Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 42651 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-30554

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether Hassockrigg Ecopark in Shotts is lying dormant with no licence to operate.

Question reference: S6W-30551

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that none of Scotland’s "yellow bag" clinical waste is currently being processed in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-30441

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the BP & EnBW enabling (a) crew transfer vessel and (b) service operation vessel fabrication project in the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council Strategic Investment Model.

These projects have been classed as referral projects in the Strategic Investment Model process and have been referred to their local enterprise agency to continue discussions on ways in which the projects can be supported. Full details about the route forward for each of the project categories are available online: Full SIM Stage 2 List published | Offshore Wind Scotland.

While the Scottish Government supports the industry-led Strategic Investment Model, the decision to prioritise projects for investment through the Strategic Investment Model was made by industry – not the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-30438

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many former oil and gas workers have transitioned to green jobs as a result of Just Transition funding.

The Scottish Government does not currently hold overall figures relating to employment outcomes or job creation as a result of our funded programmes. We are currently commissioning an independent evaluation which will help to determine this and the impact of the Fund to date, in due course.

Through the Just Transition Fund specifically, we have allocated £9.7 million for a package of skills interventions in the North East. We are currently commissioning an independent evaluation of the Fund’s impact to date which will include existing jobs supported and new jobs created. This work is due to complete by March end 2025.

This includes:

£4.5 million over 5 years for the Energy Skills Transition Hub – which aims to support 1000 people into energy transition roles.
£1 million for the National Energy Skills Accelerator to support a pilot scheme to better understand future energy skills needs and deliver workforce training.
funding for a feasibility study about net zero skills requirements and labour supply chain bottlenecks in Moray.
£3.7 million for the development of the Offshore Energy Skills Passport.

In addition, we are taking forward and supporting a wide range of sector-specific efforts, designed to help workers seize new opportunities, while ensuring that the sector does not lose essential skills and experience.

Question reference: S6W-30418

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Offshore Energies UK to discuss employment and training initiatives.

Scottish Government Ministers and officials regularly meet with industry stakeholders, including OEUK to discuss their ongoing employment and training initiatives. The First Minister and I met with David Whitehouse, CEO of OEUK on 30 September 2024. The Scottish Government is working with the energy sector to plan for a multi-skilled workforce to ensure a fair and just transition for Scotland’s highly skilled offshore workers.

Question reference: S6W-30392

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, when it was initially conceived, whether a stated aim of minimum unit pricing was to reduce the consumption of alcohol among hazardous and harmful drinkers, and, if so, whether this aim has changed, and for what reason.

The aim of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol is to reduce health harms caused by alcohol consumption by setting a floor price below which alcohol cannot be sold. In particular, it targets a reduction in consumption of alcohol that is considered cheap, relative to its strength. It aims to reduce both the consumption of alcohol at population level and, in particular, those who drink at hazardous and harmful levels. In doing so, it aims to reduce alcohol related health harms among hazardous and harmful drinkers, and contribute to reducing harm at a whole population level.

The aim of MUP remains the same as stated at the Bill's introduction in 2011.

Question reference: S6W-30345

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy live facial recognition systems in Scotland, what its response is to the European Parliament's reported decision to classify the use of real-time biometrics in public spaces as posing an unacceptable risk.

Question reference: S6W-30347

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scottish Biometrics Commissioner regarding the reported proposals from the Chief Constable of Police Scotland to deploy live facial recognition technology for law enforcement purposes.

Question reference: S6W-30315

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received a reliable estimate of the false positive rate of the live facial recognition technology that the Chief Constable of Police Scotland has reportedly proposed deploying for law enforcement purposes.

Question reference: S6W-30322

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that Police Scotland deletes and does not retain any images or video used for live facial recognition under the reported proposals outlined by the Chief Constable, and, if so, how it will ensure this.