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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: S6W-31107

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the trust provisions within the Trusts and Succession (Scotland) Act 2024 will come into force.

The following provisions of the Act have come into force

Section 76 dealing with the effect of divorce, dissolution or annulment on special destination;
Section 77 involving the rights of succession to intestate estate respectively;
Section 7, under which an unfit trustee may be removed by the court for the purposes of section 8; and,
Parts of section 9 concerning removal from office by a majority of co-trustees of a trustee who is no longer a member of a regulated profession or entitled to practice, and who was appointed or assumed to provide professional services in managing the trust, together with sections 13 and 14 by which decisions on the removal of a professional trustee by co-trustees are to be governed for these purposes.

The remaining provisions of the Act will come into force in due course although no decision has been taken about a date for that. The decision on when to commence the rest of the provisions generally is closely related to ongoing work with UK Government regarding the provisions covering the reserved matter of pension trusts.

Question reference: S6W-31026

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the prevalence of (a) non-payment of taxi and private hire fares and (b) abusive and violence conduct towards taxi and private hire drivers by members of the public.

Taxis and private hire cars (PHCs) are a vital part of transport networks for citizens, businesses and visitors across Scotland, and all taxi and PHC drivers should be able to go about their work without the threat of any violence and abuse from their customers.

Taxis and PHCs are licensed under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (“the 1982 Act”). While the Scottish Government has responsibility for the overarching legislation, the day to day administration of the licensing regime, as set out in the 1982 Act, is devolved to independent licensing authorities – in effect the 32 Scottish local authorities.

Within this context, any reports of non-payment of fares, and/ or abuse of drivers would be directed to the local licensing authority and the local police. The Scottish Government does not hold data in relation to the non-payment of taxi and PHC fares or abusive conduct towards taxi and PHC drivers.

The Scottish Government recommends that licensing authorities should actively promote and facilitate good links between the taxi and PHC trades and the local police force, including active participation in any crime reduction initiatives.

Owners and drivers of vehicles will often want to install security measures to protect the driver. Licensing authorities may consider that this is a matter best left to the judgement of the owners and drivers themselves. However, it is recommended practice for licensing authorities to consider, as part of their licensing policy under the legislative framework of the 1982 Act, sympathetically, or indeed actively encourage, their installation.

Further information about security measures in vehicles is available in the taxi and PHC licensing best practice guidance document published by the Scottish Government, in conjunction with Transport Scotland, last year: https://www.gov.scot/publications/taxi-private-hire-car-licensing-best-practice-licensing-authorities-taxi-private-hire-car-operators-3rd-edition/pages/7/.

Question reference: S6W-31029

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will request that Scottish Water allocates funds from its public top-up taps programme specifically to restore disused historic drinking fountains in public places by fitting top-up taps to them in collaboration with conservation-accredited engineers.

The Scottish Government have no plans to request this.

Scottish Water has a programme of installing blue top up taps in communities across Scotland, with over 120 installed and providing fresh drinking water for bottle refills. However they are not in a position to support the refurbishing/reuse of existing architecture and historic fountains and wells. These older pieces of equipment present a number of issues around health and safety risks, use of historic materials, location, the bespoke nature of every site and ultimately the inability to guarantee water quality. The taps provided by Scottish Water are Water Regulation Approval Scheme (WRAS) approved, which provides an enhanced level of water quality protection. This level of assurance would be very difficult and costly to achieve via pre-existing historic structures – and in some cases it may not be possible.

Question reference: S6W-31027

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service will engage with the development of the North Laurieston Masterplan on the architectural plan for the Glasgow Sheriff Court building and its environs.

Question reference: S6W-31025

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the current status is of the Nature Conservation Order requested by NatureScot on 27June 2024 to protect the Parallel Roads of Lochaber Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Achnabobane, and what steps are being taken to address the reported unconsented activities that have caused damage to that area.

Having considered the circumstances and in response to the damage caused by unconsented activity in the area of the Parallel Roads of Lochaber Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), Scottish Ministers have begun drafting a Nature Conservation Order (NCO). This is being developed in parallel with enforcement action being taken by The Highland Council and Scottish Forestry and an ongoing Police Scotland investigation.

Question reference: S6W-31036

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish a full update to the 2005 Guidance for Local Authorities and National Park Authorities on Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, and, if so, when.

Question reference: S6W-31062

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its Fisheries Climate Change Action Plan, as set out in its National Islands Plan: Implementation Route Map 2024.

We do not yet have a timescale for publishing the Fisheries Climate Change Action Plan. Further work is required, in partnership with stakeholders, to develop a clear plan of actions which will support fisheries in the drive to net zero.

Many of the actions that are required will need to be developed and initiated by the fishing industry and others in the private sector (for example vessel designers). Regulators and policy makers will also need to identify and remove barriers where this is possible.

Question reference: S6T-02182

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Children and Young People’s Commissioner Scotland's call for it to introduce "legal protection for children on the use of physical restraint and seclusion in all situations where children are in the care of the state".

Question reference: S6F-03519

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03534

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2024

To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding reports from BBC Panorama that smart meters in Scotland are experiencing a disproportionate number of operational issues compared with elsewhere in the UK, due to differences in connection type used to send data to energy providers.