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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: S6O-00613

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is progressing plans for carbon neutral islands.

Question reference: S6O-00607

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that public transport is accessible to disabled people.

Question reference: S6O-00605

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is tackling fuel poverty in Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley.

Question reference: S6O-00608

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent actions it has taken to support the rural economy on Arran.

Question reference: S6O-00602

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support ferry services in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-00575

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the scale of the problem of sexual assault faced by girls at school.

There is no place for harassment or abuse of any form, whether in the workplace, schools, in the home or in society. Through our Equally Safe delivery plan and review of Personal and Social Education, we are taking action aimed at preventing sexual harassment and gender-based violence, in order to develop positive relationships amongst children and young people.

Her Majesty’s Inspectors of Education take matters of safeguarding very seriously. This is a well-established priority and approaches to safeguarding and child protection are evaluated in every school inspection.

We have committed to commissioning an independent review to establish positive practice and further areas for improvement, during this parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6W-05377

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 December 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its plans are to publish the National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social Care.

Significant work has already taken place to develop a National Workforce Strategy for Health and Social care, in partnership with CoSLA.

Pursuant to extensive consultation with stakeholders from across the health and social care landscape, the Strategy will outline our shared vision for the workforce, which supports a tripartite ambition of recovery, growth and transformation. It will also set out the actions we are taking in partnership with the workforce, to achieve that vision.

Unfortunately, the rapid emergence of the Omicron variant including the potential challenges this presents for maintenance of our Health and Social care services as we move through Winter, means that this is rightly our immediate focus. We will do all we can to ensure staff are protected and are rapidly increasing the rollout of our vaccinations programme to protect the public.

In light of these developments, the Strategy will now be published in early 2022 to allow us to focus our efforts on the essential business of responding to Covid-19, It is essential we do all we can to promote staff wellbeing, and we will reflect on this next phase of the pandemic as we move forward with publication of the Strategy as soon as is practicable.

Question reference: S6W-04885

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the number of birds that have been killed in the last 10 years due to windfarm activity.

The Scottish Government does not hold complete information on the number of birds killed by windfarm activity. Prior to consent, surveys are undertaken in relation to the impact any proposed windfarm would have on bird populations. The survey results then determine whether mitigation and/or further monitoring is required and a specific condition to that effect is included in the windfarm’s consent. The information gathered from this monitoring is provided to the relevant Planning Authority. Not all windfarms have significant levels of bird activity and therefore they are not all required to report collisions.

Since 2013 NatureScot has operated a voluntary reporting scheme via their website, and have received 51 collision reports.

Some collisions are recorded by the Scottish Agricultural Science Agency (SASA), and these reports are published quarterly on the SASA website and can be found here: https://www.sasa.gov.uk/wildlife-environment/wildlife-incident-investigation-scheme-wiis .

Question reference: S6W-04804

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what projects it is developing in Moray through the Just Transition Fund; where they will be located, and how it will ensure that Moray will benefit equitably from investment in (a) projects, (b) jobs and (c) skills development.

We set out an initial £20 million allocation for the Fund in our draft Budget document on the 9th December. Building on our commitment to co-design, we will take forward a series of engagements in the new year with partners across the region to design the approach for the implementation of the Fund, including how investments can demonstrate alignment with the national outcomes we set out in our response to the Just Transition Commission in September 2021.

We are fully committed to ensuring this Fund benefits communities fairly across the North East and Moray region. Our engagement activity will cover the region as a whole, ensuring that communities and businesses in Moray, with others, are able to influence the approach taken for the Fund.

Question reference: S6W-04781

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government which review boards are involved in the development of its education policy.

The Scottish Government has established a number of groups to advise Ministers on the development of education policy. These include the International Council of Education Advisers, the Scottish Education Council, the Curriculum and Assessment Board, the Teacher Panel, and the Scottish Board for Teacher Education. In addition, there were two important reviews of aspects of Scotland's education system published recently, the Audit Scotland report Improving outcomes for young people through school education, and the findings of the OECD: Scotland’s Curriculum for Excellence: Into the Future | en | OECD. Following on from the OECD review, Professor Ken Muir was appointed in August 2021 to act as an independent adviser to the Scottish Government, and to report recommendations on education reform early in 2022. At the beginning of his appointment, Professor Muir appointed an expert panel and an advisory group to support this work. Details of these groups including the remit and membership can be found here: Education Reform . It has also been announced that Professor Hayward will lead a reference group to advise on the reform of qualifications, and this work will begin next year.

It has also been announced that Professor Hayward will lead a reference group to advise on the reform of qualifications, and this work will begin next year.