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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-06140

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support local authorities in the roll out of the updated Young Scot National Entitlement Card (NEC) scheme, and what flexibility it has given to local authorities in relation to how the scheme is rolled out.

Transport Scotland is responsible for the policy and some aspects of the operational delivery of the free bus travel scheme for under 22s. However, the Improvement Service (IS) is the accountable body for the NEC scheme and cards are delivered by the National Entitlement Card Programme Office (NECPO) on behalf of local authorities.

Transport Scotland has not been prescriptive on what constitutes acceptable proof or verification that an individual is eligible for the scheme. This is to allow delivery partners and local authorities the flexibility to support applications from a range of eligible individuals.

The Improvement Service, acting on behalf of Local Authorities, make decisions on what evidence is required to support an application for the scheme for online applications through the www.GETYOURNEC.scot website, and all other elements of the application and card issuing process. Local Authorities have discretion regarding the rollout of application and approval processes, which should allow for a broader range of evidence to be accepted, both in person and through other methods that local authorities may use.

Transport Scotland receives regular reports from IS and NECPO on any issues with the application process and we are working closely with them to ensure that children and young people can receive their cards that will give them free bus travel.

Question reference: S6W-06204

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the joint report, Automated Vehicles, published by the Scottish Law Commission and the Law Commission of England and Wales, and which concludes their three-year review of the regulatory framework for road-based automated vehicles.

The Scottish Government welcomes the publication of the comprehensive and well informed Joint Report on Automated Vehicles by the Scottish Law Commission and the Law Commission of England and Wales.

While the majority of the Law Commissions’ recommendations fall within legislative competence reserved to the UK Parliament, some fall within devolved competence, such as a specific defence applying to driving offences committed in Scotland by the driver of an automated vehicle with a User-in-Charge function.

We will continue to engage with our partners in the UK and Welsh Governments on the development of those regulatory frameworks needed to support the safe deployment of automated vehicles, informed by the findings and recommendations of the Law Commissions’ Joint Report.

Question reference: S6W-06144

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of digital poverty on young people and their households, in cases where the young person wishes to update their Young Scot National Entitlement Card (NEC).

We know some people may not have access to the technology required to make an online application for a new or updated card. For this reason, other routes are available to help ensure no eligible young person is excluded. Applications to update cards can be made in-person via local councils and through some schools. Many local councils have dedicated staff on hand to help applicants who might have difficulty accessing the online card management system.

Question reference: S6W-06202

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether free bus travel for under-22s will be extended to include school buses for children attending education.

Many school children use public bus services to get to and from school and will benefit from the u22s scheme. Other pupils who are eligible for free school transport and use dedicated school transport or public bus services will continue to travel to school for free. We are working closely with local authorities to understand impact of the scheme on school transport and this will inform our planned review of the scheme after its first full year of operation.

Question reference: S6W-06249

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether families with two working parents should be prioritised for nursery placements under the 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare scheme.

All three and four year olds and around a quarter of two year olds in Scotland have a statutory entitlement to up to 1140 hours of funded early learning and childcare a year. Our funded ELC offer is the most generous across the United Kingdom.

Unlike the UK Government’s funded ELC offer for England which prioritises children with two working parents, our aim in Scotland is to ensure that every child benefits from high quality early learning and childcare. Regardless of their parent or carer’s working status, all children have a right to play, to learn and to access experiences that meet their physical, social, emotional and cultural needs; and a right to associate with their peers.

Question reference: S6W-06232

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05683 by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2022, whether it will consider the Dutch Road Noise Mitigation Program and associated legislation in 2012 as a benchmark in its development of noise barriers along trunk roads in urban areas in Scotland.

In 2006 the Scottish Government transposed the European Union's Environmental Noise Directive (END) for managing noise pollution into Scots law via the Environmental Noise (Scotland) Regulations 2006. European countries follow a generally consistent approach to noise mapping and action planning, for example the prioritisation process developed for Scotland’s noise action plans is based on a prioritisation process which aligns closely with the Dutch Road Noise Mitigation Programme.

In preparation for the next round of noise mapping, and to ensure noise mitigation best practice and associated legislation is fully considered, the Scottish Government has convened the Scottish Environmental Noise Steering Group (SENSG). This includes representation from key stakeholders and provides a forum to steer the production of Scotland’s strategic noise maps and associated Action Plans, including the prioritisation of control measures such as any that may be required on the trunk road network.

Question reference: S6W-06095

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, whether the keeper liability provisions, whereby the registered keeper of a vehicle is liable for the payment of a parking charge notice, resulting from parking on private land out with the conditions displayed, if the car's driver at the time cannot be identified, have come into force, and if this is not the case, by when it anticipates they will be commenced.

Transport Scotland, as part of the implementation of the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019, has been working on the liability provisions contained within Part 8 of the Act which will bring into force Keeper Liability across Scotland.

I can advise that Part 8 (Recovery of unpaid parking charges) of the 2019 Act has not yet been implemented and there is still a significant amount of challenging and complex work to be undertaken before this part can become law.

Work on the secondary legislation programme is progressing and Parliament will be updated in due course.

Question reference: S6W-06804

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of purposeful activity prisoners had, on average, per week in each month between December 2020 and December 2021, broken down by each prison.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The following table details the average number of purposeful activity (PA) hours that individuals in custody engaged in, within each public sector establishment, between December 2020 and December 2021.

SPS Establishment	Dec 20	Jan 21	Feb 21	Mar 21	Apr 21	May 21	Jun 21	Jul 21	Aug 21	Sep 21	Oct 21	Nov 21	Dec 21
Barlinnie	10	10	10	10	10	11	11	9	10	10	10	11	11
Cornton Vale	24	22	24	24	25	29	30	31	26	26	24	25	20
Dumfries	9	6	2	4	8	10	10	12	10	12	12	12	8
Edinburgh	11	10	11	10	11	11	12	10	10	11	11	9	10
Glenochil	12	9	9	11	10	11	13	11	12	12	10	12	11
Grampian	22	19	14	12	11	16	18	18	17	17	17	19	16
Greenock	21	17	19	20	21	21	24	23	20	21	19	25	24
Inverness	25	22	22	12	19	25	25	27	32	31	22	29	30
Low Moss	16	15	16	17	17	17	15	16	17	19	20	21	19
Castle Huntly	21	19	20	24	23	26	24	22	22	23	22	24	17
Perth	12	14	13	12	13	15	12	9	11	14	14	16	19
Polmont	16	13	14	20	22	22	22	20	18	18	16	21	17
Shotts	15	10	12	9	9	11	11	12	9	9	12	11	8

HMPs Addiewell and Kilmarnock are privately operated prisons and are not required to provide PA hours on a monthly basis. The delivery of PA hours within these establishments is monitored through contractual arrangements with SPS Controllers and Contract Managers to ensure compliance.

Question reference: S6W-06386

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for a replacement scheme for Erasmus, following the UK's exit from the EU.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of educational mobility. While we remain committed to Erasmus plus, in the interim we are creating a Scottish Education Exchange Programme to support participants from across Scotland’s education system.

This is a Programme for Government commitment and will help maintain Scotland’s place as an outward looking, internationally connected destination for work and study.

Question reference: S6O-00849

Asked by: Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any safety issues on the trunk road network in the Perthshire South and Kinross-shire constituency.