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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-12368

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 6 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many children in each local authority area are eligible to receive a free laptop or tablet, and, of those, how many (a) have received and (b) are yet to receive a free laptop or tablet.

Our commitment is for all pupils to have access to a digital device by the end of this Parliament. The following table shows how many devices have been distributed by each local authority using the £25m digital inclusion funding made available by Scottish Government in 2020/21. This funding supported the provision of 14,000 internet connections and over 72,000 tablets or laptops in total for learners across all local authorities.

Local Authority	Devices Distributed (via SG digital inclusion funding 2020/21)
Aberdeen City	1,777
Aberdeenshire	5,008
Angus	2,420
Argyll & Bute	1,317
City of Edinburgh	2,605
Clackmannanshire	828
Dumfries & Galloway	2,371
Dundee City	2,050
East Ayrshire	1,837
East Dunbartonshire	1,015
East Lothian	1,806
East Renfrewshire	623
Falkirk	1,840
Fife	5,465
Glasgow City	7,240
Highland	4,499
Inverclyde	1,107
Midlothian	1,235
Moray	1,315
Na h-EileananSiar	357
North Ayrshire	1,734
North Lanarkshire	6,026
Orkney Islands	275
Perth & Kinross	1,507
Renfrewshire	1,800
Scottish Borders	316
Shetland Islands	475
South Ayrshire	1,512
South Lanarkshire	5,544
Stirling	1,794
West Dunbartonshire	2,084
West Lothian	2,905
Total	72,687

Individual local authorities across Scotland have also undertaken their own digital inclusion schemes and have distributed connections and devices to learners in line with their own digital strategies. The latest information we have available indicates that a total of almost 280,000 devices have been, or are in the process of being, rolled out to learners across Scotland. This includes the 72,000 funded by Scottish Government. We continue to work with local authorities on plans to ensure every school-aged child has access to a device and connectivity by the end of this parliamentary term in 2026.

Question reference: S6W-12390

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the speed limit on the A76 in Mennock, including considering reducing it to 40 mph for all vehicles.

In 2012 a Speed Limit Review, in accordance with the Scottish Government issued guidance titled 'Setting Local Speed Limits: Guidance for Local Authorities ETLLD Circular 1/2006’, concluded that given the character, mean speed and accident rates, a 50 mph speed limit on the A76 is appropriate in Mennock. We are not aware of any change in the accident rate, mean speed, the number of junctions/accesses in the area, or other material change since the review was undertaken that would lead us to revisit the findings of the Speed Limit Review.

As part of the Road Safety Framework to 2030, we are undertaking a National Speed Management Review to support a range of policies supporting national outcomes. The multi-year review shall include public consultation and may possibly require legislative changes. Until this work is completed, the existing guidance will continue to be followed. Any speed limit changes will only be supported where these are evidenced as meeting the current guidance or through their likely contribution to the Scottish Government’s 2030 road safety targets.

Question reference: S6T-01023

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that local government directors of finance have written to the finance secretary regarding an unprecedented £1 billion budget gap, and of COSLA stating that the current spending plans will lead to job losses.

Question reference: S6T-01018

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2022

To ask Scottish Government what its response is to comments from the Auditor General that it underspent its budget by £2 billion in the financial year 2021-22.

Question reference: S6T-01020

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Strep A cases in Scotland, including what it is doing to mitigate any risks.

Question reference: S6F-01626

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the roll-out of the Child Disability Payment.

Question reference: S6F-01613

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6F-01607

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will provide an update on whether it will instruct Scottish Water to freeze water rates for 2023-24 to help with the cost of living crisis.

Question reference: S6F-01608

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

To ask the First Minister how many single-crewed ambulances, responding to an emergency, have been deployed in the last six months.

Question reference: S6F-01603

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.