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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-15249

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to piloting opt-out HIV testing in NHS emergency departments in areas of highest prevalence, as has been done in other parts of the UK.

We know that opt-out testing in emergency departments in areas of high prevalence in other parts of the UK has worked well. However, it is important to evaluate the learning from this to understand both how it might apply in a Scottish context. Specifically how it compares to other interventions recommended by the HIV Transmission Elimination Oversight Group in their HIV Elimination Proposal which was published in December 2022.

Question reference: S6W-15299

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many recipients of a STEM teacher education bursary, prior to beginning a Professional Graduate Diploma in Education (PGDE) programme, were (a) unemployed, (b) employed full-time, (c) employed part-time, (d) self-employed and (e) in receipt of carer's allowance, in each academic year since 2018-19.

Question reference: S6W-15406

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to Recommendation 7 in the first report of the independent review of the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy, what consideration is being given in discussions with local authorities regarding the development of solutions to manage residual waste ahead of the landfill ban in 2025.

The independent review of the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy recommended that in view of the upcoming ban on landfilling biodegradable municipal waste, Scottish Government should work with local authorities to ensure they have a solution to manage their residual waste in 2025. The ban is in line with Committee on Climate Change recommendations and will come into force on 31 December 2025.

Through work overseen by a dedicated Programme Board (which includes representation from Cosla, SOLACE, SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland), we are continuing to support local authorities to collaboratively secure landfill ban compliant residual waste treatment options. We are doing this by facilitating collaborative procurement and funding provision of additional technical, procurement and legal support.

We will continue to work closely with local authorities and commercial operators to support those that do not currently have solutions to treat their residual waste ahead of the forthcoming ban.

Question reference: S6W-15326

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the 2022 Scottish teacher census, which showed that there had been a reduction in teacher numbers in North Ayrshire, compared with 2021.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that numbers of teachers and support staff are protected. We will provide local government with £145.5 million in next year's budget, which is conditional on the successful delivery of the following objectives:

Maintaining teacher numbers at 2022 census levels, as published in the Summary School Statistics in December 2022.
Maintaining pupil support staff numbers at 2022 census levels, which we will publish on 21 March 2023 based on the data collected from local authorities in September 2022.
Ensuring that places remain available for probationer teachers who need them through the Teacher Induction Scheme.

Where these objectives are not being met, the Scottish Government reserves the right to withhold or recoup funding which has been provided for this purpose.

Question reference: S6W-14603

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on proposing parliamentary business on days when strike action is being taken by workers in the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-15411

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13127 by Patrick Harvie on 9 January 2023, when it expects to release the annual reports for the (a) Scottish House Condition Survey for (i) 2020, (ii) 2021 and (iii) 2022 and (b) Scottish Household Survey for (A) 2021 and (B) 2022.

There will be no Scottish House Condition Survey 2020 annual report. Following the suspension of face-to-face interviewing in March 2020, due to COVID-19, there was no further Scottish House Condition Survey data collection in 2020. The 2021 results will be published in May 2023, and the 2022 results in early 2024.

The Scottish Household Survey results for 2021 will be published in April 2023, and the 2022 results will be published in late 2023 / early 2024.

Question reference: S6W-15405

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on whether any local authorities are currently considering exporting waste as a measure in response to capacity gaps arising as a result of the 2025 landfill ban on biodegradable municipal waste.

Question reference: S6W-15355

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to develop policy around housing for people with varying needs, following its review of the Housing for Varying Needs design guide.

We plan on consulting on proposed updates to Housing for Varying Needs to uplift standards applicable to homes delivered with support through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme in the Spring of this year. This consultation will also include proposals for the introduction of an all-tenure Scottish Accessible Homes Standard which is planned to be implemented through changes to building standards and guidance from 2025-26.

Question reference: S6W-15302

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many current vacancies there are for full-time, permanent teaching positions in (a) physics, (b) chemistry, (c) mathematics, (d) computing science, (e) technical education and (f) home economics, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S6W-15294

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many current vacancies there are for part-time, permanent teaching positions in (a) physics, (b) chemistry, (c) mathematics, (d) computing science, (e) technical education and (f) home economics, broken down by local authority.