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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-02788

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what its position is on whether the £3,000 used from Michael Matheson’s office expenses for roaming charges constituted value for money, as required of all expense claims under the Reimbursement of Members’ Expenses Scheme.

Question reference: S6O-02796

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when SPCB staff were notified by Michael Matheson of his holiday to Morocco and intention to take a parliamentary device abroad.

Question reference: S6O-02747

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will provide an update on its work to ensure that the crèche facility can offer more than four hours per week per child.

Question reference: S6O-02781

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what difficulties there are, if any, in recruiting staff for jobs in the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6O-02795

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how the Staff Cost Provision uprating for 2024-25 will be calculated.

Question reference: S6O-02784

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider having a third exhibition area, in light of there being considerable demand for such spaces.

Question reference: S6O-02785

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body under what circumstances Fairtrade products are used in catering in the Scottish Parliament.

Question reference: S6O-02743

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact that preventable illnesses have on the Scottish economy.

The Scottish Government has drawn from a range of sources including the Labour Force Survey, the Fraser of Allander Institute and ONS’ Labour Market Statistics as part of its consideration of the impact of preventable illness and long term conditions on the Scottish economy. A range of actions are underway across government to mitigate this including the delivery of No-One Left Behind, reviewing the Health and Work Strategy and working with NHS and PHS to support the delivery of employer and employee work-related support services including Healthy Working Lives and Working Health Services Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-22801

Asked by: Martin Whitfield, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported cumulative funding gap in excess of £71 million in East Lothian Council’s budget over the next five years, whether it will explore options for providing the local authority with additional funding to pay for any new infrastructure and other services needed to cope with the reportedly significant growth that it is experiencing.

The Deputy First Minister met with representatives of East Lothian Council on 23 August 2023 to discuss the specific challenges facing East Lothian, including population growth.

We are committed to taking forward work through the More Balanced Population strand of our Population Strategy, in partnership with COSLA and local authorities, to ensure a robust and sustainable footing for our communities irrespective of whether they are projected to see growth or decline in their respective populations.

Work is also ongoing with COSLA to establish a new fiscal framework for councils through the Verity House Agreement, a landmark agreement that is forging a stronger partnership between the Scottish Government and local councils to ensure that the people of Scotland continue to receive the high quality frontline services and support that they expect and deserve.

Decisions on future local government settlements will be the subject of negotiations with COSLA on behalf of all 32 local authorities and will be announced as part of the outcome of future Scottish Budgets.

Question reference: S6W-22779

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to provide for exemption schemes in the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill for people undertaking respite breaks.

As set out in the Policy Memorandum, accompanying the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Bill, the policy intention is that a local authority can establish exemptions to a visitor levy scheme in its area as it believes are appropriate. The Bill therefore provides for a local authority to put such exemptions in place, which will be informed by advice in national guidance being developed by local government and business organisations in the Visitor Levy Expert Group.