court has a range of options available to it when sentencing. This includes imposing a destruction order in relation to the dog in question. These are matters for the independent court to decide upon in any given case.

Question reference: S6W-27643

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 31 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on freight movements commencing or ending at (a) Craiginches Down and (b) Raith’s Farm, and what it is doing to increase the use of these facilities.

The movement of freight is a commercial matter and the Scottish Government’s leadership in support for rail freight is outlined in our 2016 rail freight strategy, and put into practice with significant investment, a freight-first approach, and through our regulatory rail freight growth targets. The Scottish Government does not hold detailed information on day to day rail freight movements but is aware that for both sites there is currently no traffic. Network Rail remains engaged with the industry through the Scotland Freight Joint Board and works with Freight Operating Companies and Freight End Users to enable modal shift to rail.

Question reference: S6O-03534

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reconsidered collating information on the number of children who are “missing from education”, in light of its reported failure to do so to date.