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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-02510

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in removing highly combustible cladding from buildings.

Question reference: S6O-02511

Asked by: John Mason, MSP for Glasgow Shettleston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further information regarding the Minimum Income Guarantee Expert Group.

Question reference: S6W-20663

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the financial appraisal of the proposed Scottish Veterinary Service will conclude, and whether the findings will be published in detail or summary format.

The Scottish Government is committed to the creation of a Scottish Veterinary Service (SVS) to ensure there are highly trained staff to provide Scotland with good animal health and food safety to meet all our needs across the public and private sector for animal health issues.

A Programme has been established to manage the work required to create an SVS, which includes determining which functions the Service should deliver, and conducting a financial appraisal of the operational and investment costs of the Service.

The financial appraisal will be refined throughout the programme as actual costs are better understood, as is standard practice, and the conclusions will be communicated in due course.

Question reference: S6W-20654

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce land value capture.

A proportion of land value uplift is already “captured” through national and local taxation. Additionally, existing planning mechanisms such as section 75 planning obligations can be used to secure contributions to, or provision of, infrastructure and affordable housing. Independent research published in July 2021 estimated that in 2019-20 alone, almost £0.5bn was agreed through planning obligations in Scotland – more than half of which was for affordable housing. The Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 contains powers for an infrastructure levy which would provide local authorities with a new mechanism, alongside planning obligations, for seeking financial contributions from developers. The Scottish Government remains committed to implementing the levy during this Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-20662

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the development or disposal plan for the former Queen Mother's Maternity Hospital building in Glasgow.

Question reference: S6W-20603

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the rate of attrition has been for the (a) primary and (b) secondary teaching workforce, in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-20597

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 11 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Northern Isles route between Aberdeen and Lerwick, whether it will provide a provisional timeline (a) from pre-build to full entry into service for new (i) passenger and (ii) freight vessels and (b) for any community engagement regarding vessel design and services to ensure that they meet the needs of the islands.

The pre consultation draft of the Islands Connectivity Plan Long Term Plan for Vessels and Ports, published in December 2022, indicates that the Northern Isles Ferry Service freight vessels are scheduled to be replaced and the passenger vessels project developed between 2026-2031. As these projects progress, engagement events will be held to enable key stakeholders to contribute to the outcomes. CMAL will communicate details of the various engagement events when arrangements are made. The business case work will be reviewed when complete and all future funding for delivery will be determined as part of the annual Scottish Budget setting process, as is normal.

Question reference: S6W-20596

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19830 by Jenni Minto on 31 July 2023 and in light of campaigns in England, for example, Prostate Cancer UK's campaign, "Boys need Bins", whether it will consider conducting research into the need for incontinence bins in men's toilets in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-20532

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to the recommendations made in the 2019 report from the Independent Panel on Career Pathways for Teachers.

The Independent Panel on Career Pathways for Teachers was established in August 2018 in response to a request from the Scottish Negotiating Committee for Teachers (SNCT).

The final report of the Panel published on 30 May 2019 set out 10 recommendations aimed at developing and supporting new flexible and exciting career pathways for teachers and headteachers.

The Scottish Government remains committed to working with the SNCT and partners to progress these ambitions.

Question reference: S6W-20529

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to update guidance on teacher training to tackle workplace violence.

The Scottish Government has published guidance for teaching staff which focuses on supporting positive behaviour and includes advice on prevention and de-escalation of incidents.

The latest iteration of our longitudinal Behaviour in Scottish Schools Research will report in the Autumn. The research informs the development of policy, guidance and support by providing a clear and robust picture of current relationships and behaviour in schools, and of policy and practice in this area.

Future developments will also be informed by discussions from the Head Teacher’s taskforce on school exclusion and the forthcoming summit on relationships and behaviour in schools. A multi-stage approach to the summit is planned, with events already having taken place in September, with more planned in October and November. These events will focus on practical support at classroom, school and local level to make a difference on relationships and behaviour.

There is a wide range of support material and resources on Education Scotland’s National Improvement HUB . Education Scotland have also provided professional learning through training the trainer models, and webinars. The resources are designed to address the behaviour of vulnerable children and young people whose behaviour is unregulated and results in significant challenges for themselves, practitioners and their peers.