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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-06912

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many older people who are in relative or absolute poverty it estimates have applied for schemes such as Warmer Homes Scotland and similar government schemes in order to make it through this winter and afford basic needs such as heating and food.

Eligibility for Warmer Homes Scotland (WHS) does not operate on an “application” basis, but on proxies which are used as an indication of the likelihood of the household living in or being at risk of fuel poverty.

Eligible callers to Home Energy Scotland, looking for advice or help are referred to WHS. Both the householder and the property must meet the qualifying criteria to receive assistance from Warmer Homes Scotland.

A total of 1,467 referrals to WHS during the period 1 November 2021 and 28 February 2022 were made from those who were 60 years and above.

Monitoring information for other winter support schemes will become available at the end of the current financial year and we intend to publish that information once available.

Question reference: S6W-06970

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the Single Building Assessment will align with the proposed Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022.

Question reference: S6W-07023

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many Ukrainian students are estimated to be studying in Scotland and what support is being offered to them, in light of current international events.

In 2020-21, based on recorded nationality, there were around 125 Ukrainian students at university and 45 Ukrainian students at college. However, further students will have close links of family members affected by the current crisis and we want to support them as well.

We are continuing to engage with the sector to identify the likely impact on students studying at Scottish institutions. I met with University and College principals on 2 March to learn more about how they are responding to support students who may be affected by the situation and to understand some of the wider concerns they may have.

Ukrainian and other international students are already able to access a Coronavirus Fund put in place by Scottish Government to support students financially impacted by the pandemic. Scottish Government officials are also currently considering what additional support can be offered to students impacted by the conflict who are studying in Scotland.

We are also conscious of the impact of the ongoing situation on student mental health and wellbeing and welcome Universities Scotland’s ‘Statement of Solidarity with Ukraine’.

Students experiencing mental health and wellbeing or hardship issues, should, in the first instance, contact their respective institutions. Further mental health and wellbeing and finance advice is also available on the Student Information Scotland website.

Question reference: S6W-07020

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 04 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allow local authorities to carry forward unspent Tenant Hardship Grant funding to 2022-23, or whether it will seek to recover any underspend.

Each local authority has been given a set allocation of funding which will close when that allocation is fully spent. Local authorities can continue spending into the next financial year with any remaining allocation should they need to do so.

The Tenant Grant Fund is being paid to local authorities as General Revenue Grant, if a local authority is unable to spend their revenue funding in year, it is placed in their reserves and used the following financial year. As it is revenue funding they do not require Scottish Government approval.

Local authorities have indicated that they are confident that they will be able to spend their allocations in the coming months, therefore we do not anticipate any need to recover an underspend.

Question reference: S6W-06824

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions have taken place regarding (a) its and (b) its agencies' adoption of the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance's (IHRA) working definition of antisemitism.

The Scottish Government formally adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance’s (IHRA) definition of antisemitism in June 2017. As such, the Scottish Government and its agencies have been expected to adhere to the definition since June 2017.

The adoption of the definition demonstrates our determination to tackle antisemitism, and sends a strong message that it is entirely unacceptable in Scotland. While the IHRA definition is not legally-binding, we find it to be helpful in bringing clarity to what is often a complex issue.

Question reference: S6W-06949

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken following the rejection of the pay proposal for firefighters in 2019-20, whether an increase in pay for Scottish Fire and Rescue Service staff will be considered, and if so, when this will be implemented.

Question reference: S6W-06924

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the pipeline of around 9,000 Build to Rent homes in major cities, which are referred to in the Housing to 2040 strategy, are at the more affordable end of market rents.

The Scottish Government does not gather information on the affordability of rents in the Build to Rent sector.

Build to Rent is recognised as a mainstream housing delivery mechanism and can complement existing housing models.

Build to Rent can be characterised by:

Single institutional ownership and professional on-site management of the entire development;
Individual units are self-contained and separately let;
Resident access to shared, communal facilities and on-site amenities integrated as part of the development.

Question reference: S6F-00920

Asked by: Fiona Hyslop, MSP for Linlithgow, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to reduce the waste of unsold, durable goods in Scotland, in line with the net zero targets.

Question reference: S6F-00918

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government anticipates meeting the interim targets set out in the Child Poverty (Scotland) Act 2017.

Question reference: S6F-00908

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022

To ask the First Minister when construction of the National Treatment Centres, which are due to open this year, is completed, whether they will have sufficient staff to begin tackling the Scotland-wide patient backlog.