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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: S6W-21889

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the resource funding increase of £46 million for the college and university sectors, announced in the Budget statement on 15 December 2022, was specifically intended to be used for; whether it expects colleges and universities to still proceed with that work, in light of the funding being withdrawn, and, if not, what its position (a) was on the importance of this work in December 2022, in light of its decision to allocate an additional £46 million of funding for it at that time, and (b) is on whether this work is still necessary.

The £46 million funding was intended to support strategic change in the college and university sectors and was not part of the core teaching funding allocations. Despite a very challenging financial climate, the Scottish Government committed nearly £2 billion to Scotland’s universities and colleges in 2023-24. Part of the reason for withdrawing the £46 million funding was to allow the Scottish Government to fund public sector pay deals. Strategic change remains necessary and we will be taking this forward with the Scottish Funding Council, colleges and universities in the context of reform, building on the purpose and principles for post-school education published in June 2023. This can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/post-school-education-research-skills-purpose-principles/

Question reference: S6W-22380

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of households at risk of being disconnected from (a) an electricity supply, (b) a gas supply and (c) an alternative heating source over the forthcoming winter period due to debt.

While we do not hold information on the number of households at risk of being disconnected this winter due to debt, we are clear that suppliers must exhaust all possible options to prevent this.

The power to take meaningful action to alleviate the effects of high energy costs on households over the long term, such as the introduction of a social tariff, sits with the UK Government. However, the Scottish Government continues to do everything we can, within the limited powers available to us, such as tripling our Fuel Insecurity Fund to £30 million for this year.

I also recently chaired three working groups focusing on rural, non-domestic and vulnerable (now known as priority) energy consumers, helping to identify and deliver collaborative actions to help mitigate the impact of the continued high cost of energy on households and businesses across Scotland.

I would urge anyone struggling with energy debt to contact Advice Direct Scotland on 0808 80 960 for free, impartial advice.

Question reference: S6W-22277

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much has been spent in total on authorised mobile phones for prisoners to date, and what the total spend is forecast to be.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

The total cost for providing prisoners with mobile phones since the roll out in June 2020 and the end of the provision in July 2023 has been £5.972m. These figures include all costs associated with usage, running costs and mobile handsets purchased, as well as the capital implementation spend.

Introduced during the COVID-19 global pandemic, prison issue mobile phones provided those in our care with the ability to maintain contact with family and friends during an extremely difficult and challenging period.

Question reference: S6W-22274

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many breaches of discipline have been recorded by the Scottish Prison Service for a prisoner using an authorised mobile phone in a prison setting, since the introduction of this rule to the present date, broken down by financial year.

Question reference: S6W-22276

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when authorised mobile phones for prisoners are due to be withdrawn by the Scottish Prison Service.

Question reference: S6W-22154

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with energy network operators and the wider utilities sector to review their processes for (a) establishing restoration plans and timelines during times of severe weather and (b) communicating regular updates to responders and the public.

The Energy sector is reserved to the UK Government. This limits the Scottish Government ’ s ability to directly engage with energy network operators and ask for a review of their processes.

However, the Scottish Government does regularly engage with UK Government Departments and the energy network operators in Scotland along with the wider utilities, particularly during severe weather events, where we encourage and emphasise the importance of accurate restoration plans and timelines.

In addition, we continue to work closely with the UK Government lead departments when they are developing statutory reporting arrangements and will make clear the requirements of the Scottish Government during a severe weather response.

The Scottish Government also supports the three Regional Resilience Partnerships (RRPs) who coordinate communications between Scottish Government, utility companies and categorised responder organisations who are working in affected areas during emergency responses. In this role the RRP coordinators engage with stakeholders on restoration plans at a local level as well as in the statutory requirement of category one responders to communicate with the public in emergency responses.

Question reference: S6W-22121

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its implementation of the short-term recommendations from the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland.

There are a number of recommendations that have been made through the Independent Review of Audiology Services in Scotland, many of which are targeted specifically at Health Boards and other partners, as well as the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government is considering all of the recommendations made. Given the broad scope of the recommendations, and the seriousness of the issues raised, it is important that sufficient time is taken to fully plan how any actions will be taken forward.

We will provide an update to Parliament in due course.

Question reference: S6W-22143

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what objectives it set for the funding that it provided to Avenue Confidential in 2022.

The Scottish Government did not provide any funding directly to Avenue Confidential in 2022.

Relationships Scotland operate a network of 21 Member Services across Scotland, including Avenue Confidential (known as Avenue).

In 2022, the Scottish Government provided Relationships Scotland with core funding via the Children, Young People and Families Early Intervention and Adult Learning & Empowering Communities third sector fund; and grant funding to provide child contact services.

Question reference: S6W-22122

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish all correspondence that it had with the British Dental Association Scotland between 1 October 2022 and 5 October 2023 regarding reform of the dental payment system.

Question reference: S6W-22070

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 how many women have had to travel outside their NHS board area for an abortion in each year since 2019-20, also broken down by the patients' NHS board.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) data is provided below on numbers of patients receiving abortion treatment in a Health Board other than their Board of residence.

It is not possible to distinguish how many patients had to receive treatment in another Health Board or how many chose to do so.

Number of terminations where Board of treatment is different from Board of residence, Scotland, 2019 to 2022.

Health board of residence	2019	2020	2021	2022 (Provisional)
NHS Ayrshire and Arran	15	8	7	9
NHS Borders	*	*	*	*
NHS Dumfries and Galloway	*	*	*	*
NHS Fife	82	73	84	85
NHS Forth Valley	12	23	14	12
NHS Grampian	11	*	10	*
NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde	9	6	8	8
NHS Highland	116	131	158	144
NHS Lanarkshire	348	343	266	273
NHS Lothian	5	10	6	8
NHS Tayside	9	14	11	14
Island Boards	53	45	37	45
Total	665	660	605	605

Excludes terminations where board of residence is not known or terminations were carried out privately.

* Indicates values that have been suppressed due to the potential risk of disclosure.

2020-21	2021-22	2022-23	2023*	TOTAL
2,254	2,050	1,623	609	6,536