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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-24025

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for any funding that it provided to Lochaber Sensory Care in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-23997

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23788 by Lorna Slater on 15 December 2023, what work (a) had been carried out between December 2021 and June 2023 and (b) is planned to update its Deposit Return Scheme Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment.

The Scottish Government has worked with Zero Waste Scotland to update relevant impact assessments at each point the Regulations have been updated, most recently for the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland (Miscellaneous Amendment) Regulations 2023 laid in Parliament on 30 June 2023. This updated Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment was shared with Parliament on 11 September 2023 - Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme | Scottish Parliament Website. We plan to update all DRS Impact Assessments again once Defra have confirmed the final design of their scheme

Question reference: S6W-24014

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the average time taken to process a Hunting with Dogs licence is for (a) preventing serious damage to livestock, woodlands or crops and (b) environmental benefit.

NatureScot has received eleven applications to-date for a Hunting with Dogs licence for either (a) preventing serious damage to livestock, woodlands, or crops, or (b) environmental benefit. Of these eleven applications, six have not yet been processed as they are either ongoing or NatureScot has requested additional information from the applicant.

The following table relates to five applications which have been deemed to be processed in that they have been received, determined, and the decision letter issued. The time taken to determine the decision may include time that NatureScot were waiting for further information from the applicant.

Applications Granted

Reason for Application	ID	Time taken to determine licence (days)
Preventing Serious Damage	250045	11
Preventing Serious Damage	252976	6

Applications Refused

Reason for Application	ID	Time taken to determine licence (days)
Environmental Benefit	249031	35
Environmental Benefit	248391	41
Preventing Serious Damage	237514	10

Question reference: S6W-23989

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has assessed the potential impact of reallocating funding from the regional improvement collaboratives on the newly-appointed speech and language leads in carrying out their objectives.

Over the next two years, the Scottish Government is investing in a programme of early intervention in speech and language for children and their families through the appointment of six full-time equivalent Regional Early Speech and Language Leads based within Education Scotland.

The funding is separate from the support that the Scottish Government has provided for the Regional Improvement Collaboratives.

Question reference: S6W-22200

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22009 by Michael Matheson on 11 October 2023, in light of its intention to "empower and support NHS leadership in the use of these new technologies, to help build and share a wider knowledge base, rather than appointing a single AI champion", how it plans to overcome any differing governance protocols across NHS boards in this context, and what its position is on whether not having a single artificial intelligence (AI) champion for all NHS boards will (a) inhibit innovation and (b) lead to the (i) delayed adoption and (ii) increased cost of new AI technologies.

At its heart, AI is the leveraging of advanced digital technology using large data sets, and we are treating AI with the same rigour as any other new technology or innovation. As such, its use comes under existing digital and data governance mechanisms. At a national level, the Scottish Government, with its partners COSLA, have established a new Strategic Leadership Board for Digital and Data Transformation.

This Leadership Board is supported by a number of sub-boards, including a dedicated Data Board for Health & Social Care. Through this new national governance, we will continue to work towards embedding greater use of digital and data driven innovations across health and social care (including ensuring necessary support is in place for skills and training), consider what capabilities, processes and procedures are required at a local level to support adoption and therefore assess what additional mechanisms may be required nationally.

Question reference: S6W-23890

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when NHS Western Isles will be required to renegotiate its contract with NHS Highland that covers multiple services, including cancer services.

It is primarily for the respective NHS Boards, including NHS Western Isles and NHS Highland who have a rolling arrangement based on associated financial projections, to negotiate and agree Service Level Agreements in the best interests of local people. Health Boards also regularly discuss and manage any associated issues in relation to service provision in visiting specialties, such as workforce and transport challenges.

Question reference: S6T-01718

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reconsider its position on further regulating the ownership of American XL bully dogs in Scotland, in light of reports that widespread rehoming from England to Scotland is raising public safety and animal welfare concerns.

Question reference: S6T-01726

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that all people who were potentially wrongfully convicted as a result of the reported Horizon scandal are supported in coming forward if they wish for their conviction to be overturned.

Question reference: S6T-01721

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 08 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide funding for grants for those households and businesses flooded during Storm Gerrit, in light of it providing such funding for those affected by Storm Babet.

Question reference: S6F-02713

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2024

To ask the First Minister what urgent steps are being taken to address reports of a mental health crisis with an increase in calls to the NHS 24 Mental Health Hub.