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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: S6F-02175

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02174

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-17968

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's proposed "immediate justice" approach to antisocial behaviour, which will reportedly require people who vandalise public spaces to repair the damage within 48 hours of being given an order, whether it is considering introducing similar measures in Scotland.

The Scottish Government condemns all acts of antisocial behaviour, including vandalism, and we believe that our focus should be on preventing these crimes from occurring in the first place.

There are currently a number of provisions contained in the Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 and Antisocial Behaviour etc. (Scotland) Act 2004 that specifically deal with the offence of vandalism and these include on the spot fixed penalties that the police can issue to those suspected of low-level statutory vandalism offences. Local agencies, such as Police Scotland and local authorities, are best placed to deal with these offences and it also open to them to undertake early intervention and diversionary work to prevent antisocial behaviour in their areas . We currently have no plans to replicate the UK Government’s proposals, but will monitor the development of this approach.

Question reference: S6W-17995

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether (a) retaining Glasgow Prestwick Airport in public ownership and control under Prestwick Aviation Holdings Limited is (i) in the public interest and (ii) the best way to realise the long-term economic and industrial development potential of the site and (b) the site is strategically important for the Scottish economy.

The Scottish Government intervened to secure the future of Glasgow Prestwick Airport when the business was under threat of closure. It was in the public interest to secure the continued operation of Glasgow Prestwick Airport as an asset of strategic importance to Scotland.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport has performed well in a highly competitive aviation market and is now a profitable business, however we remain committed to returning the airport to private ownership at the appropriate time. Any decision to sell Prestwick Airport must be informed by what is right for the long-term success of the business and it's contribution to the local and Scottish economy.

There is considerable potential for Glasgow Prestwick Airport to drive economic development as the anchor of an aerospace cluster in South Ayrshire. The Scottish Government will work with all relevant parties to make the most of this opportunity.

Question reference: S6W-17993

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17458 by Kevin Stewart on 9 May 2023, what its position is on whether the extension of the current operating hours of the Glasgow Subway is an opportunity to improve public transport services in the city, and whether it is a consideration in the planning of the wider Clyde Metro by Transport Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-17951

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16997 by Tom Arthur on 9 May 2023, whether it can confirm that 6% of its contractors do not pay employees a minimum wage of at least £10.90 an hour, as stated in its answer to question S6W-15469, including employees not directly involved in the delivery of its services, and whether it will provide a list of those companies that it contracts to deliver services that do not pay all of their employees a minimum wage of at least £10.90 an hour.

The Scottish Government now routinely mandates the payment of at least the Scottish real Living Wage (£10.90) to employees directly involved in the delivery of its contracts. The 6% of contractors referenced in the Annual Report 20-21 was made up of 16 suppliers. Recent analysis of these suppliers and the associated contracts has revealed that of these 16, 14 now pay the real Living Wage either through a change of contractor during a re-let or via contract management processes. For the 2 remaining suppliers, one contract is currently being retendered due for award in July 2023 and the other is due for re-tender in 2024.

The Scottish Government is taking steps to maximise the payment of the real Living Wage, by including Fair Work First Criteria, including providing fair pay for workers in the delivery of the contracts where relevant and proportionate.

Question reference: S6W-17905

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to improve awareness of the symptoms of ovarian cancer.

Question reference: S6W-17949

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last discussed with UK ministers any impact of the Public Order Act 2023 on free speech and the right to protest in Scotland.

The right to public assembly is an important human right that the Scottish Government is committed to uphold.

We have no plans to extend the provisions in the Public Order Act 2023 which create new offences and new police powers relating to protests in England and Wales. In May 2022, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Veterans wrote to the Minister of State for Crime, Policing and Probation and confirmed that the Scottish Government would not be requesting that any of the provisions in the Public Order Bill be extended to Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-18052

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools are (a) eligible and (b) registered for the Equally Safe at School programme, as of May 2023.

Our Equally Safe strategy for preventing and eradicating violence against women and girls (VAWG) emphasises the importance of challenging the underpinning attitudes which enable such violence to take place.

The Equally Safe at School (ESAS) project, developed by Rape Crisis Scotland and Zero Tolerance, applies a whole school approach to inequality and gender-based violence in schools. Every secondary school in Scotland is eligible for ESAS. Rape Crisis Scotland have reported that currently 77 schools are registered with an ESAS account. Rape Crisis Scotland is continuing to work with local authority education leads, VAWG partnerships and other third sector partners across Scotland to encourage and support schools to engage with ESAS.

We also fund and support other education-based programmes and initiatives aimed at tackling violence against women and girls and the attitudes which perpetuate it such as; the Mentors in Violence peer education programme, the Gender Equality Taskforce in Education and Learning, the Gender-Based Violence in Schools Working Group and Rape Crisis Scotland’s national sexual violence programme for secondary schools.

Question reference: S6W-18081

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what follow-up engagement it has had with NHS Scotland and the Scottish Perinatal Network to ensure the implementation of placental growth factor (PlGF) based tests, further to its initial letter to NHS boards on 23 March 2023.

The Scottish Government expects all NHS Boards in Scotland to take note of the Scottish Health Technologies Group recommendations, published on 23 March 2023, and take steps to ensure that any woman who requires access to placental growth factor (PlGF) based tests as part of her maternity care can do so. We will continue to work with the Scottish Perinatal Network and will write to NHS Boards again in June to assess how implementation of PlGF testing is progressing.