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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.

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Question reference: S6T-01686

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to appeal the decision of the Court of Session that the UK Government acted lawfully when enacting a section 35 order in relation to the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S6F-02648

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the recent report by Highland Council, which reportedly warns of a “significant risk” of parts of its region being "drained" of people.

Question reference: S6F-02642

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2023

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will commit to any reform of Scotland’s planning regulations in order to generate growth, as recommended by CBI Scotland in a statement on 7 December.

Question reference: S6F-02655

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2023

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to grow the green economy.

Question reference: S6F-02641

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2023

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of any social benefit of extending free bus travel to all under 22s.

Question reference: S6F-02636

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02637

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-23548

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that residents in rural communities can access banking services, following reports of a reduction in mobile banking services.

The Scottish Government is aware of recent announcements from the banking industry to further close bank branches and withdraw mobile branch services. This is an unfortunate continuation of a trend witnessed across the sector to reduce in-person services in Scotland.

The regulation of financial services is ultimately a reserved matter for the UK Government. Recently they have legislated in this space, through the Financial Services and Markets Act, to grant the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) greater powers to protect access to cash in the UK. The FCA launched a public consultation on these new powers on 7th December and my officials are working to arrange a meeting with their Chief Executive, Nikhil Rathi, in early 2024. I look forward to discussing this increased regulatory remit with Mr Rathi and exploring what more can be done to ensure the unique cash and banking requirements of Scotland’s rural and island communities are being addressed.

The Scottish Government absolutely recognises the important role in-person services still play to our communities – particularly in rural and island regions. Therefore, myself, ministerial colleagues and officials have met with senior representatives from the banking sector in recent months. In these meetings we have expressed concerns about how branch closures not only impact the most vulnerable customers but also the dynamics of town centres, particularly when the last bank in town closes. I have also reminded banks of the social responsibility they have to the communities they are choosing to leave. The Scottish Government are committed to working constructively with banks, not only to ensure that individuals and businesses can access the services they require, but also to encourage banks to engage with the communities they serve and understand the concerns of customers who live there.

Question reference: S6W-23393

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will make available to GPs and primary care services to support them in delivering the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

The Scottish Government remains committed to improving mental health service provision in primary care settings. The newly published Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan sets out our ambition to drive a shift in the balance of care across mental health to ensure a focus on prevention and early intervention in the community, including a focus on providing high quality mental health care in General Practice, by:

Working collaboratively to improve access to support, assessment and treatment in primary care mental health and wellbeing services. This will include the development of multi-disciplinary teams in general practice, and maximising the role of community mental health teams, digital provision and NHS 24 to make access simpler and quicker, aligning care and quality with the Getting it Right For Everyone (GIRFE) principles. We will produce an initial report on progress, which will include equality impacts, by November 2024;
Publish guidance on measuring and evaluating outcomes from mental health and wellbeing services in primary care by the end of 2023. This includes data indicators for protected characteristics and deprivation; and
Continue to include primary care and community mental health as priorities within the Mental Health Outcomes Framework.

We will work with partners, including primary care stakeholders, to progress this ambition.

Additionally, as at 12 July 2022, 958.9 whole time equivalent (WTE) mental health roles have been filled using Action 15 funding, including 356.1 WTE posts in GP practices. Having met and exceeded the Action 15 commitment, the Scottish Government has continued to fund the roles that were recruited to.

By March 2023 186 WTE mental health workers had been recruited under the Primary Care Improvement Fund (PCIF). The PCIF also funds Community Link Workers (CLWs) as part of primary care multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) and, at March 2023, more than 308 WTE CLWs were in post supporting GP practices. We are investing almost £190 million (£170m plus Agenda for Change Uplifts) in the Primary Care Improvement Fund in 2023-24, for the ongoing development of primary care multi-disciplinary teams and we have committed to the PCIF being £170m plus Agenda for Change uplifts in future years.

Question reference: S6W-23351

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the date by which it expects reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) to be removed from all NHS buildings, and whether it has a comparable target to that set in England to eradicate RAAC from the NHS estate by 2035.

NHSScotland is following the guidance from the Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE) who do not recommend that all sites with Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) should be vacated simply because RAAC is present. They do however recommend that if RAAC planks are present, their structural condition will need to be determined by a Chartered or Incorporated Structural Engineer to determine the risks and whether any remedial work is required. This is the approach that NHSScotland is taking. Where RAAC has been found in the NHSScotland Estate there has been no immediate disruption or concern although additional monitoring and management of is required in all cases. NHS Boards will consider their buildings with RAAC on an ongoing risk based approach to the management of those assets.