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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-06278

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maggie Chapman (On behalf of the SPCB) on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the reasons are for the delays in processing written questions.

Session 6 has seen a change in the nature of the items that the Chamber Desk processes. In particular, the number of Urgent Questions being lodged has increased significantly. This had had an impact on the previous pattern of work undertaken by the Chamber Desk. When Urgent Questions are submitted, they are given priority due to the timeframe for such questions to be taken if selected and only selected questions are published. This, combined with the necessary prioritisation of oral questions and motions and amendments for debate, has resulted in a longer turnaround time for written questions than Members will previously have been used to.

To respond to these changes in demand and pattern of work, additional staffing resources have been deployed to the Chamber Desk. Due to the specialist nature of the services provided by the Chamber Desk, the impact of these additional resources will not be immediately realised as staff require to undertake training and familiarisation with the role. However, the position is being actively assessed on an ongoing basis to ensure that questions and motions are processed in the timeliest manner possible. We are grateful for Members’ forbearance while the necessary training is undertaken.

Question reference: S6W-06193

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05586 by Graeme Dey on 24 January 2022, whether it will provide a breakdown by workstream of Transport Scotland FTE staffing levels between 2016 and 2021.

Attached are the figures for FTE requested since 2016 and broken down by workstreams.

Transport Scotland FTE (2016 - 2021)
Directorate	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Avaition, Maritime, Freight and Canals	27.7	29.1	30.5	33.3	38.4	42.7
Bus, Access and Active Travel	*	*	*	62.4	58.8	62
Chief Executive Office	5	13	10.8	3	3	3
Finance and Corp Services	48	51.7	50.7	47.9	51.3	53.5
Low Carbon Economy	*	*	*	16.3	21.2	25.8
Major Projects	71	66.8	72	59.6	62.8	58.6
Rail	55	53.1	53.1	62.8	69.6	66.5
Roads	121	116.9	116.1	98.2	99.5	110.6
Transport Strategy and Analysis	*	*	*	44	57.6	59.6
Transport Policy	48	49.2	52.6	*	*	*
TS Totals	375.7	379.8	385.8	427.5	462.2	482.3

* No figures for these years.

Please note that the Transport Policy directorate was disbanded in 2018. That same year, Low Carbon Economy, Bus, Accessibility and Active Travel and Transport Strategy & Analysis were created as individual directorates.

Question reference: S6W-06153

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government (a) when and (b) how it will introduce legislation in relation to reforming gender recognition procedures.

Question reference: S6W-06192

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05586 by Graeme Dey on 24 January 2022, for what reason the FTE staffing levels at Transport Scotland have risen from 375.7 in 2016 to 482 in 2021.

The reason for the increase in FTE staffing level’s from 2016 and 2021 are due Transport Scotland’s increasing pieces of work through changing ministerial responsibilities. These responsibilities include our work on EU Exit, COP26, Free Bus Travel for U22’s and the Strategic Transport Projects Review (SPTR2). These key commitments have led to the need for an increase in staffing numbers to ensure their delivery.

Question reference: S6W-06753

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) reported incidents, (b) prosecutions, (c) convictions and (d) penalties for vandalism and related offences committed against public toilet facilities there have been in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6O-00819

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the creation of a development and recovery agency for Glasgow.

The Glasgow Regional Economic Partnership recently published a Regional Recovery Strategy for the area which aligns closely with the priorities outlined in our National Strategy for Economic Transformation published earlier this week.

Assisting with the City Centre recovery is the Glasgow City Centre Task Force which Scottish ministers work closely with on economic recovery and Glasgow City Council has been allocated £2.6m from the City Centre Recovery Fund to take forward local priorities.

The Scottish Government works closely with the Regional Economic Partnership and the Glasgow City Centre Task Force and we value their knowledge and expertise and do not believe a further Agency is required given the existing arrangements.

Question reference: S6O-00847

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on co-operative development in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-00851

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-00853

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the country's transport system can help to improve economic growth.

Question reference: S6O-00849

Asked by: Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any safety issues on the trunk road network in the Perthshire South and Kinross-shire constituency.