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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: S6W-12534

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the contract to accommodate Ukrainian refugees, what the (a) total cost to date and (b) estimated cost up until the contract end date is for crew staff for the MS (i) Victoria and (ii) Ambition.

All costs, including those associated with crew staff, providing security, providing catering and port charges for the M/S Victoria and M/S Ambition are covered in our contract with Corporate Travel Management.

The original contract notice with Corporate Travel Management (North) Ltd, was published on 9 August 2022. Latest details on contract costings will be published soon on the Scottish Government’s website.

Invoices to CTM will be published on the Scottish Government website in due course as part of our statutory duty to publish all invoices greater than £25k.

Question reference: S6W-12570

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next review Land and Buildings Transaction Tax thresholds.

As the Deputy First Minister noted in his appearance at the Finance and Public Administration Committee meeting on 4 October 2022, decisions in respect of amendments to the rates or bands for LBTT are to be taken as part of the Scottish Budget. This ensures that any prospective decisions are taken with all the relevant data and evidence in hand, while also supporting the principles of tax certainty and stability.

Question reference: S6W-12563

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the potential impact on Scotland will be of the closure of the UK Office of Tax Simplification.

Whilst the Office of Tax Simplification (OTS) is a UK Government body, many of the taxes within its remit apply across the whole of the UK, including Scotland. The OTS provides an independent and objective perspective on taxes such as Inheritance Tax and Capital Gains Tax, which apply in Scotland and are widely considered to be complex and in need of reform.

One of the principles of good tax policy making set out in the Scottish Government's Framework for Tax is ‘convenience’, which states that "tax policy should be as simple, clear and straightforward as possible and opportunities to streamline the tax system should be taken where they arise." The UK Government's decision to close the OTS contrasts with this principle and the Scottish Government's approach to tax policy. The closure was announced without consultation or notice and has led to bodies such as the Chartered Institute of Taxation to call for the decision to be reversed – a call the Scottish Government agrees with.

Question reference: S6W-12557

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been paid to private consultancies commissioned to undertake NHS contracts in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-12665

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the total quantity of counterfeit and illegal goods seized by Trading Standard Scotland officers was in each of the past five years.

Question reference: S6W-12729

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many handheld music devices provided through Creative Scotland’s Youth Music Initiative are currently in use, and how much funding it has made available for the future use of these devices.

Question reference: S6W-12725

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to extend investment to its Active Play programme beyond the current range of the programme.

The Scottish Government recognises the important role Active Play has in providing children with the opportunity to develop physical skills in their early years and to encourage a long-term relationship with physical activity.

Current funding of the Active Play Development Project is for 2022-23 for delivery of Active Play programmes across two local authority areas, Glasgow and Highland. The evaluation of the current Active Play Development Programme will help inform future funding decisions, which will be subject to the Scottish Government’s budget for 2023-2024.

Question reference: S6W-12634

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many assessments for the continuation of properties on the valuation roll in accordance with the Council Tax (Dwellings and Part Residential Subjects) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021 have taken place since the regulations came into force, broken down by (a) assessor and (b) local authority area.

The valuation of non-domestic premises is a matter for the Scottish assessors who are independent of central and local government. The Scottish Government does not hold information on how many assessments have taken place in relation to the requirements for self-catering holiday accommodation set out in the Council Tax (Dwellings and Part Residential Subjects) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021.

Question reference: S6W-12703

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) funding and (b) support it will provide to Hourglass Scotland, whose 24/7 service is reported to be at risk of closure in March 2023 should no further grant be made available.

With regard to funding, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12704 on 12 December 2022 on the Parliament website, the search facility for which can be found on https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers Given that there are currently no open sources of Scottish Government funding, it will not be able to provide funding to Hourglass at this current time.

Hourglass Scotland are valued members of the Older people's Strategic Action Forum (OPSAF). We will ask our fund manager Inspiring Scotland to work with Hourglass to help them identify alternative funding options, such as those detailed in the answer to S6W- 12704.

Question reference: S6W-12632

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 12 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil penalties have been issued for failure to comply with the Council Tax (Dwellings and Part Residential Subjects) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021 since the regulations came into force, broken down by (a) assessor and (b) local authority area.

The Council Tax (Dwellings and Part Residential Subjects) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021 introduced a 70-day per financial year letting requirement for premises to be classed as self-catering holiday accommodation, in addition to the previous requirement that they be available for let for 140 days or more. If a property does not meet the requirements set out in the regulations for self-catering holiday accommodation entered on to the valuation roll, then it will instead be classed a dwelling included on the Council Tax Valuation List.The Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Act 2020 provides for civil penalties for failure to respond to assessor information notices, however this is not directly related to The Council Tax (Dwellings and Part Residential Subjects) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2021. The Scottish Government does not hold information on any civil penalties issued under this Act.