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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-29490

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to reduce the number of assaults against public sector staff, in light of recent reported figures by Falkirk Council that show a 520% increase in violent incidents.

Any violence – including that against public sector staff - is a concern and should not be tolerated. The Violence Prevention Framework for Scotland, with over £4 million of funding over the last two years, supports partner organisations, including the Scottish Violence Reduction Unit, to deliver priority activity to help tackle violence. This is supporting the delivery of programmes to help prevent violence across Scotland, such as in the Falkirk Council area – and supports the delivery of the Mentors in Violence Prevention school-based programme, which is now operational in eight schools in the area.

We also worked with partners, including COSLA, education authorities, teaching unions and parents and carers representatives, to publish the Relationships and Behaviour in Schools National Action Plan, which includes specific actions in support of reducing violence and significant disruptive behaviour in schools.

Question reference: S6W-29454

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has mapped existing resource levels geographically against demand in the private rented sector.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken such a mapping exercise. Local Authorities, as the statutory housing authority for their area, are required to prepare Local Housing Strategies, informed by an assessment of Housing Need and Demand, which considers both the existing supply of housing alongside future requirements. Local Authorities are expected to develop a broad understanding of the extent and location of the Private Rented Sector across their area to support the development of the Local Housing Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-29442

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to identifying a strategy for the private rented sector that establishes the (a) optimum size of the sector, (b) markets that it should serve and (c) arrangements/levers for reducing, sustaining, growing or otherwise re-aligning the sector within these markets.

We consulted in 2022 on A New Deal for Tenants – draft rented sector strategy. This set out the Scottish Government commitment to deliver a successful and high quality, affordable and fair rented sector and invited views on how we can deliver this for the rented sector as a whole.We are progressing some elements of the New Deal for Tenants through Housing (Scotland) Bill and we are committed to publishing a final rented sector strategy in due course.

Question reference: S6W-29444

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to issuing a national representative landlord survey at regular intervals.

Question reference: S6W-29570

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to South of Scotland Enterprise in each of the last five financial years.

Question reference: S6W-29888

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the No One Left Behind approach has made to date, and what its future priorities are for devolved employability services.

Latest devolved employability statistics show that over 61,000 people have started receiving support through our No One Left Behind approach, with over 19,000 people moving into work.

Today we have published the No One Left Behind Employability Strategic Plan 2024-2027, which outlines the key priorities for No One Left Behind over the next three years and identifies the actions we will take to deliver on these priorities, reaffirming our commitment to continuous improvement.

www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836017738

This includes a commitment to introduce a local, flexible model of Specialist Employability Support across all 32 Local Authorities from Summer 2025. This approach will adhere to the principles of No One Left Behind whilst ensuring a dedicated service offer for disabled people and those with long term health conditions.

Question reference: S6F-03350

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-29391

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many rural jobs it anticipates could be impacted by the provisions of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill.

To understand the impact of Land Reform Bill proposals on businesses, the Scottish Government conducted a Scottish firms impact test, involving engagement with landowners, land agents and representative organisations of land-based businesses.

Full detail of this assessment of anticipated impacts can be found in the .Land Reform (Scotland) Bill - Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (www.gov.scot).

Question reference: S6W-29392

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any economic modelling of the potential impact of the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill on the rural economy.

Question reference: S6W-29583

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent postponement to the Medium Term Financial Strategy will result in a further delay to a replacement eye hospital for Edinburgh.

There is no change to the position on NHS Capital Projects as a result of the postponement of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

In December 2023, given the extremely challenging capital funding position, NHS Boards were instructed to pause any project development spend and instead direct capital budgets towards maintenance of the existing estate and essential equipment and digital replacement. Boards were notified that the Scottish Government does not anticipate starting construction of any new project over the next two years at least. Obviously should the UK Government change course on capital investment we have an opportunity to look at this again alongside the capital review ongoing across the Scottish Government.

Year	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023-24	2024-25
Year	£000	£000	£000	£000	£000
Total Allocation	27,300	35,703	37,003	34,469	27,364