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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-12989

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many fines have been issued for failing to maintain wind turbines properly since 2007, and what the individual amounts of any fines were.

Conditions may be attached to planning permissions for wind farm developments which “require wind turbines to be constructed and operated in accordance with the approved details and maintained in the approved colour, free from external rust, staining or discolouration, until such time as the wind farm is decommissioned”.

The Scottish Government does not monitor or enforce conditions attached to planning permissions, and therefore has not issued any fines relating to the failure to maintain wind turbines. It is the relevant local planning authorities who monitor and enforce development and operational controls imposed through conditions, and who can take enforcement action up to and including requiring removal of the turbine, as well as referring matters to the Procurator Fiscal to consider prosecution.

Question reference: S6W-13005

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many active working groups there are that fall under the remit of (a) just transition, (b) net zero and (c) energy, and whether it will provide a list of these groups.

The Scottish Government works with a variety of stakeholders, who support and shape work on the just transition, net zero and energy. The input from our stakeholders is invaluable and plays a vital role in helping deliver a just energy transition to net zero.

The number and makeup of these working groups varies in line with government priorities. Examples of working groups which fall under the remit of just transition, net zero or energy include:

The Scottish Energy Advisory Board (SEAB)
The Scottish Energy Networks Strategic Leadership Group
The Renewable Energy Strategic Leadership Group
Energy Consumers Commission
Just Transition Commission

Question reference: S6W-13002

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many active working groups there are that fall under the remit of transport, and whether it will provide a list of these groups.

The Scottish Government lead a number of working groups that fall under the remit of transport. The groups are appointed to study and report on a particular question or make recommendations based on its findings hence the longevity of each group will vary. The following non-exhaustive list includes currently active transport groups managed by the Scottish Government, but it does not include all of the transport groups that we engage with.

National Transport Strategy Delivery Board

National Transport Strategy Business Group

Analysis of Demand Management Options Steering Group

Transport Governance and Collaboration Working Group

Forth Bridges Forum

LEZ Leadership Group

LEZ Communications Group

LEZ Consistency Group

LEZ Enforcement Group

Queensferry Crossing Ice Accretion Working Group

Queensferry Crossing Ice Accretion Peer Review Group

A83 Taskforce Group

A9 Road Safety Group

Road Safety Strategic Partnership Board

Road Safety Operational Partnership Group

Motorcycle safety group

Three Local Partnership Forums for Road Safety across Scotland (east, west and north)

Road Safety Scotland Learning Advisory Group

Road Safety Scotland Publicity Advisory Group

The Parking Standards Advisory Group

The Traffic Regulation Order Review Group

Scottish Road Research Board

National strategy for 20mph Working Group

Road Traffic Fatality Working Group

Transport Scotland Pavement Forum

Scottish Traffic Signs Working Group

Roads for All forum

Vulnerable Locations Operations Group

Zero Emission Truck Taskforce

Bus Taskforce:

Driver Shortage subgroup
Patronage Growth subgroup
Community Engagement subgroup

Mobility as a Service Working Group

Operator Smart Steering Group

Active Travel Delivery Partners’ Data, Monitoring and Evaluation Group

Accessible Travel Steering Group

Accessible Travel Framework Impact Evaluation Project Working Group

Scottish Freight and Logistics Advisory Group (ScotFLAG)

Ardrossan Task Force

Edinburgh Waverley Station Masterplan Steering Group

Edinburgh Waverley Station Masterplan Working Group

Perth Station Masterplan Steering Group

Perth Station Masterplan Working Group

Inverness Station Masterplan Steering Group

Inverness Station Masterplan Working Group

Sustainable Travel to Station Steering Group

Sustainable Travel to Station Working Group

The Aberdeen to Central Belt Key Stakeholder Group

Question reference: S6W-12941

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress in recruiting CalMac (a) Officers and (b) Ratings to work on the MV Glen Sannox when it is scheduled to enter service between Troon and Arran from May 2023.

Question reference: S6W-12939

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the reasons why the intervention by the Scottish Information Commissioner into its performance regarding Freedom of Information requests is still ongoing after five years.

The Scottish Government’s response to the Commissioner’s intervention is documented by the three progress reports which the Commissioner has produced during the intervention. These set out the progress which has been made and the areas in which the Scottish Government still requires to make further improvement. The Scottish Government published its Improvement Plan 2022-23 in July setting out its action plan to address these areas of improvement.

As the member is aware, the Government pivoted to respond to the Covid pandemic in early 2020, and the subsequent redeployment of staff to critical areas, has affected the delivery of improvements. As the Civil Service itself recovers from the pandemic, we are taking the time to ensure that we embed continuous improvement in the structures which facilitate and deliver information access to ensure sustained improvement.

The Government’s ‘on time’ response rate over several months remains comparable with the wider public sector in Scotland. This performance has been sustained despite higher year on year request volumes (as at the end of October 2022, requests are up 48% on the previous three years), and increasing complexity of cases. The Government is committed to achieving the 95% target set by the Information Commissioner.

Question reference: S6W-13328

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel last met and what actions were agreed.

The Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel (“the Panel”) is an independent advisory Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB). The Panel’s secretariat can be contacted by emailing Trisha.Melvin@gov.scot for the requested information, as this information is not held by the Scottish Government. However, my officials were invited for a part of the most recent meeting of the Panel on 28 November for a discussion on the Fuel Poverty and Heat in Buildings Strategies.

Question reference: S6W-13295

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its answer to question S6W-10993 by Michael Matheson on 4 October 2022, whether it will provide an update on whether it intends to join the Beyond Oil and Gas Alliance as a core member.

Question reference: S6W-13281

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many care homes have closed in each of the last five years in the South Scotland region, broken down by Health and Social Care Partnership area.

Question reference: S6W-13223

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much (a) money and (b) time was spent on translating the series of papers entitled, Building a new Scotland, into other languages, including the summaries and supporting documents, and for what reasons any specific languages were chosen.

The Scottish Government seeks to meet statutory requirements and deploy best practice in the ways in which it communicates information with people in Scotland, and wider audiences. We regularly translate key advice and information into other languages and formats. The Building a New Scotland prospectus series has been designed to be as accessible as possible to ensure that communities across Scotland are able to access the information. Languages were selected on the basis of their frequency of use and experience of usage of translations of previous Scottish Government publications. Audio and Easy Read versions make the Building a New Scotland prospectus series more accessible to more people.

The costs associated with the series are published proactively and the costs for the first three papers can be found on the Scottish Parliament website at –

Written question and answer: S6W-11001 | Scottish Parliament Website

Written question and answer: S6W-11002 | Scottish Parliament Website

Written question and answer: S6W-13303 | Scottish Parliament Website

Question reference: S6O-01764

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect primary care services, in light of reports showing the workforce and demand pressures on general practice.