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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: S6W-16568

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement that the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) has agreed to extend its guidance to valuers in Wales as well as England, what information it has on what the reasons are for RICS not agreeing to extend its guidance to valuers in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-17482

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has undertaken any research in relation to government departments potentially utilising generative artificial intelligence to (a) assist in improving the delivery of public services and governance and (b) offer improved value for money in the use of public funds.

Currently generative AI is not being used by The Scottish Government in a policy environment. However, through our CivTech challenge process we are engaging with technology providers around how we might in future make use of AI to solve particular public issues. Current examples include helping disabled citizens better access online services and in identifying children at risk. You can see details of this work on the recently launched Scottish AI Register .

We are continuing to work within the recently issued UK Government guidance on the use of AI. This guidance encourages civil servants to stay curious and connected with all that data technologies can offer, but at the same time to do this in a way which prevents the risk of harm to our communities, government or economy.

This is a rapidly developing area and the Scottish Government has a responsibility to use AI in a way which will make the most of any opportunities and limit any potential harms to our people. We are very fortunate to have the Scottish AI Alliance behind our efforts, with their strong academic, business and technology experience they offer the correct level of support and challenge to ensure we continue to work in the trustworthy, ethical and inclusive manner set out by our AI Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-17542

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met South Lanarkshire Council to discuss rural housing issues.

Question reference: S6W-16517

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its response to Freedom of Information request FOI/ 202200321870 and the recommendations of the attached Gateway Review documents, whether the Cladding Remediation Programme Board has (a) received and (b) considered a “brief delivery options paper” created from the MACE Consulting report, and, if so, on what date any such paper was submitted to the Board.

Question reference: S6W-17552

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to ensure that community eyecare services are being accessed fairly by those who rely on domiciliary visits and those who live in remote and rural locations.

As set out in the answer to S6W-17550 on 12 May 2023, officials are in the process of providing advice to Scottish Ministers on community eyecare services work, including the unique challenges of providing these services in remote and rural areas and domiciliary settings.

In addition, as part of the continuous review of service provision, the Scottish Government recently worked with stakeholders to undertake a separate report into supporting the sustainability of community eyecare services in remote and rural areas.

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-17550

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will establish short-life working groups for (a) optical coherence tomography and (b) domiciliary care.

Question reference: S6W-17529

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) models of mobile phones it has purchased and (b) networks it has used for its mobile phones in the past five years.

The Scottish Government does not hold records for all mobile phones purchased in the last 5 years as they are purchased by individual business areas and agencies to meet their requirements. However, through our mobile voice & data contracts we have purchased various models of mobile phone including those from Apple, Motorola and Samsung.

For the past 5 years the Scottish Government has had a mobile voice and data contracts with Vodafone UK.

A contract was in place from 20 January 2016 to 20 September 2020. This was replaced with a new contract via https://www.gov.scot/publications/mobile-voice-and-data-services-framework-2020/ from 21 September 2020 to 20 September 2023.

A small number of connections have also been with EE over the last 5 years.

Question reference: S6W-17278

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill, what social care data reporting requirements exist in the bill as introduced, and, if none, whether it will consider bringing forward an amendment to the bill to introduce any such requirements.

As introduced, Section 3 of the National Care Service (Scotland) Bill requires Ministers to put and keep in place arrangements for the purpose of monitoring and improving the quality of the services that the NCS provides. Ministers intend to put in place arrangements for reporting on social care data nationally and locally.

In addition, Section 36 of the Bill as introduced, enables Scottish Ministers to set up a statutory scheme through regulations to permit data sharing for the efficient and effective provision of services by, or on behalf of, the NCS and the NHS. Section 37 of the Bill as introduced enables Scottish Ministers to produce information standards setting out how information is to be processed.

Question reference: S6W-17493

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly gave no prior notice to Circularity Scotland of the decision, which was announced to the Parliament on 18 April 2023, to delay the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme until 1 March 2024.

Question reference: S6W-17492

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the expected value is of any advance payments to Circularity Scotland under section 8.5 of the Producer Agreement from registered drinks producers that are currently liable to make such payments between 16 August 2023 and 1 March 2024.

As Circularity Scotland is a private company, support arrangements they have with their members is a matter for them and it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to intervene in such commercial arrangements between private companies. We are grateful to all businesses for the investment they have made in preparing for the launch of the deposit return scheme and this investment will be important for the success of the scheme when it launches on 1 March.