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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: S6W-11822

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 8 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of deer management licences that NatureScot has issued since 1 January 2021.

NatureScot has provided the information below on the number of Deer Authorisations issued between 1 January 2021 to 31 October 2022:

Deer (Scotland) Act 1996 Section	Purpose	No. of Authorisations
10(2) and 10(4)	Emergency measures out of season authorisations	54
18(2)	Night shooting Authorisations	1088
5(6)	Out of season authorisations	721
5(6)	Out of season female authorisations	16
5(7)	Scientific research authorisations	1

Question reference: S6W-11775

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 8 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11018 by Lorna Slater on 30 September 2022, how many applications that do not include capital expenditure elements have been successful at stage 1 in relation to the Circular Textiles Fund.

Question reference: S6W-11823

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 8 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any plans it has to introduce legislation in relation to deer management.

We are progressing the recommendations made in the independent Deer Working Group (DWG) report , published in December 2020. The Scottish Government response to the DWG report is at the following link: https://www.gov.scot/news/deer-working-group-response/

The recommendations that require legislative changes are being taken forward via the legislative workstream of the Deer Management Strategic Board which has been established under the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy Programme. The legislative recommendations will be implemented in this parliamentary session, as we set out in our 2021-22 Programme for Government. We will provide more detail on the timing of changes to legislation in due course. We expect to consult on any proposed changes to primary legislation in the normal way.

Regular updates on all of the work from the Deer Management Strategic Board can be found at the following website: https://www.gov.scot/groups/strategic-deer-management-board/

Question reference: S6W-11827

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what actions it is taking to tackle sexual harassment in schools.

We continue to take forward a range of actions in schools, including the Mentors in Violence Prevention Programme, which tackles gender stereotyping and attitudes that condone violence against women and girls; and piloting a whole school approach to tackling gender-based violence with Rape Crisis Scotland and Zero Tolerance.

The Gender-Based Violence in Schools Working Group is developing a national framework document for schools to help tackle sexual harassment and gender-based violence. This will set out the practical prevention and intervention measures that can be used to ensure the safety, health and wellbeing of children and young people. This work is expected to be completed in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-11810

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 8 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of pupils in each year group have received free school meals in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

The Scottish Government does not collect data on the uptake of free school meals broken down by year group.

The Schools Healthy Living Survey Supplementary Statistics provides a breakdown of school meal uptake by pupils in primary, secondary and special schools dating back to 2006. Previous School Healthy Living Survey Supplementary Statistics datasets, back to 2012, are available through the following web link: School Healthy Living Survey supplementary statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

The uptake of free school meals as a percentage of the total number of pupils since 2006 is contained within the following table:

Free School Meals uptake by school sector 2006-2022

	2006	2007	2008	2009	2010	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
P1-P3 (2015-2020) / P1-P5 (2022)	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	75%	78%	77%	76%	75%	72%	#	63%
P4-P7 (2015-2020) / P6-P7 (2022)	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	16%	15%	14%	13%	14%	15%	#	12%
Primary	15%	14%	14%	14%	16%	18%	18%	18%	17%	42%	42%	42%	40%	40%	39%	#	48%
Secondary	8%	7%	7%	7%	8%	8%	9%	10%	10%	9%	9%	9%	9%	9%	9%	#	8%
Special	55%	55%	48%	48%	48%	47%	51%	51%	52%	51%	44%	54%	51%	50%	58%	#	48%
Total	12%	12%	11%	11%	13%	14%	15%	15%	14%	29%	29%	28%	28%	27%	27%	#	31%
Total excluding P1-P3 (2015-2020) / P6-7 (2022)	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	#	13%	12%	12%	11%	12%	12%	#	10%

# = data not collected

Question reference: S6W-11828

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 8 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands last met with representatives from the Scottish Crofting Federation, either in person or virtually.

Question reference: S6W-11801

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much it (a) spent in 2021-22 and (b) has allocated to spend in 2022-23 on public service obligation flights, broken down by each route.

The following table provides the information requested.

Route	Spend in 2021-22 (£)	Projected outturn in 2022-23 (£)
Glasgow to Campbeltown, Tiree and Barra	5,243,762.91	5,508,045.82
Dundee to London City	703,732	741,000
Wick to Aberdeen	0	1,000,000

While the Glasgow to Campbeltown, Tiree and Barra services are separate routes, they are tendered as a package for operational efficiency and therefore spend is combined for the three routes.

The Scottish Government contributes to the Dundee to London City service along with the Department for Transport and Dundee City Council. Dundee City Council is the contracting authority.

The Wick to Aberdeen service started in April 2022. The Scottish Government contributes to the service along with Highland Council. Highland Council is the contracting authority.

Question reference: S6W-11780

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 8 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the cost to the Scottish Government was for (a) counsel (b) solicitor and (c) court fees in relation to the two-day hearing on 11-12 October 2022 for the Lord Advocate's referral to the Supreme Court.

Question reference: S6W-11776

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 8 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11018 by Lorna Slater on 30 September 2022, what the intended aim is of the 75% split in favour of capital expenditure in the overall grant budget allocation of the Circular Textiles Fund, in light of the fact that applications are not required to include capital expenditure.

Question reference: S6W-11740

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 8 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it has taken to ensure that the Filmhouse, in Edinburgh, can reopen as soon as possible.

I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-11493 on 26 October 2022 and S6T-00915 on 25 October 2022 respectively.

The answer to Topical Question S6T-00915 can be found here: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/official-report/search-what-was-said-in-parliament/meeting-of-parliament-25-10-2022?meeting=13939&iob=126317#16180

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