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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-22132

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is undertaking to develop a single shared electronic patient health and social care record.

Question reference: S6W-21803

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to carry out a process evaluation of the (a) No One Left Behind and (b) Young Person's Guarantee programme.

An implementation evaluation of No One Left Behind and Young Person’s Guarantee was published in August 2023.

This evaluation considered progress in implementation and delivery of No One Left Behind and Young Person’s Guarantee, the experiences of service providers and service users, barriers and enablers to implementation and identified lessons from early delivery. These areas are core features of process evaluations .

The Implementation Evaluation of No One Left Behind and Young Person’s Guarantee is available at: No One Left Behind and the Young Person's Guarantee: implementation evaluation - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-21866

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the financial profit or loss has been of the Scottish National Investment Bank in the last financial year, and what projects or investments constituted or affected these figures, broken down as far as it is publicly possible to do so.

The Scottish National Investment Bank published its Annual Accounts ( Annual Report and Accounts 2023 | Scottish National Investment Bank (thebank.scot) ) on 27 September 2023 and disclosed a loss before tax of £20.1 million.

Page 128 shows the Statement of Comprehensive Income and identifies the main driver for the loss was the ‘Net unrealised (losses) on revaluation of investments’. The revaluation is on a ‘fair value’ basis and considers how much the investments are currently worth – it is not a verdict on the long-term prospects of the investments.

The Bank was set up less than three years ago and is expected to address market failure and compliment, not compete, with other investors. In the Bank’s early years, as the portfolio is being built, unrealised gains and losses are expected. As stated in the Annual Report and Accounts, the current position is in line with industry and development finance expectations.

Question reference: S6W-22266

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Paul McLennan on 16 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the domestic abuse fund that will provide financial support to women to leave an abusive partner.

I am pleased to announce that a £500,000 pilot fund will be made available this month to support women to leave an abusive partner.

Supporting victim/survivors of domestic abuse is a priority for the Scottish Government and financial uncertainty should not be a barrier to women leaving a relationship with an abusive partner. We are piloting a fund to leave in the 5 local authority areas where there are highest number of presentations to local authorities for homelessness assistance by women due to domestic abuse. These are Glasgow, South Lanarkshire, Edinburgh, North Lanarkshire and Fife.

The Fund to Leave will help to reduce the financial burden of leaving an abusive partner by helping to pay for the essentials women and children need, including rent and clothing.

Question reference: S6W-21966

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 October 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress made in relation to each of the 10 recommendations in the report, Women and girls’ safety on public transport, which was published in March 2023.

Transport Scotland officials have been instructed to take forward plans for engaging with stakeholders on the 10 recommendations from Scottish Government research report ‘Women's and girls' views and experiences of personal safety when using public transport’, published in March 2023.

A wide range of organisations will be approached to participate including police authorities, transport operators and unions representing those who work on the transport network, and Violence Against Women and Girls stakeholders. Further details of this engagement will be made available as soon as they are finalised.

Question reference: S6W-21876

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can take any further action to prevent the development of a new oil field at Rosebank, in light of the UK regulator's decision to approve the development.

Question reference: S6W-21844

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Onshore Wind Sector Deal for Scotland excludes any reference to the WSP publication, A Review of Noise Guidance for Onshore Wind Turbines: Project Report, which was published in October 2022 on behalf of the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Under the lead of the UK Government, the ETSU steering group (which comprises of the four Governments of the UK) are considering how best to take forward the recommendations of the WSP report. Whilst these next steps are being agreed, there are no specific actions for inclusion in the Sector Deal.

Once the next steps have been agreed, the Scottish Government will engage with industry.

Scottish Government officials continue to engage with UK Government officials on this work.

Question reference: S6W-21873

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect rail services from extreme weather events, such as heavy rainfall.

Question reference: S6W-21468

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what contingencies it has put in place for the potential relocation of patients and staff in hospitals or health care facilities found to contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Health Boards are responsible for managing the NHS estate and should have business continuity plans in place. The Scottish Government is working closely with Health Boards and will provide support for contingency arrangements where a need is identified. Guidance on what needs to be included in a business continuity plan is provided by the Scottish Government.

NHS Boards are providing up to date information on RAAC on their websites - links to all NHSScotland Boards RAAC webpages are available on the NHS Scotland Assure RAAC Survey Programme webpage:

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Discovery Survey Programme - List of Properties | National Services Scotland (nhs.scot) .

Question reference: S6W-21864

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates that Glasgow Prestwick Airport will be returned to private commercial operation and ownership; what work is being undertaken to market the commercial opportunity; how much has been spent in total to date on marketing the airport as such an opportunity, and whether any bids or offers have been received in general terms since it was initially announced to be available for purchase.

Scottish Ministers' stated objective remains to return Glasgow Prestwick Airport to private ownership when the time and circumstances are right to do so and when a sale will provide the best possible return on our investment in this strategic asset.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport is not being marketed proactively for sale currently.

I wrote to the Economy and Fair Work Committee on 14 September 2023, providing details of an Expression of Interest in purchasing Glasgow Prestwick Airport that would not be taken forward.

The Scottish Government has not spent any money advertising the sale of Prestwick Airport. Previous purchase opportunities were promoted through press releases and notices published on the Official Journal of the European Union and Public Contracts Scotland. This did not incur a cost.