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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-01849

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what specific training is provided to help serving police officers deal with members of the public who have mental health issues.

Question reference: S6O-01859

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings it has had with Universities Scotland to discuss gender-based violence in higher education.

Question reference: S6O-01857

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what monitoring is undertaken to ensure that any commitments made to tertiary education are delivered.

Question reference: S6O-01848

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-01806

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on avian flu, including any measures it is taking to tackle its spread.

Since the start of October 2022 there have been 18 confirmed cases of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 in poultry and captive birds and 81 findings in wild birds in Scotland.

The Scottish Government responded to the risk of avian influenza from wild birds through the introduction of an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone in October 2022 requiring all bird keepers to follow strict biosecurity measures, and continues to remind keepers of these obligations. Scottish Government and its operational partners have a robust control strategy in place, and a proven track record in dealing effectively and rapidly with controlling outbreaks

Question reference: S6W-13910

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many households in the (a) local authority, (b) registered social landlord, (c) private rented and (d) owner-occupier sector have received payments from the Fuel Insecurity Fund in each month of 2022-23 to date.

Households of all tenures are eligible to seek assistance from the Fuel Insecurity Fund (FIF) if they are at risk of self-rationing their energy use or self-disconnecting entirely. Our trusted third sector delivery partners, namely Advice Direct Scotland (ADS), the Fuel Bank Foundation and the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations (SFHA), are not required to monitor the housing tenure type of the individuals they support. In the case of the SFHA, though, all of the support they provide, £6.6m this financial year, is directed towards social housing tenants of member RSLs.

We regularly monitor the support provided by our delivery partners; however we seek to avoid excessive demands for data gathering in order to ensure the FIF can be distributed with a level of partner discretion to target direct support to those most in need at the time.

Question reference: S6W-13913

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many payments from the Fuel Insecurity Fund have been made to support households that have damp and mould issues in each month of 2022-23 to date, and what the total value of payments for this purpose has been.

Question reference: S6W-13997

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Creative Scotland about any reduction in the amount of grant funds that can be offered to the cultural sector, in light of the £5.1 million reduction to the Creative Scotland & Other Arts budget, as set out in the draft Scottish Budget 2023-24.

The Scottish Government has been in regular dialogue with Creative Scotland regarding the draft Scottish Budget for 2023-2024. Officials meet regularly with Creative Scotland. The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture had a regular meeting with the Chair of Creative Scotland on 21 December. The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture also called the Chair of Creative Scotland on the 15 December once the Scottish Government draft budget had been published.

Question reference: S6W-14010

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it will commit to support the future of crofting.

On 15 December 2022 the Scottish Government published its budget for 2023-24, which is available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scottish-budget-2023-24/documents/ .

The Scottish Government approves and provides croft businesses with over £40 million each year through various support mechanisms, including the crofting specific Croft House Grant, Crofting Agricultural Grant Scheme, and the Cattle Improvement Scheme. Crofters can also access the LFASS, BPS and Greening, Young Farmers Payment, AECS, the sheep and beef schemes, the Forestry Grant Scheme and the Small Woodlands Loan Scheme, the Sustainable Agricultural Capital Grant Scheme and veterinary support. The Farm Advisory Service provides advice and guidance to crofters through its one-to-one and one-to-many services.

Question reference: S6W-13976

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 25 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Risk Management Committee, which oversees its national frameworks for the Supply of Electricity and Supply of Natural Gas, will next meet to review its decision to temporarily suspend the on-boarding of all new customers.