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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-28078

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much compensation was paid by CalMac to passengers across all ferry routes in the latest reporting period.

Question reference: S6W-28092

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the employment practices for caterers at Avanti West Coast are compliant with the Fair Work Framework.

Our vision is for Scotland to be a leading Fair Work Nation by 2025, where fair work drives success, wellbeing and prosperity for individuals, businesses, organisations and society. Whilst the Scottish Government expects public bodies to implement and promote Fair Work First in all relevant procurement processes (and suppliers delivering public contracts) Avanti West Coast is contracted by, and reports directly to the UK Government and the Scottish Government does not have the details of Avanti West Coast’s employment practices.

Question reference: S6W-28127

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the number of qualified offshore commercial divers residing in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-28112

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the value of each local authority's reserves in real terms in 2023-24, and how this compares with the equivalent value in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2013-14.

The following table shows the cash and real terms value of Local Authority General Fund reserves at 31 March 2014 (final audited) and 31 March 2024 (budget estimate). Please note that the information requested on reserves is not held prior to 2007.

Adjustments for inflation have been made using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators for March 2024 (available at: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) ).

Figures for 31 March 2024 will be superseded on 25 June 2024 by data published in Local Government 2023-24 Provisional Outturn and 2024-25 Budget Estimates.

Further information on Local Government Finance Statistics can be found at: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

General Fund Reserves (in £ millions) as at 31 March
Sources: LFR 23 for 31 March 2014 (audited data), POBE 2023 for 31 March 2024 which is a budget estimate provided in early 2023.

	Cash Terms		Real Terms (2023-24 Prices)
Local Authority	31-Mar-14	31-Mar-24	31-Mar-14	31-Mar-24
	Final Audited	Budget Estimate	Final Audited	Budget Estimate
Aberdeen City	57.1	70.1	75.2	70.1
Aberdeenshire	57.5	73.8	75.7	73.8
Angus	19.8	45.7	26.1	45.7
Argyll & Bute	44.0	88.2	58.0	88.2
City of Edinburgh	123.3	198.7	162.3	198.7
Clackmannanshire	12.0	14.2	15.8	14.2
Dumfries & Galloway	58.4	70.2	76.9	70.2
Dundee City	8.1	44.2	10.6	44.2
East Ayrshire	28.0	38.6	36.9	38.6
East Dunbartonshire	11.3	28.0	14.9	28.0
East Lothian	9.2	16.6	12.1	16.6
East Renfrewshire	14.9	23.5	19.6	23.5
Falkirk	25.8	33.2	33.9	33.2
Fife	85.0	181.9	111.9	181.9
Glasgow City	32.8	137.6	43.2	137.6
Highland	40.3	72.7	53.1	72.7
Inverclyde	42.9	6.4	56.5	6.4
Midlothian	20.5	7.8	27.0	7.8
Moray	21.4	19.6	28.1	19.6
Na h-Eileanan Siar	18.3	14.2	24.1	14.2
North Ayrshire	25.2	109.0	33.1	109.0
North Lanarkshire	75.0	256.6	98.8	256.6
Orkney Islands	23.8	34.3	31.3	34.3
Perth & Kinross	48.2	39.8	63.5	39.8
Renfrewshire	52.9	73.3	69.7	73.3
Scottish Borders	17.1	34.2	22.6	34.2
Shetland Islands	13.9	25.8	18.2	25.8
South Ayrshire	22.9	11.1	30.2	11.1
South Lanarkshire	13.4	108.0	17.6	108.0
Stirling	13.3	66.0	17.5	66.0
West Dunbartonshire	10.1	4.6	13.3	4.6
West Lothian	22.6	9.7	29.7	9.7
Ayrshire VJB	0.2	0.4	0.3	0.4
Central VJB	0.8	0.5	1.0	0.5
Dunbartonshire & Argyll & Bute VJB	0.5	0.4	0.6	0.4
Grampian VJB	0.2	0.5	0.3	0.5
Highland & Western Isles VJB	0.1	0.1	0.2	0.1
Lanarkshire VJB	-	1.3	-	1.3
Lothian VJB	-	0.5	-	0.5
Orkney & Shetland VJB	-	0.0	-	0.0
Renfrewshire VJB	0.5	1.0	0.6	1.0
Tayside VJB	0.1	0.1	0.1	0.1
Tay Road Bridge	1.2	1.2	1.5	1.2
HITRANS	0.2	0.0	0.3	0.0
NESTRANS	0.0	2.7	0.0	2.7
SESTRAN	-	0.0	-	0.0
SPT	12.5	83.2	16.5	83.2
SWESTRANS	-	0.0	-	0.0
TACTRAN	-	0.0	-	0.0
ZetTrans	-	0.0	-	0.0
Scotland	1,085.4	2,049.6	1,428.8	2,049.6

VJB = Valuation Joint Board
GDP Deflator	75.97	100.00

Question reference: S6W-28147

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to extend the scope of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 to cover all public procurement of goods and services.

The Scottish Government cannot extend the coverage of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 as it applies to England and Wales only.

The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 applies a sustainable procurement duty on Scottish public bodies which whilst similar to the general duty found in the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, is more far reaching The sustainable procurement duty requires a Scottish public body to consider and act on opportunities to: improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of its area; facilitate the involvement of SMEs, third sector bodies and supported businesses; and promote innovation.

The legislation in Scotland also includes provisions for oversight, requiring public bodies with an annual procurement spend of £5 million or more to set out in annually reviewed procurement strategies how they will comply with the Act and to publish annual procurement reports setting out how they have complied with their strategies. The content of these reports forms the basis of the Scottish Ministers Annual report on procurement activity in Scotland. For example - Procurement activity: annual report 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Question reference: S6W-28117

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on colleges of the 4.8% reduction in revenue funding in its Budget for 2024-25, in light of the Scottish Funding Council figures that were issued on 30 May 2024.

Question reference: S6O-03646

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish National Investment bank is operating legally, in light of reports that the advisory group that was meant to be established by the Scottish Ministers has not yet been established.

Question reference: S6O-03647

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to ensure access to primary care in areas that have a high projected population growth.

Question reference: S6O-03651

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a further update on plans for the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour.

Question reference: S6O-03650

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration of the impact of the change in subsidised air service provider between Uist and Stornoway on access to services, including health services, for people with reduced mobility.