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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-06242

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates it will cost to "update when necessary" the laptops, Chromebooks and tablets given to every school child in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-06239

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many free laptops, Chromebooks or tablets have been given to schoolchildren since May 2021.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all school-aged children and young people in Scotland have access to a digital device by the end of this parliament. This is a highly complex and ambitious commitment that requires careful partnership planning. Since May 2021, we have been working with local authorities to prepare the system and the people in it for a wider rollout of devices.

Local authorities across Scotland also have a range of approaches to provision of technology in schools, including some councils who have undertaken to provide cohorts of their school population with devices using their own budgets. We do not hold information centrally on those local approaches. COSLA have reported that 122,000 devices (including the 72,000 funded by the Scottish Government) have now been distributed. However, it is our view that this is an underestimation.

Question reference: S6W-06177

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05700 by Lorna Slater on 26 January 2022, whether it will confirm, regardless of whether there was a revised launch date or not, whether the minister was aware that there would be a delay to the Deposit Return Scheme (a) on, (b) prior or (c) after 17 November 2021.

Question reference: S6W-06137

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to regulate non-surgical cosmetic procedures, in light of the conclusion of the public consultation on this matter on 30 June 2020.

Question reference: S6W-06199

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the review of minimum unit pricing for alcohol.

When minimum unit pricing for alcohol was introduced on 1 May 2018, we said we would review the level two years after its introduction, so from May 2020. With the arrival of COVID-19, this work was paused as responding to the pandemic became the Scottish Government’s top priority.

The review work is now back underway. The impacts of the pandemic, and to some extent Brexit, however, make both the review and the evaluation more challenging. The pandemic, in particular, caused people’s drinking habits to change and, early signs are that this is having an impact on alcohol harms.

As regards the timescale for reviewing the level of MUP, it is currently too early in the process to set out when this might happen.

We remain convinced that MUP is one of the main drivers in reducing alcohol harm.

Question reference: S6W-06583

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Creative Scotland and, before it, Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen, allocated to projects in the (a) Midlothian, (b) East Lothian, (c) Scottish Borders, (d) Dumfries and Galloway, (e) South Ayrshire (f) East Ayrshire, (g) North Ayrshire, and (h) South Lanarkshire Council areas, in each year since 2007.

The information that you request relates to the funding decisions taken by the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen which existed from 2007 to 30 June 2010 and Creative Scotland which was established from 1 July 2010 which brought together the two predecessor organisations.

These national arts and screen development organisations disbursed Scottish Government and National Lottery funds and operated at arm’s length from Scottish Ministers in the disbursement of those funds.

For the period predating the establishment of Creative Scotland, 2007 to 30 June 2010, the published National Lottery Distribution Fund Annual Reports and Accounts of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen provide the information that the member is seeking.

The Scottish Arts Council’s National Lottery Distribution Fund Annual Reports and Accounts for the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2010 are available at the following link:

Transparency and freedom of information releases - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Scottish Screen’s National Lottery Distribution Fund Annual Reports and Accounts for the years ending 31 March 2007 to 2010 are available at the following link:

Transparency and freedom of information releases - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

I have also asked the Chief Executive of Creative Scotland to write to the member with the information they hold on this subject since 1 July 2010.

Question reference: S6O-00784

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to ensure that more fish caught by Scottish vessels is landed and processed at Scottish ports.

Question reference: S6O-00783

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that islanders are not left without food supplies due to the reported lack of resilience of the ferry fleet.

Question reference: S6O-00780

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported warnings from residents, business and advocacy groups that the current quality of ferry service represents a real threat to island life.

Question reference: S6O-00785

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce any adverse effects of food waste on climate change.