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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-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.

Question reference: S6W-08202

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) information it has on or (b) estimate it has made of the number of digital devices distributed to children and young people that have been damaged or broken, broken down by local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-08216

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 plans it has to encourage members of the Pursuers Panel in Scotland to take on more cases funded by legal aid.

Question reference: S6W-08326

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it is planning to launch new funding rounds for Rwanda and Zambia through the International Development Fund.

After assessment, the Scottish Government was pleased to be able to offer 12 month extensions to 5 of our projects in Rwanda and 2 in Zambia. In total, £1.6M of additional funding has been allocated between our Rwanda and Zambia programmes for financial year 2022/23.

We are currently working on restructuring our current funding schemes, in line with the outcomes of our 2021 Review. New funding streams will therefore include:

funding under a new Equalities programme;
funding to support sustainable recovery from COVID; and
funding to support institutional resilience.

New programmes in Rwanda, Zambia, and Malawi will commence in 2023.

We will update the Parliament further in due course.

Question reference: S6W-08325

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff it is planning to recruit over the current parliamentary session in order to improve continuity and coordination between new elements of international development and wider external affairs programming.

Question reference: S6W-08475

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is committed to supporting adult learners.

I am pleased to announce that Scotland’s first Adult Learning Strategy has been published today, and can be found online here: www.gov.scot/isbn/9781802018301

The strategy has bold and ambitious actions to remove barriers to learning, enabling more adults across Scotland to begin and continue their learning journeys. It outlines important steps required to create more accessible learning opportunities for our adult learners, particularly those experiencing disadvantage and furthest from learning.

The publication of the strategy deepens collaboration with adult learners to address and tackle the inequalities that many face. Our aim is to ensure that learners are at the centre of the strategy’s delivery as we work with them to realise their ambitions and aspirations.

Question reference: S6W-08474

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Lorna Slater on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide an update on the review of the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy.

We have published the Report of the independent review of the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy.

The Report is available at: http://www.gov.scot/ISBN/9781804353912/documents/

Dr Colin Church submitted his Report to Ministers on 13 April. Given the potential for the Report’s findings and recommendations to raise issues that could be of particular local interest, publication was deferred until after the local government elections.

We are considering Dr Church’s recommendations carefully and will respond to these in a statement to Parliament in June.

Given the important issues that the Review Report raises in relation to Scotland’s national capacity requirements for incineration, the temporary notification direction that was put in place during the review will remain in place until we determine our response to Dr Church’s recommendations. This notification direction requires local authorities to notify Scottish ministers when they receive, and when they intend to approve, a planning application for an incineration facility.

Question reference: S6W-08484

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by George Adam on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what legislative consent memorandums it anticipates lodging in the Parliament in connection with the legislative programme of the UK Government announced in the Queen’s Speech on 10 May 2022.

In accordance with the Sewel Convention and in line with Rule 9B of Standing Orders, the UK Parliament should not legislate with regard to devolved matters – that is on matters within the legislative competence of the Parliament or which change the competence of the Parliament or the Scottish Ministers – without the consent of the Scottish Parliament.

Within the legislative programme announced by the UK Government, Bills which appear to give rise to the requirement for the legislative consent of the Scottish Parliament are:

Procurement

Trade (Australia and New Zealand)

Bill of Rights

Levelling Up and Regeneration

Energy Security Bill

Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Bill

Brexit Freedoms Bill

Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill

Social Security (Special Rules for End of Life) Bill

Transport

Modern Slavery

Data Reform Bill

In addition, the following Bills may extend to Scotland but at this stage it is unclear whether they will generate the requirement for an LCM:

UK Infrastructure Bank

Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure Bill

Electronic Trade Documents Bill

Financial Services and Markets Bill

Higher Education Bill

Social Housing Regulation Bill

Harbours (Seafarers’ Remuneration) Bill

The Scottish Government will consider the content of all Bills before making its recommendation to the Parliament on legislative consent. It will then be for the Scottish Parliament to determine whether to give or withhold consent.

It is possible that legislative consent may be required for other UK Bills and those will be drawn to the attention of the Parliament as they arise.

Question reference: S6F-01094

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will convene an emergency summit on abortion healthcare in response to anti-abortion rights action in Scotland and around the world.

Question reference: S6F-01081

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the report published last Friday, Owning the Future: A framework of regulations for decarbonising owner-occupied homes in Scotland, commissioned by the Existing Homes Alliance.