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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-16148

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it expects to receive an indication of any time-related increases in the overhead costs in 2024 due to the extension of the timescale for delivery of Hull 802 by Ferguson Marine to later in 2024.

As advised in the answer to question S6W-16147 on 11 April 2023, the Scottish Government continues to conduct the necessary and proper financial due diligence on the delivery of 801 and 802, including on the funding request submitted by Ferguson Marine in September 2022 and following the revised delivery schedule submitted by Ferguson Marine in March 2023.

Ministers will update Parliament once this process has concluded.

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

Question reference: S6W-16088

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of ScotRail staff have received (a) first aid, (b) CPR and (c) defibrillator training.

a) At ScotRail, First Aid requirements are assessed on a First Aid Needs Assessment that aligns with Health and Safety Executive (HSE) guidance. This has highlighted the importance of engineering locations due to the level of risk of employee injury and likely severity of possible injury at these locations should an accident happen.

ScotRail has provided the following data which shows the figures at each depot:-

Location	Fully Trained First Aiders	As a %age of Staff on Site Training Matrix	Defibrillators on site
Ayr Townhead Depot (Train Presentation only)	2	14.3%	1
Cadder Depot	1	12.5%	2
Corkerhill Depot	8	10.5%	1
Eastfield Depot	3	15.8%	1
Haymarket Depot	19	13.2%	2
Inverness Depot	19	20.2%	2 (one at Inverness station)
Millerhill Depot	4	30.1%	2
Shields Depot	15	10.1%	2

For all areas identified as lower risk-level, ScotRail has identified that all staff receive basic life preservation training as a minimum. ScotRail’s induction pack for new staff members contains basic life preservation training and this is carried out regularly within the briefing cycle for front line colleagues.

All of ScotRail’s frontline staff receive refresher briefings three times per year and CPR and preservation of life training are included as a core topic on a two year cycle. This covers approximately 2000 staff and is due to be included in the Sept to Dec Session this year.

Therefore, 2000 of 5000 staff = 40% of the workforce.

b) CPR is also part of the First Aid training received by either Face to face training or online training. Total ScotRail staff for 2023 that completed CPR training would be 43%.

c) Straight forward step-by-step instructions are included on every defibrillator machine. As a result of this ScotRail advise that defibrillators are designed to be easy to use and therefore no specific training is required for them.

Question reference: S6W-16091

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent public protests over the closure of the Edinburgh Filmhouse, what action it can take to ensure that the Filmhouse remains a cultural resource for the city of Edinburgh.

Following the closure of the Edinburgh Filmhouse last year, the Scottish Government continues to engage with Creative Scotland and other stakeholders to explore options for cultural cinema programme activity in Edinburgh, as well as ways to support the recently announced 2023 edition of the Edinburgh International Film Festival, with the associated opportunities for employment and audiences those will bring.

The administration process for the Edinburgh Filmhouse is still ongoing, so it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment on these proceedings.

Question reference: S6W-16535

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Finance will next meet with each chief executive of Scotland’s enterprise agencies.

Question reference: S6W-16477

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Ferguson Marine since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

Question reference: S6W-16311

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has provided to Forestry and Land Scotland for the financial year 2023-24.

There is regular engagement at all levels between Scottish Government and Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and this will continue for the remainder of the financial year 2023-24. This includes regular dialogue between Ministers and the FLS CEO. FLS’s second Corporate Plan (2022 – 2025) was published on the 01 April 2022, this sets out the direction of travel for the organisation and priorities for the three-year period, including 2023-24.

Corporate Plan - Forestry and Land Scotland

The FLS Business Plan sets out the main actions that the organisation we will take over the period 1 April 2023 - 31 March 2024 to deliver the commitments and outcomes identified in their Corporate Plan. Ministers approved that plan in March 2023.

Business Plan - Forestry and Land Scotland

Like all Scottish public bodies, FLS receive relevant guidance documents from the Scottish Government. For example, FLS have received a copy of the Public Sector Pay Strategy 2023-24 and a copy of the Fair Work First Guidance.

Question reference: S6W-16256

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the average number of NHS patients per dentist has been in NHS (a) Highland, (b) Orkney, (c) Shetland and (d) Western Isles, in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-16263

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government by (a) what area covered and (b) how many cameras the CCTV coverage at the State Hospital, Carstairs, has increased since 2018.

Question reference: S6W-16265

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement a similar model to the Norwegian mobile seal capture unit in order to manage seal populations in Scotland.

Translocation of seals is not a regularly used tool for seal population management within Scottish waters. Where sick or injured seals are taken to rehabilitation centres, they will be returned to the wild within the same seal management area that they were found. This ensures that population levels and the genetic diversity of seal management areas are maintained. Advice received from the Special Committee on Seals is that rehabilitated seals typically behave like wild seals shortly following release.

Question reference: S6W-16342

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it will work with the Scotch whisky industry to restore Scotland's peatlands.