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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: S6F-00925

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00924

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-06590

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress regarding its Mental Health – Scotland’s Transition and Recovery plan.

We continue to make good progress with the delivery of the Mental Health Transition and Recovery plan, which was published in October 2020. The delivery of the plan is supported by our £120 million Recovery and Renewal Fund which is being used to transform services and increase our focus on prevention and early intervention.

A range of activity is being progressed. This includes work to enhance Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and psychological therapies, the implementation of the Eating Disorders Review and further roll out of digital innovations developed in response to the pandemic. We are also expanding the support available within communities, including the provision of £21 million (2021-2022) and £15 million (2022-2023) via the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for grassroots community groups to help tackle the impact of social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities amongst adults. A further £15 million has been made available to local authorities to provide community mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people.

This activity will continue in 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-06565

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government (a) what the timescale is and (b) which groups it will consult for its “national conversation” about the future of ScotRail.

Due to the local elections period, it is expected that the national rail conversation will get underway after 5 May local elections. Decisions on a more definitive timescale will be arrived at when agreement has been reached with Trade Union partners and other interested stakeholders.

It is envisaged that the national conversation will engage a wide ranging group of stakeholders including passengers, regional transport partnerships, rail unions, disability groups, businesses and educational interests.

Transport Scotland officials are currently considering the details on the most effective and productive engagement programme to deliver the national rail conversation.

Question reference: S6W-07166

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Green Jobs Workforce Academy, what the annual budget of the Academy is; how many full-time equivalent teachers and lecturers are employed by the Academy; what the entry requirements are for the Academy; what accredited courses are available, and how many full-time students are enrolled in the Academy.

The Green Jobs Workforce Academy is administered by Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and is designed to help workers identify and access skills support and training they need to secure green job opportunities as they emerge.

While the Academy does not directly employ teachers or lecturers, individuals can access training courses across a number of sectors including construction, energy, and land use and agriculture, via the greenjobs.scot website, and can arrange to speak with SDS career advisors.

Question reference: S6W-07195

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the available financial support to help tackle the rising cost of living is visible to and accessible for people in minority ethnic communities.

The £150 cost of living support payments are administered by local authorities who are responsible for ensuring this support, and indeed all the other services they deliver, are visible and accessible for people in minority ethnic communities. Local Authorities have indicated they are using the discretion we allowed to make payments as a credit to council tax accounts in the majority of circumstances. Where payments are made in this way, the credit should be automatically included in council tax bills for 2022-23.

The cost of living package also included extra funding for the Fuel Insecurity Fund which is distributed through third sector organisations who are partnered with referral organisations. Advice Direct Scotland (ADS) recently reported that they now have over 500 trusted referral partner organisations (advice /support services) signed up who can refer people they believe are in need of assistance.

Question reference: S6W-07212

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many council houses were built in each year from 1999-2000 to the most recent year for which figures are available, broken down by local authority.

Question reference: S6W-07186

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much peat has been burned in Scotland in the process of making whisky, in order to flavour malting barley, in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-07189

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of almost 2,000 children waiting more than a year in September 2021 for specialist child mental health services, how many of these young people were prescribed antidepressants, and how many were prescribed antidepressants by a GP, without seeing a specialist.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all children and young people are able to access the right support for their mental health without stigma, including medication where this is the most appropriate intervention.

The Scottish Government does not hold data on the numbers of children and young people aged 19 and under who were prescribed antidepressants by a GP, without seeing a specialist, while waiting for access to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS).

We know that the Covid-19 pandemic has been exceptionally difficult for the mental health and wellbeing of many children, young people and their families. Long waiting times for treatment are unacceptable and we remain committed to meet the standard that 90% of patients begin treatment within 18 weeks of referral. This is why in the 2021-22 financial year we have allocated nearly £40 million to NHS Boards to improve CAMHS; with £4.25 million specifically invested this year to help NHS Boards tackle backlogs, with a clear view of meeting standards and clearing CAMHS backlogs by March 2023.

As set out in the response to S6W-07188 on 21 March 2022, prescribing is a clinical decision based on a prescriber’s judgment as to what they believe is in the best interests of the patient. The prescribing of antidepressants for children and young people is undertaken in consultation with the patient, and where appropriate with their family, to ensure that patient choice is also central to decisions taken regarding treatment and care.

Medication is one aspect of treatment, alongside psychological therapy or other therapeutic interventions, available as an option for children and young people who require support. We continue invest and improve access to other services, including by providing £16 million per annum to ensure that every secondary school in Scotland has access to counselling support; and by investing £15 million in community-based mental health and wellbeing services as part of our focus on early intervention and prevention.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-07187

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much peat has been extracted in Scotland for commercial use in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government does not hold the information requested.

Data on UK and export sales of peat sourced from Scotland since 2011 is gathered for the UK Growing Media Monitor ( https://hta.org.uk/associations-committees-groups/growing-media-association/gma-research ) and provides insight into the volumes of peat extracted for horticulture in Scotland up to 2020, the main end use of extracted peat.

The Scottish Government is committed to banning the sale of peat related gardening products, as part of our wider commitment to phase out the use of peat in horticulture, and we are currently preparing to consult on this issue. Our draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out that development proposals for new commercial peat extraction, including extensions to existing sites, should not be supported unless the extracted peat is supporting an industry of national importance to Scotland.

We will also give consideration, through our peatland restoration programme, to whether and what further data may be required to support future monitoring of progress against targets.