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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: S6O-01372

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what specific measures it is taking to support social care workers during the cost of living crisis.

Question reference: S6O-01373

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to improve the reliability and resilience of Scotland’s ferry network.

Question reference: S6O-01377

Asked by: Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its most recent communication with the UK Government has been regarding the impact of energy costs on the cost of living crisis.

Question reference: S6O-01378

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will give an update on the work to upgrade Ardrossan Harbour.

Question reference: S6W-10497

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 7 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the terms of reference are for its Women in Enterprise Review, and when the review is scheduled to be published.

Responding to a recognised gender gap in business participation, Kate Forbes, Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy commissioned Ana Stewart, entrepreneur and investor, to deliver an independent Review on widening access to entrepreneurship for women.

The Stewart Review, due to publish later in the year, will identify the root causes of the continuing under-representation of women in enterprise and propose specific actions required to address the needs of female-led businesses in Scotland.

The expected themes of the review are to include, but not be limited to:

Access to Finance
Networks, mentoring and role models
Advice and Support
Education

The response of the Scottish Government to the Review will be mindful of existing activity and align with NSET recommendations on transforming the Scottish economy through widening business participation under the Entrepreneurial People and Culture programme.

Question reference: S6W-10244

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many households who have applied to the Home Owners' Support Fund since it started have (a) been protected from and (b) subsequently experienced homelessness.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10243 on 7 September 2022 which shows the number of successful applications to the Home Owners Support Fund in the last 6 years. Where a social landlord acquires a property through the scheme, the homeowner will remain in their home on Scottish Secure Tenancy terms. The Scottish Government does not collect data on homeowners’ circumstances after their application has successfully 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-10242

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 August 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has published average apartment rental charges, used to calculate purchase subsidy grants under the Home Owners' Support Fund, since 2017 and, if this is not the case, what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

The average apartment rental charges have not been routinely published up to this point as we have considered this an operational matter. Figures are updated each year in line with CPI inflation figures and grant calculations are shared with social landlords before the purchase of a property is agreed. Going forward, the publication of annual rental charges will be looked at as part of the wider scheme review.

Question reference: S6W-10178

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been of any financial penalties issued by Transport Scotland to CalMac Ferries Ltd, in each year since 2007.

Under the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract, performance deductions can be applied by in certain circumstances.

The level of performance deductions by Contract Year incurred by CalMac Ferries Ltd is detailed below:

	CHFS1
CY01	Oct 2007 - Sept 2008	£ 35.384
CY02	Oct 2008 - Sept 20009	£ 70,705
CY03	Oct 2009 - Sept 2010	£ 60,733
CY04	Oct 2010 - Sept 2011	£ 71,219
CY05	Oct 2011 - Sept 2012	£ 119,012
CY06	Oct 2012 - Sept 2013	£ 96,241
CY07	Oct 2013 - Sept 2014	£ 126,162
CY08	Oct 2014 - Sept 2015	£ 445,524
CY09	Oct 2015 - Sept 2016	£ 338,359

	CHFS2
CY01	Oct 2016 - Sept 2017	£ 1,127,097
CY02	Oct 2017 - Sept 2018	£ 1,101,741
CY03	Oct 2018 - Sept 2019	£ 1,033,138
CY04	Oct 2019 - Sept 2020	£ 584,255
CY05	Oct 2020 - Sept 2021	£ 2,089,383
CY06 (to date)	Oct 2021 - Jun 2022	£ 2,345,940

Question reference: S6W-10148

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding Ukrainian refugees, whether it plans to (a) create a transportation support fund to help them attend school and seek employment, (b) expand the Job Start Payment to help with the transition to employment and (c) include them in the free bus pass scheme.

The Scottish Government has ensured that all refugees and displaced people from Ukraine have access to the same transport entitlements as other people resident in Scotland. Those who are aged over 60, under 22 or meet certain disability criteria, are able to access the national concessionary bus travel schemes which provide free bus travel across Scotland. The Improvement Service issued guidance to local authorities on processing concessionary applications of displaced people from Ukraine so that applications are fully supported and fast tracked. Local authorities can also use their own powers to provide additional travel support and a number of councils have already done so. I encourage other authorities to do the same where appropriate and Transport Scotland is actively reviewing whether further support for transport is required.

The Scottish Government has worked with the UK Government to allow immediate access to support, including the Job Start Payment, when displaced people from Ukraine meet the eligibility criteria. We will work with third sector partners and local authorities to consider how best to provide free bus travel to asylum seekers and refugees including displaced people from Ukraine.

Question reference: S6W-10351

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans there are to encourage staff retention in renewable energy, in light of the reported absence of trade union recognition in some parts of this sector.

Trade unions are key partners in delivering our economic and social aspirations. We will continue to promote strong trade unions and collective bargaining arrangements in all sectors, including the renewable energy sector. We have made a clear commitment to promote collective bargaining through the inclusion of an employee voice indicator, measured by collective bargaining coverage, within the National Performance Framework.

We also work closely with Scottish Renewables, the trade body for Scotland’s renewable energy industry.

Scottish Renewables played an active role in the development of the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) which explores issues such as skills development and staff retention in many industries including Energy. Through CESAP’s Implementation Steering Group we engage with both employers and their workforce as they move through the just transition to net zero. We will continue to engage with partners to deliver the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) and will move forward with improvements to the Green Jobs Workforce Academy.