Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 46843 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-12995

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the Advisory Council for Economic Transformation has met in the last year.

The Advisory Council for Economic Transformation was established in July 2021 to help shape the 10 year National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET). The Council met 4 times in July 2021, August 2021, September 2021 and October 2021 ahead of the publication of the strategy in March 2022. In addition, a number of sub group meetings were held to help inform the strategy’s programmes and actions. Following its publication, the NSET Delivery Board was created to oversee the successful implementation of the strategy.

Question reference: S6W-12977

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Drinking Water Quality Regulator for Scotland has expressed any concerns about the drinking water quality in the Highlands and Islands region, and, if this is the case, whether it will publish details of these concerns.

Question reference: S6W-12859

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress had been made regarding the reform of the Traffic Regulation Orders system.

Amended Experimental Traffic Regulation Order (ETRO) regulations were introduced in November 2021 for use by all Road Authorities to help tackle the main issues that had been raised by the TRO Review Group.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with a range of stakeholders including the local authority sector, Police Scotland, business and active travel representatives to understand any remaining issues being encountered with the various road order processes.

Question reference: S6W-12914

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with representatives from (a) Forth Ports and (b) Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority regarding the restoration of roll-on, roll-off ferry services between Rosyth and Zeebrugge.

Transport Scotland officials have regular discussions with Forth Ports officials regarding a number of maritime issues, including direct ferry links to Europe.

Transport Scotland officials have met with Antwerp-Bruges Port Authority officials twice this year, to discuss potential links between Scottish ports and Antwerp-Bruges Port. There have also been government to government discussions with the Government of Flanders and Transport Scotland officials are maintaining this contact.

Question reference: S6W-12886

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the operation and administration of the £5 million loss and damage funding announced at COP27, and how many civil servants are involved.

The operation and administration of the £5m recently announced at COP27 to address loss and damage will be managed within the existing resourcing structure for the International Climate Change Policy Team, within the International Climate Change Division at the Scottish Government. The team has six full-time equivalent (FTE) members of staff at a range of civil service grades involved in delivering international climate policy work including the Climate Justice Fund . Four of the six FTE members of staff will primarily be involved in overseeing and supporting the disbursement of the £5 million.

The Scottish Government does not have any business need to record the proportion of time that members of staff devote to specific aspects of their duties. Consequently, the Scottish Government does not have exact administrative costs for the Climate Justice Fund, including the £5 million for loss and damage. However, the grading of the six FTE team members are as followed: one C2, three B3’s and two B2’s, and details of civil service grades and pay ranges offered from April 1st 2022 can be found online at https://work-for-scotland.org/our-reward-benefits

Question reference: S6W-12885

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on the operation and administration of the £36 million Climate Justice Fund, and how many civil servants are involved.

The operation and administration of the £36 million Climate Justice Fund, is managed by the International Climate Change Policy Team, within the International Climate Change Division at the Scottish Government. The team has six full-time equivalent (FTE) members of staff at a range of civil service grades who delivering international climate policy work including overseeing and supporting the procurement and delivery of Climate Justice Fund’s contracts and grants.

The Scottish Government does not have any business need to record the proportion of time that members of staff devote to specific aspects of their duties. Consequently, the Scottish Government does not have exact administrative costs for the Climate Justice Fund. However, the grading of the six FTE team members are as followed: one C2, three B3’s and two B2’s, and details of civil service grades and pay ranges offered from April 1st 2022 can be found online at https://work-for-scotland.org/our-reward-benefits

Question reference: S6W-12887

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants are working to tackle climate change and help achieve Scotland's net zero commitments.

Question reference: S6W-12912

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the potential environmental impact of restoring roll-on, roll-off (a) passenger and (b) freight ferry services between Rosyth and Zeebrugge.

Question reference: S6W-13235

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the merits of introducing mandatory CCTV in fish slaughterhouses, in line with the Mandatory Use of Closed Circuit Television in Slaughterhouses (Scotland) Regulations 2020, which, under the Council Regulation (EC) No 1099/2009, mandates the use of CCTV in slaughterhouses for terrestrial animals and excludes fish slaughterhouses.

Question reference: S6W-13163

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many reverse vending machines it anticipates will be in use across Scotland when the Deposit Return Scheme begins on 16 August 2023, and, of those, how many will be located in (a) cities, (b) towns with a population of between 40,001 and 60,000, (c) towns with a population of between 15,001 and 40,000 and (d) towns or villages with a population of up to 15,000.

All retailers have obligations to be a return point, unless they apply for and are granted an exemption. The choice of whether to operate a reverse vending machine, or alternatively to operate a manual takeback service, is a commercial decision for individual retailers. The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many reverse vending machines there will be across Scotland or their likely locations.