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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: S6T-01757

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its current policy is regarding the deletion or retention of WhatsApp messages by ministers.

Question reference: S6T-01740

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the closure of Ardrossan Harbour’s Irish Berth for safety reasons after corrosion was reportedly uncovered during an inspection by divers.

Question reference: S6F-02748

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024

To ask the First Minister, in light of the Scottish Government's plans to open the first safe drug consumption room in Glasgow later this year, what assurances he can provide that other areas of drugs policy, including spaces for residential rehabilitation, will not be deprioritised.

Question reference: S6F-02760

Asked by: Michelle Thomson, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government's latest engagement with the UK Government regarding the status of the Grangemouth refinery.

Question reference: S6F-02753

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government plans to take in response to the reported rise in attacks on prison guards and weapons found in prisons.

Question reference: S6F-02735

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on how the Scottish Government will continue to protect tenants in the private rented sector after the expiry of the rent cap under the Cost of Living (Tenants Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.

Question reference: S6F-02733

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02734

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 January 2024

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-24418

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action (a) SEPA and (b) Marine Scotland has taken to reduce the level of (i) sea lice infestation, (ii) gill disease and (iii) fish deaths in the salmon farming industry since 2018.

Improving fish health, reducing mortality to lowest possible levels, and ensuring satisfactory measures are in place for the prevention, control or reduction of sea lice is the responsibility of aquaculture production businesses. The Fish Health Inspectorate’s main objective is to prevent the introduction and spread of listed and emerging fish and shellfish diseases in Scotland. This is achieved by statutory inspection and sampling programmes, providing advice and implementing regulatory functions in accordance with the relevant animal health regulations. Details of strengthened regulation of sea lice on fish farms introduced by the Scottish Government’s Marine Directorate is provided in the response to S6W-24417 on‎ 22 January 2024.

Furthermore, over the time period the Scottish Government has also taken a collaborative approach to working with the sector, regulators, fish vets and innovation centres to better understand and address key health and welfare issues.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) does not have responsibility for the regulation of fish health. In October 2021 the Scottish Government identified SEPA as the lead body responsible for managing the risk to wild salmonids from sea lice from marine finfish farms. SEPA has subsequently developed a risk based framework for regulating sea lice emissions from fish farms which will be implemented from 1 February 2024.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-24417

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what improvements have been made to fish health and mortality monitoring in the salmon farming industry since January 2018.

In 2019 the Scottish Government strengthened its regulation of sea lice on fish farms by reducing the levels of sea lice per fish at which the Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) increases monitoring of sea lice on a farm, or takes enforcement action. The Fish Farming Businesses (Reporting) (Scotland) Order 2020 introduced, for the first time, mandatory obligations on production businesses to report average sea lice numbers per fish on a weekly basis. This better supports the Fish Health Inspectorate’s assessment of whether satisfactory measures for the prevention, control or reduction of sea lice are in place. The data is published one week in arrears to promote transparency.

Mortality reporting was introduced in 2015 and I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-24419 on 22 January 2024. From 2020 the FHI have altered their operational practice in relation to risk based surveillance and fish farm inspections, whereby inspectors will review documentation remotely in advance of onsite inspections, enabling inspectors to spend more time inspecting fish and farm operation.