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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-08039

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is no statistical data available from the SQA that could be used to asses whether there are any differences in pass rates for exams taken (a) pre-COVID-19 pandemic and (b) during the pandemic for those (i) with a neuro-divergent diagnosis and (ii) without such a diagnosis.

I have asked the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) to reply.

While information is available for children and young people with additional support needs, neither Scottish Government nor SQA collect specific data on candidates who may have a neuro-divergent diagnosis. The Education (Additional Support for Learning) Act 2004 (as amended) requires education authorities to identify, provide for and review the additional support needs of their pupils. The provision of additional support is based on need for educational support rather than a diagnosis alone.

Where a school is presenting a candidate with additional support needs for examination, if appropriate, a request can be made to SQA for a reasonable adjustment, such as additional time or a scribe. The requests from centres do not require or provide any detail on the range of additional support needs or disabilities that learners have.

Question reference: S6W-08094

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that over 400 cases of drink spiking were reported to Police Scotland between October 2021 and February 2022.

The act of drink spiking is utterly abhorrent and the Scottish Government remains absolutely committed to continue working with partners to tackle this unacceptable behaviour. Police Scotland have recorded over 492 crimes of ‘Drugging’ and ‘Administering a substance for sexual purposes’, since October 2021, and continue to work closely with Scottish Government to monitor the situation. These can be broken down as follows:

	Oct 2021	Nov 2021	Dec 2021	Jan 2022	Feb 2022	Mar 2022
Drugging	119	170	72	32	36	46
Administering a substance for sexual purposes	3	2	2	1	3	6

Source: Recorded Crime in Scotland Monthly Official Statistics

On 4 November and 8 December 2021, I chaired urgent roundtables on spiking to discuss to discuss the prevalence of spiking crimes and to agree what action should be taken. It was agreed that the key immediate and ongoing activity should focus on ensuring consistent messaging and prevention activity, including training for night time industry staff, to both raise awareness and help keep people safe. The roundtable will be reconvened in June, and again in September, to ensure readiness of partners ahead of the new academic year.

Police Scotland have reported a downward trend in recorded spiking incidents since November last year, however we continue to monitor the situation closely and to ask for the public to remain vigilant.

Question reference: S6W-08061

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many do-not-resuscitate orders have been signed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this compares with each calendar year from 2010 onwards.

The Scottish Government does not centrally collect information or data relating to the use of Do Not Attempt Cardiovascular Resuscitation (DNACPR) forms in hospitals.

As with all other clinical treatments, decisions about CPR should be based on the individual clinical circumstances and wishes of the patient, recorded appropriately and updated when medical circumstances change. This recording is done in hard copy on a DNACPR form, the existence of which is then recorded on an individual’s Key Information Summary. Such information is only shared for the purposes of direct care and is therefore not centrally collected.

Question reference: S6W-08280

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07335 by Maree Todd on 25 March 2022, which details funding provided to the Scottish Huntington’s Association prior to the lodging of motion S6M-00923, which was supported by 99 MSPs of all parties, what steps it has taken since the lodging of the motion to act on its call to expand specialist Huntington’s disease services in line with rising cases.

Question reference: S6W-08267

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to (a) further extend and (b) review, in order to reflect the current situation facing pig farmers, the Pig Producers Hardship Support Scheme.

We have continued to monitor and engage with industry. We are aware that the sector is still under unprecedented pressure due to the backlog of pigs and the shortages in skilled labour, compounded by the more recent situation with Ukraine and increased input and energy prices. Given this, I can advise that we have made the decision to further extend the Pig Producers Hardship scheme and the sector will now have an additional £410,000 of support made available, this will bring the scheme total to just over £1.8 million. The scheme extension announcement was made on 9 May.

Question reference: S6W-08262

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided to the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) in the last five years, and how much it plans to provide in the next five years.

In the five financial years from 2017-18 to 2021-22, the Scottish Government provided a total of £330,500 in grant funding to the Royal Highland Education Trust (RHET) for the purposes of their programme of school farm visits and associated educational resources for schools.

These grants are applied for and awarded on an annual basis. It is therefore not possible at this time to estimate accurately how much might be provided in funding over the next five financial years.

Question reference: S6W-08273

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people convicted of possessing indecent images of children have been given a custodial sentence, broken down by the length of sentence, in each of the last 10 full financial years.

Question reference: S6W-08264

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many successful prosecutions there have been for livestock theft in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S6W-08038

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what involvement SQA psychologists had in the development of the pre-COVID-19 pandemic advice and guidance that the SQA provided to schools regarding the examinations diet.

Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), established under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996. It operates at arm’s length to Ministers and is responsible for making its own evidentially based operational decisions.

I have asked the SQA to reply.

SQA has advised that it does not employ psychologists and their guidance draws on a range of teams and specialisms.

Question reference: S6W-08215

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering to people who want to file a legal complaint against a solicitor but cannot afford to, in light of reports that none of the members on the Pursuers Panel in Scotland are taking on cases funded by legal aid.

The Pursuer Panel is a group of lawyers with expertise in dealing with professional negligence claims, and in particular claims against solicitors. About half of the firms represented are registered to carry out civil legal aid, but whether or not the lawyers take on legal aid cases is a matter for them. The Scottish Government cannot compel solicitors to provide advice. Funding is available under the civil advice and assistance scheme for applicants to consult solicitors to get advice on professional negligence. Civil legal aid fees have risen by 10.25% in the last 12 months. There is also funding available for any necessary reports to be obtained to allow the solicitor to confirm whether or not the test for professional negligence is met. Where there is evidence of negligence civil legal aid is available for professional negligence cases, including actions against solicitors. There are other solicitors who may take on this work outside the Pursuer Panel.