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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: S6O-02201

Asked by: Clare Haughey, MSP for Rutherglen, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the welfare of animals used in greyhound racing in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02216

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of the Scottish Welfare Fund.

Question reference: S6O-02205

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set out its proposed timetable for implementing the new musculoskeletal pathway, including how it will ensure that the views of third sector organisations are reflected in the process.

Question reference: S6O-02199

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding actions to tackle mental health problems amongst farmers and crofters.

Question reference: S6O-02202

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the delivery of the Rural Crime Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-16966

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to build or install a Scottish independence readiness thermometer in a prominent public location.

Question reference: S6W-17375

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the prevalence of cryptosporidium in source water, and whether it can provide a list of where it has been detected.

Cryptosporidium is a protozoan parasite which is found in the gut of warm blooded animals and enters the water environment from faecal matter.

Scottish Water is required to assess the risk of Cryptosporidium in the water sources it uses for drinking water supplies and to design and operate water treatment processes that will remove the parasite or render it harmless. Scottish Water is also required to monitor drinking water supplies for cryptosporidium. The Drinking Water Quality Regulator provides a commentary on treated water detections in her Annual Report. Page 4 of the 2021 report covers Cryptosporidium annual-report-public-supplies-2021.pdf (dwqr.scot)

Question reference: S6W-17437

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to (a) ban and (b) restrict the breeding of the Scottish Fold cat.

The Scottish Government has no plans at this time to ban the breeding of the Scottish Fold cat. The breeding of this particular breed is however restricted under The Animal Welfare (Licensing of Activities Involving Animals) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 (the 2021 regulations).

The 2021 Regulations include a licence condition (section 8(4), schedule 2) which states that "no cat may be kept for breeding if it can reasonably be expected, on the basis of its genotype, conformation, behaviour or state of health, that breeding from it could have a detrimental effect on its health or welfare or the health or welfare of its offspring". Given the well documented conformational health issues with this breed, the licensing authority is likely to refuse any application for a licence or a request to vary a licence where the intention is to breed the Scottish Fold. Comprehensive guidance produced for local authorities and cat breeders also makes it clear that persons seeking to breed the Scottish Fold are unlikely to be granted a licence to do so.

Question reference: S6W-17114

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its employees have been offered mental health first aid training in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-16840

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Skills Development Scotland’s collaboration with the Ministry of Defence to support career transitions for veterans.

Following agreement of a memorandum of understanding between Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in March 2022, an action plan was agreed between SDS, MoD and the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) who deliver support to leavers of the armed forces as they transition to civilian life.

Actions underway include:-

SDS sharing labour market intelligence and other data to CTP for use by their career consultants;
the development of a joint referral process for those early service leavers who may be entitled to, or will benefit from SDS careers services;
jointly delivered training sessions on each organisation’s service offer to both CTP and SDS advisers;
SDS attendance at a CTP jobs event in Kinloss at the end of 2022 and at Murrayfield on 20 April 2023
work to ensure Modern, Graduate and Foundation Apprenticeships are promoted to early service leavers, veterans and their families.

Progress of the plan is being monitored at a joint senior level across SDS, MoD and CTP.

Year	Number mental health first aiders trained
2022	2
2021	2
2020	1
2019	31
2018	109