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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-10969

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the uptake of the Young Persons' (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme, in light of reports from First Bus of just a 50% uptake since the scheme went live in January 2022.

We’re seeing many young people already benefitting from the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme, with well over 20 million journeys having been made since its commencement in January. We have now launched a national marketing campaign to increase awareness and understanding of the scheme and, ultimately, encourage more young people to apply and enjoy the benefits of free bus travel.

Transport Scotland has also provided communications and promotional resources for stakeholders at freebus.scot, and these have been shared with over 300 public, private and third sector organisations who work with young people and families, and within the transport sector.

Question reference: S6W-10861

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what estimates it has made of any potential revenue loss to ScotRail of not selling alcohol on trains.

Question reference: S6W-10865

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times enforcement action has been taken in relation to the alcohol ban on ScotRail trains, and what estimate it has made of how many times the ban has been breached.

Question reference: S6W-10709

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of its aviation strategy, particularly in relation to improving lifeline services and island connectivity.

The online public consultation on developing a Scottish Government aviation strategy ran from 18 October 2021 until 21 January 2022. 93 responses were received, 38 from individuals and 55 from a broad range of stakeholder organisations. Officials also ran a series of online stakeholder workshops each of which focused on a particular area of the consultation document, namely international connectivity and airfreight; transition to low and zero-emission aviation; domestic connectivity; and governance arrangements in the Highlands and Islands.

On 6 April we published an independent analysis of the consultation responses, including summaries of the main points from the workshops noted above, and those responses where consent to publish was provided.

Work is ongoing across government to develop the aviation strategy, including in relation to Highlands and Islands connectivity, building on the suggestions from the consultation and relevant Scottish Government strategies and polices. The aviation strategy will also inform the development of the Islands Connectivity Plan.

Question reference: S6W-10655

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of ScotRail’s rail passenger revenue from 1 January to 31 July 2022.

Prior to the 1st April 2022, ScotRail services were operated by Abellio ScotRail. Under the terms of the franchise agreement, revenue figures for the period are commercially confidential. The published accounts for Abellio ScotRail for this period will be found at Companies House in due course.

For the period after 1st April, relevant revenue figures will not be available until the annual accounts for ScotRail Trains Ltd. have been audited, verified and published after the end of the financial year 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-10675

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10165 by Shona Robison on 19 August 2022, how many buildings over 11 metres it estimates are affected by combustible cladding.

Question reference: S6W-10734

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Home Owners' Support Fund Mortgage to Shared Equity scheme, what the (a) total and (b) average equity stakes taken was, and how many stakes have been taken, in each year of operation.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-10239 on‎ 7 September 2022 which shows there has been no spend under Mortgage to Shared Equity (MTSE) during the last six years. The most recent MTSE application was in 2015. The table below shows the total and average spend under MTSE and the number of MTSE cases that settled between 2010-11 and 2015-16.

Mortgage to Shared Equity
	Total Spend (£m)	Average Spend (£m)	No. of Cases
2010-11	0.166	0.033	6
2011-12	0.668	0.022	3
2012-13	0.354	0.039	9
2013-14	0.237	0.040	6
2014-15	0.259	0.032	8
2015-16	0.033	0.033	1

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-10733

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Home Owners' Support Fund Mortgage to Rent scheme, what the (a) total and (b) average purchase expenditure was, and how many purchases have been made under the scheme, in each year of operation.

Under the Mortgage to Rent scheme, the Scottish Government subsidise up to 60% of the property value. The total grant includes the purchase subsidy and the cost of repairs required to bring the property up to the Scottish Housing Quality Standard. Further details on how subsidies are calculated can be found in the linked guidance HOSFGN/005 . The following table shows the total and average subsidy paid by the Scottish Government to Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) for each year of operation of Mortgage to Rent.

Mortgage to Rent
Financial Year	Total Subsidy Expenditure (£m)	Average Subsidy Expenditure (£m)	No. of Homes Purchased
2008-09	15.226	0.065	233
2009-10	19.600	0.060	303
2010-11	20.097	0.052	374
2011-12	14.500	0.041	325
2012-13	9.871	0.035	288
2013-14	8.274	0.031	228
2014-15	5.661	0.029	192
2015-16	3.079	0.038	80
2016-17	2.980	0.046	65
2017-18	1.127	0.029	39
2018-19	1.536	0.040	32
2019-20	1.191	0.058	28
2020-21	0.303	0.044	8
2021-22	Figures will be published shortly

Figures for 2021-22 will be published shortly.

Question reference: S6W-10710

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address strategic objectives one, two and three of its National Islands Plan, following the announced cancellation of its Islands Bond scheme.

Scottish Government support for islands, and progress made towards delivery of the National Islands Plan, including strategic objectives one, two and three, is recorded in our annual report, presented to parliament each year. The first of these was the National Islands Plan: annual report 2020 , published 23 March 2021. The most recent report was the National Islands Plan: annual report 2021 , published 23 March 2022.

Furthermore, within the National Islands Plan, Scottish Government committed to publishing a detailed Implementation Route Map that addresses each of the 13 Strategic Objectives and accompanying commitments listed in the Plan.

The Implementation Route Map details how we will deliver our priorities over the lifetime of the National Islands Plan. It identifies the methods we will use to monitor progress towards fulfilling the many commitments in the NIP and sets out how we’ll deliver our work over the short, medium and long-term.

Question reference: S6W-10762

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the third iteration of the High Rise Inventory (HRI) data set as discussed at the June 2022 meeting of Building and Fire Safety Working Group, whether officials have provided further advice to ministers and developed communications on the reasoning for the pause to the HRI; if so, whether ministers have considered that advice; if so, what the outcome was of that consideration, and when a final ministerial decision will be publicised.

The HRI is a central source of information on key aspects of the construction and fire safety features of high rise domestic blocks; this information was not previously collected or published prior to 2020. The second report was published on 8 November 2021 and there were minimal changes to the inventory following a further year of data collection. The frequency of further data collection is currently under review. It is likely that this data will be integrated within a Register of Safe Buildings, which is being created as part of the Cladding Remediation Programme.