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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-16635

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the French National Assembly on 5 October 2022.

Jean-Louis Bourlanges and I had a constructive meeting last year during which we discussed my visit, relations between France and Scotland, and the wider political situation, including Ukraine.

The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions. However, Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.

Question reference: S6W-17080

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many court locations managed by the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service are (a) fully, (b) partially and (c) not accessible for disabled people.

Question reference: S6W-16896

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many beavers have been translocated to new river catchments since the announcement by the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, in November 2021, of new measures to expand beaver numbers and restore biodiversity.

Question reference: S6W-16889

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what additional support will be made available to support the construction of social housing when the Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard is introduced.

When applying for grant assistance at tender stage to deliver homes for social rent, grant applicants are required to self-certify that the amount of funding that they are requesting is the minimum required for a project to be financially viable for their organisation whilst ensuring rent affordability.

The Scottish Government will consider any additional costs associated with improved quality standards for homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme and those additional costs will be accounted for in the affordable housing investment benchmarks which determine how a project is appraised.

Question reference: S6W-16940

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce a complete and enforceable ban on the use of electric shock collars on dogs.

Question reference: S6W-15892

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that some local authorities have been unable to process payments of arrears of pay in March, following the recent agreement of a pay deal for teachers, and reported concerns that this means that some teachers' back pay will be subject to higher tax rates if not processed before the end of the 2022-23 tax year, what guidance it has given to local authorities on whether the tax on teachers' back pay is to be calculated and deducted for the closed year as if the additional pay had been paid at week 53, in accordance with HMRC guidelines.

Local authorities are responsible for administering their payroll operations and ensuring any tax is paid at the correct rates.

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) are responsible for the collection of Scottish Income Tax and all technical guidance relating to the correct tax treatment of earnings. Any teacher who is concerned about this issue should contact their employer and engage with HMRC.

Question reference: S6W-16218

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many police officers are currently funded by local authorities from council budgets, rather than by it directly.

Question reference: S6W-16214

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Police Scotland's tweet of 19 March 2023, which stated that "A new Emergency Alert mobile phone warning service is being trialled in Scotland from today by the Scottish Government", whether it told Police Scotland that the trial of the UK-wide Emergency Alert system was a Scottish Government-initiated trial.

The Scottish Government has been clear in its communication with partners and stakeholders that the Emergency Alerts System is fully funded and owned by the UK Government; and that the Scottish Government has agreed to participate in a trial coordinated by UK Government, recognising that the content of any alerts issued in Scotland is likely to be in relation to devolved matters.

Police Scotland’s tweet of 19 March 2023 included a link to a post on the main Scottish Government account which directed viewers to the dedicated UK Government Emergency Alerts web pages.

The introductory paragraph on those pages states: “Emergency Alerts is a UK government service that will warn you if there’s a danger to life nearby.”

The Scottish Government continues to engage with UK Government and other UK nations, Scottish partners and stakeholders to ensure that the information about the trial is accurate and shared widely.

Question reference: S6W-17008

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15648 by Humza Yousaf on 20 March 2023, how many vacancies for consultant-level obstetrician gynaecologists there currently are in NHS (a) Lanarkshire and (b) Forth Valley.

Question reference: S6W-17012

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to improving the (a) ease and (b) consistency of public access to Fatal Accident Inquiry records, in light of reports that only the 50 most recent records from 2022 onwards are easily accessible on the Scottish Courts and Tribunal Service website, without the use of the search function.