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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-01506

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2022

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to mitigate the impact and prevalence of fires in Scotland caused by accelerating climate change such as those seen during the high temperatures last summer.

Question reference: S6F-01502

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2022

To ask the First Minister what measures are in place to protect Scotland from any potential risks to cyber security.

Question reference: S6F-01504

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the reported comments by Highlands and Islands Enterprise that cheaper air travel for business passengers could help to strengthen the viability of island routes.

Question reference: S6F-01498

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2022

To ask the First Minister what urgent steps are being taken to ensure safe staffing across the NHS, in light of recent reports of staff shortages potentially contributing to patient deaths.

Question reference: S6F-01491

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01490

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-11786

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08911 by Michael Matheson on 15 June 2022, what figure was used for (a) revenue, (b) applicable discounts, and (c) the number of household properties in the most recent calculations of the average water charge in Scotland.

The calculation of the average water charge in Scotland for 2022-23 was done prior to the start of the current financial year (in February 2022), and is therefore a forecast, which was based on the expected average charges for 2021-22, uprated by the 2022-23 charge increase (4.2%).

The relevant figures that were used to calculate the forecast average charges for 2022-23 were:

? water revenue - net of applicable discounts, exemptions and reductions - £442.7m arising from 2.53m household water properties giving an average water charge of £175.05 and

? wastewater revenue – net of applicable discounts, exemptions and reductions - £486.4m arising from 2.43m household wastewater customers giving an average wastewater charge of £200.40.

Each of these averages was increased by the 4.2% increase in household charges to arrive at an average charge for a household with both water and wastewater services of £391.20 in 2022-23.

The total value of household discounts, exemptions and reductions in 2021-22 was £182m.

Question reference: S6W-11797

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to ensure that optical coherence tomography machines are available in all medical practices.

Question reference: S6W-11737

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the (a) UK Government, (b) North Ayrshire Council and (c) other stakeholders regarding the future of energy generation in Ardeer, in light of reports that the Fusion Forward (Ardeer) Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production (STEP) bid was unsuccessful.

Scottish Government officials have been in contact with the UK Government to ensure that North Ayrshire Council and other stakeholders have the opportunity to discuss the decision taken to locate the Spherical Tokamak for Energy Production programme at a West Burton site, in North Nottinghamshire.

We understand that the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority, an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, are conducting follow up sessions with each of the unsuccessful sites, including Ardeer.

Question reference: S6W-11585

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 7 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many music and cultural organisations’ funding was (a) paused and (b) restarted by Creative Scotland, as a result of the Scottish Government’s Resource Spending Review in May 2022.

Funding provided through the Youth Music Initiative Formula Fund by Creative Scotland, who deliver the initiative on behalf of the Scottish Government, was paused and then confirmed to all 32 local authorities and Jordanhill School. This was related to the management of the 2022-23 Scottish Budget. The Scottish Government’s Resource Spending Review in May 2022 related to future years’ spending.