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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: S6W-21980

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19661 by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2023, when it will conclude and publish the findings of the Student Finance and Wellbeing Study, which will provide data on paid work undertaken by students.

Question reference: S6W-21981

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19661 by Jenny Gilruth on 31 July 2023, whether the Student Finance and Wellbeing Study will also include the amount of paid work that postgraduate students are doing within the schools that they are studying, such as convening tutorials or hosting seminars, and, if not, how it collates such data.

The Student Finance and Wellbeing Study (academic year 2023-24) will gather data from college and university students in Scotland on their level of study, the number of hours they have worked in the last week, the sector that their job(s) is/are in, and whether the paid work they are doing is supporting the development of skills related to their course. It will not collect information on where the paid work is carried out (on location/ employer). The extent to which the Study will be able to report on the experiences of work of postgraduate students will depend on sample sizes being large enough to report on.

Question reference: S6W-22163

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has reviewed the current distribution and transmission network infrastructure standards and guidance, including those for vegetation management and overhead line designs, to identify any economic and efficiency improvements that could increase network resilience to severe weather events.

The Energy sector is reserved to the UK Government and therefore the resilience of the UK’s energy network is the responsibility of the UK lead Government department, the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero.

The Scottish Government contributed to the Storm Arwen Ofgem review and supported the recommendation that work is undertaken by the Energy Emergencies Executive Committee (E3C) to review current distribution and transmission network infrastructure standards and guidance, including those for vegetation management and overhead line designs, to identify economic and efficient improvements that could increase network resilience to severe weather events.

Any further information relating to progress of this recommendation is a matter for Ofgem.

Question reference: S6W-21998

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16001 by Kevin Stewart on 24 March 2023, whether it will provide an update on how many health and social care partnerships have implemented its guidance on the provision of wheelchairs on free, short-term loan.

Question reference: S6W-21569

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recommendation 4 in the report, Fit for the Future: developing a post-school learning system to fuel economic transformation, which states that the Scottish Government should “establish a clear template for regional skills planning”, including the need to “recognise the central role of providers, particularly the huge potential of colleges in planning for and addressing skills needs in their regions”, what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding (a) their role in regional skills planning and (b) any action they have already taken on the matter since the report’s publication.

The Scottish Government is developing the approach for implementing the priorities set out in the Purpose and Principles for Post-School Education, Research and Skills, which addresses some of the recommendations by James Withers, including on national and regional skills planning.

As I stated in my opening remarks in the debate about Scotland’s skills system on 25 th October, I am keen to engage widely on the approach to implementing change as we narrow in on the potential routes to reform.

Local Authorities, colleges and employers, alongside other partners, have an important role in regional skills planning and I will engage with them in the coming weeks to gather their views and discuss this matter.

Question reference: S6T-01602

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the extreme delays reportedly being encountered by users of the A9 north of Dunkeld due to SGN gas pipe replacement works.

Question reference: S6T-01599

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to resolve industrial action in schools.

Question reference: S6F-02498

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to increase public awareness of firework safety ahead of Bonfire Night.

Question reference: S6F-02489

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that dentists are suitably funded to be able to continue taking on NHS patients, in light of reports that some dentists in Edinburgh are ceasing to accept NHS patients altogether.

Question reference: S6F-02497

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2023

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on waiting times for post-cancer breast reconstruction surgery.