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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.

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Question reference: S6O-02208

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent research from the British Dental Association, which shows that 83% of dentists in Scotland expect to reduce the amount of NHS work they do in the year ahead.

Question reference: S6W-16828

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) injuries and (b) deaths were reported in connection with the use of e-scooters on (i) roads and (ii) pavements, in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-16798

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the pathfinder phase for Bairns' Hoose has begun, and, if it is the case that it has not yet commenced, when it will do so.

Question reference: S6W-17319

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the NatureScot publication, Avian Influenza Report on the H5N1 outbreak in wild birds 2020-2023, published on 11 April 2023.

We welcome NatureScot’s Avian Influenza Report on the H5N1 outbreak in wild birds and agree that our priority both now and in the future should be on continued disease surveillance, demographic monitoring and research to inform the long-term management of our wild bird populations in light of HPAI and other pressures.

The Scottish Government will continue working with the Scottish Avian Influenza Task Force to monitor and respond to HPAI in wild birds.

Question reference: S6W-17375

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the prevalence of cryptosporidium in source water, and whether it can provide a list of where it has been detected.

Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite which is found in the gut of warm blooded animals and enters the water environment from faecal matter.

Scottish Water is required to assess the risk of Cryptosporidium in the water sources it uses for drinking water supplies and to design and operate water treatment processes that will remove the parasite or render it harmless. Scottish Water is also required to monitor drinking water supplies for cryptosporidium. The Drinking Water Quality Regulator provides a commentary on treated water detections in her Annual Report. Page 4 of the 2021 report covers Cryptosporidium annual-report-public-supplies-2021.pdf (dwqr.scot)

Question reference: S6W-17437

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to (a) ban and (b) restrict the breeding of the Scottish Fold cat.

The Scottish Government has no plans at this time to ban the breeding of the Scottish Fold cat. The breeding of this particular breed is however restricted under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (the 2021 regulations).

The 2021 Regulations include a licence condition (section 8(4), schedule 2) which states that "no cat may be kept for breeding if it can reasonably be expected, on the basis of its genotype, conformation, behaviour or state of health, that breeding from it could have a detrimental effect on its health or welfare or the health or welfare of its offspring". Given the well documented conformational health issues with this breed, the licensing authority is likely to refuse any application for a licence or a request to vary a licence where the intention is to breed the Scottish Fold. Comprehensive guidance produced for local authorities and cat breeders also makes it clear that persons seeking to breed the Scottish Fold are unlikely to be granted a licence to do so.

Question reference: S6T-01344

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments from the Scottish Solicitors Bar Association that its plans for juryless trials would be an affront to justice and that any proposed pilot could result in boycott action.

Question reference: S6W-16795

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to enact the remaining sections of the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 that are not yet in force.

We remain committed to commencing the Domestic Abuse (Protection) (Scotland) Act 2021 which will provide additional protection for people who are at risk of domestic abuse.

Part 1 of the 2021 Act will provide Police Scotland and the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service with new powers that will enable a person suspected of causing harm to be removed from the home they share some or all of the time with the person at risk of harm, through a scheme of domestic abuse protection notices and orders. This is with the intention of providing breathing space for up to three months so a person at risk can consider their longer term options.

Work to commence Part 1 of the 2021 Act continues to progress with the Act Implementation Board. The Board includes representatives from Police Scotland, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, Scottish Legal Aid Board and Scottish Women's Aid. An Operational Working Group has also been established which includes operational justice partners directly impacted by the legislation. Together the detail is being worked through to consider how a number of aspects of the legislation can best be implemented including how the views of children can be captured in a way that does not cause additional harm or trauma.

Part 2 of the 2021 Act will allow social housing landlords to apply to the court to end a sole tenancy of a perpetrator of domestic abuse or end a perpetrators interest in a joint tenancy, enabling the victim to remain in the family home. The provisions aim to help improve the immediate and longer term housing outcomes of domestic abuse victims living in social housing who wish to continue living in the family home. They also help address the very real concern as to why victims and their families, rather than the perpetrator, should have to leave their homes, belongings and community to seek safety, with the perpetrator remaining undisturbed in the family home.

Work on the wide range of tasks necessary to commence Part 2 of the 2021 Act is progressing as a priority. This includes secondary legislation, changes to court rules and forms, model tenancy agreements and the development of statutory guidance in consultation with stakeholders. The aim is to bring Part 2 of the 2021 Act into force by early 2024, subject to the necessary rules and forms of court also being in place.

Question reference: S6W-17425

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities do not currently have Empty Homes Officers; how long these positions have been vacant for, and whether it will provide an update on whether it still plans for Empty Homes Officer support to be available across all of Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-17317

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is tackling the reported large amount of absenteeism of offenders carrying out unpaid work as part of a Community Payback Order.

Once a Community Payback Order (CPO) has been imposed, its management – including with regard to compliance and attendance – is a matter for the courts and local authority justice social work services.

Managing compliance effectively is critical to achievement of the purposes of a CPO. If an individual does not attend any part of their CPO, this will be investigated by justice social work services. If the reason for absence is not acceptable, this will result in the commencement of a formal warning process, which can result in the case being returned to court under breach procedures, where the court will consider the breach.

Seventy-nine per cent of orders which ended during 2021-22 did not involve any breach applications for the duration of the order. It is up to the independent courts to decide the most appropriate outcome where a CPO has been breached, based on all of the circumstances of the case, and ultimately this may include the imposition of a custodial sentence.