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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.

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Question reference: S6O-01965

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact on turnout at future Scottish Parliament and local authority elections of the introduction by the UK Government of voter ID requirements for elections to the UK Parliament.

Question reference: S6O-01964

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will propose scheduling parliamentary time to debate strengthening the scrutiny role of the Parliament in holding the Scottish Ministers to account.

Question reference: S6O-01978

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government by how much local authority non-domestic rates bills will increase, following revaluation of public sector properties based on rebuild costs using the 1 April 2022 tone date.

Question reference: S6O-01976

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support, in addition to the local government settlement, will be allocated to Inverclyde Council in 2023-24, and how this compares to 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-15236

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many public libraries are currently at risk of closure.

Responsibility for public libraries sits with the relevant local authorities, and as such, this information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. However, Scottish Government officials work closely with the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) to ensure that Ministers are kept aware of relevant local issues as they arise. Information provided by the Scottish Libraries and Information Council showed that no Scottish Libraries have permanently closed in the last three reporting years.

Question reference: S6W-15208

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the avian flu virus, what actions are being taken to monitor (a) it, (b) how and where it is changing and (c) the population being affected, in light of reports of avian flu being detected in non-avian wild mammals.

In addition to statutory surveillance for Avian Influenza in poultry and wild birds, he Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) conducts surveillance in wild mammals at risk of being infected with the avian virus on behalf of the Scottish Government. In the event of a positive result, genetic analysis is performed by the APHA and the UK Health Security Agency.

In February 2023 genetic analysis carried out on historical samples from two positive Scottish seals, collected in 2021 and 2022, identified a genetic mutation associated with increased risk to mammals. As a single mutation, this does not indicate that this virus is becoming fully adapted to a mammalian host, nor will trigger mammal to mammal transmission.

Question reference: S6W-15195

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessments it has conducted regarding the impact on people with learning disabilities of each action point contained in its publication, A Fairer Scotland for Disabled People: Employment Action Plan, which was published 2018.

The Scottish Government has considered the impact of the actions of the Employment Action Plan on all disabled people, including people with learning disabilities, and noted these in the 2020 and 2021 annual Progress Reports which are published on the Scottish Government website.

On 22 February 2023 the Scottish Government published a statistical summary of the devolved employment services, which includes employability figures for learning disabilities within Fair Start Scotland. There is currently no data published for employment for learning disabilities within No One Left Behind.

We have undertaken a review of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) and of Supported Employment to identify areas of improvement and make recommendations on future delivery of these two forms of specialist employability support in Scotland. Findings of the Supported Employment review and Scottish Government’s response were published in September 2022. The Individual Placement and Support review report was published January 2023, alongside the Scottish Government’s response statement.

Recognising that there is still work to do to improve outcomes for disabled people, in December 2022 the Scottish Government published the refreshed Fair Work Action Plan: becoming a leading Fair Work nation by 2025 , setting out actions to promote fair and inclusive workplaces across Scotland. The plan takes forward the current work on the disability employment gap, to support more disabled people, including those with Learning Disabilities, into employment and to sustain fair work.

The Action Plan will be supported by an evidence plan to be published late 2023, along with an accompanying measurement framework. It will monitor the fair work context and progress we are making over time to ensure our actions respond to change and measure the impact of our current actions, including drawing lessons from actions we will deliver as part of this plan.

Question reference: S6W-14886

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any plans to relocate Helensburgh fire station to another site, rather than refurbishing the existing building.

Question reference: S6W-15286

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to findings by NFU Mutual that 39% of dog owners state that their dogs do not always come back when called while roaming off-lead in the countryside, and what action it is taking to (a) support dog owners and (b) identify and promote effective training for dogs, to tackle this.

Dog owners must take responsibility for their pet and responsible behaviour is central to the concept of exercising access rights. Increasing awareness is a key factor in the prevention of livestock worrying incidents and the associated unnecessary suffering. The Scottish Outdoor Access Code is clear on the rights and responsibilities of land managers and those exercising access rights, and is widely publicised.

Further to this the Scottish Government previously undertook an awareness raising digital campaign, in partnership with the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals to promote responsible dog ownership. The campaign was re-run on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram in September and December 2021, to further emphasise the importance of training pet dogs correctly. Reportedly NFU Mutual have estimated the cost of dog attacks on Scotland’s livestock fell by almost a third in 2022, indicating greater awareness on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-15372

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards implementing the recommendations of the June 2021 report to the Scottish Government, Bringing Home the Bacon: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Scottish Pig Sector.

The 'Bringing Home the Bacon: Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions from the Scottish Pig Sector' report was part of the Farmer-Led Group initiative to develop advice and proposals for the Scottish Government on how to cut emissions from agriculture. The Scottish Government is grateful to the Pig Industry Leadership Group and the other Farmer Led Groups (FLGs) for the work they undertook in short order to provide recommendations to support our ambitious vision for Scottish agriculture.

The recommendations of the FLGs informed the 'Agricultural Transition in Scotland' consultation, which was carried out between August 2021 and November 2021. This consultation has informed policy development to support the progression of our forthcoming agriculture bill.

To continue our co-design process with industry as part of the Agriculture Reform Programme we established the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB) to advise on progressing the broad recommendations of the FLG's and support implementation of policy reform. The ARIOB is comprised of representatives from all key Scottish agricultural sectors including members of the Pig Industry Leadership Group.

In the Bringing Home the Bacon report there was a reference to the role of Carbon Audits in supporting businesses to reduce emissions. As part of the National Test Programme we are funding farmers to undertake carbon audits which establish a business’s carbon footprint, and identify areas where emissions can be reduced.

The report also refers to the need for investment in on-farm slurry storage and management. Through the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme (SACGS) the Scottish Government funded investment in slurry management equipment for farms in 2022 and in 2023 support for slurry storage is available through the Agri-Environment Climate scheme.