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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-02473

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-22359

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21543 by Jenni Minto on 3 October 2023, what was discussed in its meeting with the Gambling Commission regarding the UK Government White Paper on Gambling on 21 September.

The meeting on the 21 September was an introductory meeting with the Gambling Commission. It discussed the role of the Gambling Commission and the consultations that they were leading on as part of the White Paper.

The meeting also discussed the role of evidence and the developments by the Gambling Commission to improve the evidence base across the UK. There was a commitment to build links between officials to support the development of gambling policy in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-22350

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the development of a Green Industrial Strategy, as committed to in its Programme for Government 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-22174

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many dogs have been destroyed following a court of any type issuing a destruction order, in each year since 2012.

This information is not held centrally and relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body.

The SCTS have provided the following table detailing how many orders of destruction were issued by the courts. However, they don’t hold records of how many dogs were then subsequently “destroyed”. Following an order being issued by the court, appeals and other protocols can occur. Once the order is issued SCTS do not find out the outcome of whether the dog was destroyed or not, the specific information is not held by SCTS.

Destruction orders issued under both the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 and the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010 at Scottish Courts

Financial Year	Destruction order	Contingent Destruction order
2012-13	8	6
2013-14	12	7
2014-15	11	10
2015-16	11	6
2016-17	13	5
2017-18	6	9
2018-19	11	10
2019-20	9	4
2020-21	4	1
2021-22	8	8
2022-23	11	12
2023-24 YTD	8	5
Total	112	83

Source: SCTS

Data Notes

1. Data is based on all cases disposed in the Sheriff, Justice of the Peace and High Courts from 1st April 2012 until 30th September 2023 where at least one charge falls under the Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 or the Control of Dogs (Scotland) Act 2010.

2. These orders are from the courts disposals that occurred within that period regardless of when the case was registered. This is at case/accused level where at least one order falls under the charges from Acts above. A distinct order is only counted once per person per case.

3. Contingent Destruction Orders are not a final destruction outcome and a breach of this order may not be subsequently recorded as such through the court disposal system. A contingent destruction order is a court order that allows a dog to be spared from being destroyed if the owner complies with the conditions set out in the order.

4. YTD is 1st April 2023 until 30th September 2023.

5. There is a possibility that text disposals may also exist that impose a destruction order. As this is a manual field all text disposals would require manual interrogation.

6. There is an option to proceed through the civil court system to acquire a dog destruction order, however as there is no specific case category, type and subtype which would allow SCTS to identify these cases, they are unable to electronically extract any information in relation to these.

The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service uses a live operational case management system for the processing of court business. The information held on the system is structured for these operational needs, rather than for statistical reporting or research purposes. The information provided is based on the best information available from the case management system as at 20-10-2023.

Question reference: S6W-22175

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many patients with underlying health conditions have died as a result of norovirus or had norovirus listed as a contributory cause of mortality, in each year since 2015, also broken down by NHS board.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Public Health Scotland (PHS) monitors and publishes weekly prevalence and surveillance management information data on laboratory confirmed reports of norovirus. All published reports can be found here .

PHS also publish a dashboard by board detailing the number of hospitals and wards closed due to norovirus. The latest dashboard can be found here .

Question reference: S6W-22072

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given any consideration to abortion clinic buffer zones in place across the rest of the UK in formulating its own position on implementing protections for those attending clinics in Scotland.

Safe access zones have been established by national legislation in Northern Ireland, and in some local authority areas in England using Public Spaces Protection Orders. The Scottish Government has given careful consideration to both approaches, and has engaged with officials from these administrations to learn from their experiences of implementation. Officials also continue to engage with UK Government counterparts as they work to bring national legislative provisions into force that will establish safe access zones in England and Wales, as well as with officials from the Republic of Ireland, where a bill to establish zones is currently making its way through the National Parliament (Oireachtas).

This consideration and engagement has informed the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill; however, the Bill reflects Scotland’s particular circumstances and requirements.

Question reference: S6W-22110

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Agriculture and Rural Development Stakeholder Group last met.

The Agriculture and Rural Development (ARD) Stakeholder Group last met on 23 March 2023. Following that meeting, and based on feedback from some members about the effectiveness of bringing such a large group together for time limited meetings, the purpose of the Group was reframed. During the Summer period, some members of the Group took part in smaller workshops on Just Transition and the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The Scottish Government will now engage with members on specific, often time sensitive, topics, utilising the Group as a network of experts, being brought together as part of a targeted engagement programme to provide written and oral evidence.

The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill will assist in realising the Vision for Agriculture, setting out a framework of support for agriculture, forestry and rural communities, though the four-tier support structure. Work is underway within the established Agriculture Reform Programme (ARP) on transitioning to a new support framework and on developing the detail of what will follow in secondary legislation.

The published Agricultural Reform Route Map provides information for farmers and crofters on when current schemes will transition or end, what they can expect to change from 2025, the support available now to help them prepare, how they can get involved in designing the new framework, and when more guidance, support and information will be available. The Scottish Government is calling on the agriculture sector to help us shape the detail of future of support and how it is delivered through a series of interviews, surveys, workshops, testing and trials and anyone can take part. Volunteers will be reimbursed with payment levels depending on the time and input required and people can register their interest here .

For further information on the Agriculture Reform Implementation Oversight Board (ARIOB), I refer the member to the Board's Terms of Reference which is periodically reviewed.

Question reference: S6W-22111

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how often the Agriculture and Rural Development Stakeholder Group should meet in order to perform its function effectively.

Question reference: S6W-22105

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when all police officers in Police Scotland will have undergone vetting, in light of reports that some police officers have not been vetted in over 20 years.

It is vital the public have confidence in policing. Vetting is a key strand in providing that assurance and we welcome the publication of the HMICS assurance review of vetting policy and procedures within Police Scotland.

The Scottish Government notes that work is already underway within Police Scotland to address the report’s recommendations for improvement. Since 2021, Police Scotland has introduced an additional vetting check just prior to new police officers taking their oath of office. Furthermore, as part of the UK wide integrity screening exercise earlier this year, Police Scotland has checked every officer and member of staff against the criminal records database and against their own vulnerable persons database. They have also committed to introducing a rolling programme to review vetting clearances, later this year.

The Scottish Government is committed to exploring the legislative basis for vetting, as per recommendation one of the HMICS review. The Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) Scotland Bill, introduced to Parliament in June 2023, will further improve police complaint and misconduct systems and processes.

Question reference: S6W-22069

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what further action it can take to ensure that women are not harassed when travelling to abortion services, in light of reports that the anti-abortion group, 40 Days for Life, has resumed protests outside the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital.

Women should be able to access abortion services without fear of intimidation, harassment, or unwanted influence. That is why the Scottish Government has been supporting Ms Gillian Mackay MSP to draft and develop the Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill.

I am delighted that Ms Mackay introduced the Bill into Parliament on 5 th October, and I will continue to work closely with her during the Bill’s parliamentary passage.