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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: S6F-02554

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Autumn Statement.

Question reference: S6F-02562

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

To ask the First Minister what work is being done to support the expanding role of the GP surgery.

Question reference: S6F-02552

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02551

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-22686

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 20 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Kidney Care UK publication, Home Dialysis Energy Reimbursement in Scotland, what assistance it will offer to NHS boards to enable the full, fair and timely reimbursement of energy costs for kidney disease patients who undergo dialysis at home.

Question reference: S6W-22690

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the publication of local government audits is essential to ensuring effective and efficient government.

The audit of the Annual Accounts of a local authority provides essential external scrutiny and assurance that a local authority is managing its finances appropriately. Best Value audits provide further scrutiny of the effectiveness of a local authority’s use of public funds to deliver public services and are essential in order to provide public assurance that a local authority is delivering value for money for council tax payers.

The Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 requires the Auditor General and the Accounts Commission to secure the audit of all accounts of local authorities and associated bodies (including health and social care integration boards and other joint boards) by appointing either Audit Scotland or firms of accountants as the auditors.

Local Authorities are required to make their audited annual accounts available for public inspection and publish them on their website. Audit Scotland publish all audit reports of local authority annual accounts.

Question reference: S6W-22699

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 20 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with local authorities regarding the upcoming Celtic Connections festival.

The Scottish Government does not engage directly with local authorities regarding the Celtic Connections Festival. The Scottish Government provides Celtic Connections financial support through EXPO funds, administered through Creative Scotland, to help Celtic Connections meet key strategic objectives linked to the fund.

In 2023/24 Celtic Connections received £101,000 to help them raise their international profile and promote Scottish artists by enabling Celtic Connections to enhance their programmes through exciting and innovative co-productions and collaborations. The EXPO application process and allocation of EXPO funding is managed through Creative Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-22705

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how much of its Flexible Workforce Development Fund has been accessed in each year since it was established by private sector organisations that contribute to the UK Apprenticeship Levy.

Data on employer type was not collected during the first year of the Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) which was academic year 2017-2018. Information on Levy Paying employer spend on the first four years of the Fund is available in the FWDF evaluation report which was published in January 2023: https://www.gov.scot/publications/evaluation-flexible-workforce-development-fund-fwdf/ .

Based on the information provided by our delivery partners, the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland, the level of FWDF accessed by private sector organisations in the academic years 2018-2023 was:

2018-2019 - £7 million.
2019-2020 - £6.7 million.
2020-2021 - £8.3 million.
2021-2022 - £9.1 million.
2022-2023 - part year as delivery continues to end of December 2023 - £7.1 million.

Question reference: S6W-22683

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 20 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to increase the funding available to preserve the heritage of Scotland’s churches and chapels, in light of the reported announcement by the Church of Scotland that it is to close and sell up to 40% of its churches.

The Scottish Government delivers support for the historic environment through sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland, which is the lead public body to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment.

Historic Environment Scotland provides a wide range of grants and funding for projects that aim to protect and promote historic places. It provides circa. £14 million each year to local communities to repair and revitalise the historic environment.

The Scottish Government has been engaging with Historic Environment Scotland, Church of Scotland and other stakeholders on the closures of historic and listed churches.

We will continue to work closely with the Church of Scotland and leaders of all faiths and denominations, to regularly discuss issues impacting on their communities.

Question reference: S6W-22704

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much of its Flexible Workforce Development Fund has been spent on training in the current year.

For the current academic year 2023-2024, there has been no Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) spend to date. We hope to confirm the final decision on delivery soon.

Academic year 2022-2023 is still in delivery with any contractually agreed training due to be completed by the end of December 2023. Based on the latest data provided by the Scottish Funding Council and Skills Development Scotland, the total spend so far is £11.55 million. Spend figures for 2022-23 will be finalised when delivery is complete.