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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: S6F-03116

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 May 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-03123

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 May 2024

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on any risks presented by whooping cough in Scotland, in light of reports of increased infection rates and infant deaths in the UK.

Question reference: S6F-03119

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 May 2024

To ask the First Minister, in light of the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract expiring in September, when the Scottish Government will publish the tender process for the new contract.

Question reference: S6W-27094

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 26 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to tackle any inequalities that affect outcomes after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, specifically to (a) overcome the reportedly low intervention rate where a woman is having a cardiac arrest and (b) improve outcomes for those from (i) deprived and (ii) ethnic minority backgrounds.

The Scottish Government is a member of the Save a Life for Scotland (SALFS) Partnership. The partnership’s actions to tackle inequalities that affect outcomes after an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest are laid out in the Out-of-Hospital Cardiac Arrest Strategy 2021 to 2026 .

Work to date includes:

SALFS development of vest-with-breast attachments for use on CPR mannequins which can be used by those delivering training sessions to address some of the barriers to CPR intervention in women.
Targeted work by delivery partners in communities affected by inequalities in OHCA outcomes across Scotland to promote awareness of cardiac arrest and provide CPR and defibrillator training.
Delivery of the 'Play you Part' campaign and the development of accessible CPR training resources

Question reference: S6W-27166

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in supporting a growing Scottish skills base in hydrogen for transport, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.

The Scottish Government is working with many partners to develop Scotland’s skills base in hydrogen for transport.

These include working with the Energy Skills Partnership (ESP) on the Hydrogen Skills Project (HSP). HSP Automotive and Hydrogen Training Networks now have access to cutting edge hydrogen fuel cell technology learning resources. The networks have conducted learning and development activities across Scotland, showcasing their capabilities at the annual All-Energy Conferences in Glasgow.

Support from Transport Scotland enabled the ESP to acquire a hydrogen fuel cell trainer , a hybrid hydrogen energy lab system and related kit to be sited at Dundee’s Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc (MSIP) skills academy. Available to colleges within the HSP training network, this is part of a larger plan to have a range of training equipment at MSIP to help support hydrogen skills within Scotland.

The ESP has also worked with Aberdeen City Council , H2 Aberdeen , H2 Accelerator , HyTrEc2 and SMART-HY-AWARE to produce an accessible Hydrogen for Transport Course aimed at those joining a hydrogen transport industry, including school and college students. In the maritime sector, the University of Highlands and Islands Orkney took their first cohort of seafarers to be trained to work on hydrogen powered vessels in 2021.

Question reference: S6W-27137

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to expand the provision of the reported new digital chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnosis service, developed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to other NHS boards.

We recognise the importance of having access to appropriate diagnostic tests for lung conditions and welcome the development of this service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. As this is a new programme, we will work closely with all key stakeholders to determine if there are scale up options for the rest of Scotland.

Improving access to diagnostics is a key commitment in the Respiratory Care Action Plan and we will seek evidence from this programme and ensure it is shared with all appropriate stakeholders.

Question reference: S6W-27138

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by Sheriff James McDonald that Scotland’s legal system has gone "soft on drug offenders".

Question reference: S6W-26823

Asked by: Marie McNair, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with COSLA regarding the presence of asbestos in schools and other public buildings.

The Scottish Government continue to meet with COSLA and individual local authorities on a regular basis to discuss the issues affecting local government. Moreover, we have increased funding to local government by £574.6 million - or 4.3% - in 2024-25.

However, health and safety regulations are not devolved to the Scottish Government, and the Health and Safety Executive has UK wide responsibility for enforcement of the Control of Asbestos Regulations 2012.

Question reference: S6W-27128

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made regarding its commitment in the Stroke Improvement Plan 2023 to “support Scottish Ambulance Service in exploring the feasibility of using video call technology to more accurately diagnose hyperacute stroke”.

The Scottish Government has provided the Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) with £38,713 to fund project work in support of this Stroke Improvement Plan commitment. This funding will support a project aiming to assess the feasibility and acceptability of video assisted assessment of patients with hyperacute stroke in Scotland. This will involve an appropriately trained clinician holding a live video call with the patient during the time that the ambulance is travelling to the patient. SAS aim to interview for staff to support the project in late May. The project start date is currently June 2024 and the project work is scheduled to conclude by December 2024.

Question reference: S6W-27126

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03153 by Màiri McAllan on 6 March 2024, whether it will provide an update on its review, due to be published in spring 2024, of how to increase the number of co-operatives, social enterprises and employee-owned businesses as part of the move to a wellbeing economy.

The National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) announced a ‘.. review of how best to significantly increase the number of social enterprises, employee-owned businesses and co-operatives in Scotland, supporting regional regeneration and the wealth of local communities’.

The independent review is nearing completion and is anticipated to complete, with findings and recommendations published, prior to summer recess 2024.