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 43418 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-25809

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24987 by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024, what reasons were provided by schools for not taking part in the project.

Question reference: S6W-25577

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been created in the renewables sector in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Statistics from the ONS Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Economy (LCREE) survey provide estimates of renewables employment in Scotland. No data is available to provide additional geographic breakdowns below the Scotland level at present.

As the flowing table shows, the estimated number of direct jobs in renewable electricity was 8,000 in 2022 and 5,400 in 2018.

Employment (Full-time equivalent)	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
Scotland	5,400	5,400	6,700	9,700	8,000

The LCREE estimates presented in the table above are survey-based and are therefore subject to a degree of uncertainty.

Other estimates of FTE employment in the renewable sector exist, such as those in the linked 2023 study by Fraser of Allander Institute (totalling around 42,000 FTE in 2021). This also includes indirect and induced employment estimates. FINAL-The-Economic-Impact-of-Scotlands-Renewable-Energy-Sector-1.pdf (fraserofallander.org)

Question reference: S6W-25538

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many incidents have occurred, in each of the last five years, in which (a) prisoners and (b) prison staff have received medical attention as a result of coming into contact with illicit drugs in Scotland's prisons.

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

The health and wellbeing of those who live and work in our prisons is a key priority for the Scottish Prison Service and we continue to work with numerous organisations to offer those in their care a suite of support to address both their addiction and recovery journey.

1. Current reporting incident categories do not align with the above question and make it impossible to answer. SPS do however record instances of those in our care who are believed to be under the influence of substances.

SPS are reviewing reporting processes that should allow this information to be captured in a more robust and accurate manner.

2. Staff are advised in line with Staff Notice 053/17 to follow procedures if they believe they have been exposed to an unknown substance, this includes recording of the incident by way of an Accident at Work.

With regards to the recording of medical attention, NHS are responsible for the release of this information due to patient confidentiality; and in the case of SPS staff members, SPS will record accidents at work, however, it is at the individual’s discretion if they chose to report such incidents, despite advice and guidance detailed in staff notice 053/17.

Question reference: S6W-25501

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 13 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will allocate from its capital budget for the redevelopment of Ardrossan Harbour in (a) 2024-25 and (b) subsequent financial years.

Question reference: S6W-25969

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18204 by Kevin Stewart on 2 June 2023, whether it will provide an update on when the Scottish aviation strategy is scheduled to be published.

Question reference: S6W-25852

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the mapping of existing breakfast provision within primary and special schools will be completed as stated by spring 2024, and on what date it anticipates that it will publish the findings.

The Scottish Government has been working with AssistFM and the Improvement Service to map breakfast provision across Scotland, the findings will be used internally to inform the policy development on national breakfast provision. The first phase of the mapping work is now complete. The second phase of the work will take place across April-May 2024 and will survey all primary and special schools in their approach to the provision of breakfast.

Question reference: S6W-25843

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of livestock worrying since the increased penalties were introduced in November 2021.

The worrying of livestock by dogs is completely unacceptable and is something the Scottish Government takes very seriously and recognises the distress and the serious welfare and financial implications it may cause.

From November 2021 to September 2023, 21 accused have been convicted with, at least one, protection of livestock from dogs charge. In all the cases, the charges were under the dogs (protection of livestock) act 1953 section 1(1)&(6).

Question reference: S6W-25808

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24995 by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024, what its position is on whether an updated estimate of the cost of food waste would be useful in illustrating any benefits for households of reducing food waste.

Based on 2021 UK food waste levels, the Waste Resources Action Programme has highlighted that food waste costs a four-person household around £1,000 a year. Available evidence indicates that reductions in food waste lead to cost-savings for households and businesses. As part of resetting our approach to tackle food waste set out in our Circular Economy and Waste Route Map proposals, we will continue to prioritise efforts to support householders to tackle food waste and highlight the range of benefits this would deliver, through the development and delivery of a food waste reduction intervention plan for households. We will continue to work in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland and other stakeholders to consider any further evidence that may be helpful.

Question reference: S6W-25807

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24990 by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024, whether it will provide details of the food waste baseline provided to schools.

Question reference: S6T-01854

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the significant concerns raised by the chair of the Regulatory Review Group regarding its proposed Heat in Buildings Bill.