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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: S6W-21550

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether (a) ministers have and (b) the Women's Health Champion has had any meetings regarding pre-eclampsia in 2023.

Ministers have not attended any meetings to specifically discuss pre-eclampsia in 2023.

The Women’s Health Champion Professor Anna Glasier has met with a variety of organisations and experts across various sectors to drive forward improvements in women’s health. This has involved discussions relating to the actions within the Women’s Health Plan on heart health including where relevant pre-eclampsia in the context of the reproductive life course.

More information about the work of the Women’s Health Champion can be found in the Women’s Health Champion quarterly blogs .

Question reference: S6W-21562

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to public petition PE2046, and whether it will consider enabling birth certificates to be issued in respect of any baby stillborn after 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Question reference: S6W-21566

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many adverse incident reviews have been undertaken in (a) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) and (b) Adult Mental Health services in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-21572

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many construction courses have been oversubscribed in each year since 1999, broken down by college.

Question reference: S6W-21534

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many Police Scotland vacancies have not been filled in the last year.

The Chief Constable has responsibility for the recruitment, deployment and HR issues of all police officers and staff under their control.

Around 1480 new police officers have taken the Oath of Office in the past 18 months with the latest intake of 200 recruits commencing training on 18 September. Recruitment to fill police staff vacancies took place up until 9 August 2023, when a recruitment freeze for some roles was put in place by Police Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-21528

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm the number of (a) fatal and (b) serious road traffic accidents on the A83 between Arrochar and Campbeltown, in each year since 2018.

The following table presents the number of fatal and serious accidents for 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023 on the A83 between Arrochar and Campbeltown. Please note that the information on the total number of fatal and serious accidents for 2023 are only available up to the date stated in the table.

Year	Fatal	Serious
2018	2	6
2019	0	16
2020	1	6
2021	1	6
2022	1	7
2023* to 06-09-2023	1	3

Data extracted: 20 September 2023. Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland. Please note that the information provided is based on the current figures available at the time of retrieving the data from Transport Scotland’s accident manager system. The following are potential reasons for an accident not appearing on our system:

Transport Scotland only holds accident information which is provided to us by Police Scotland.
Transport Scotland does not hold information relating to damage only accidents (i.e. not involving an injury).
Transport Scotland only holds accident information for the trunk road network.
The accident information Transport Scotland holds is subject to change. E.g. we receive late returns from Police Scotland, who are responsible for recording details of injury accidents.
Annual Scottish accident figures are published by Transport Scotland on a yearly basis and can be found by entering Reported Road Casualties Scotland into your search engine.
From summer 2019, Police Scotland introduced a new system for recording traffic collisions. Due to improved recording and categorisation processes, it is expected that there will be an increase in the number of casualties and accidents on Scottish roads that are classified as serious. The evidence from other police forces within the UK that introduced the same system is that this increase will be around 20%. This increase would not reflect an actual change in the severity of accidents occurring on Scottish roads, but would instead reflect more accurate recording.
Statisticians within the Department for Transport have devised a method for adjusting the road casualty figures to ensure that they can be compared over time on a consistent basis. Transport Scotland’s Key Reported Road Casualties and Reported Road Casualties statistics publications will present both adjusted and unadjusted figures.

Question reference: S6W-21490

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost would be of introducing 20mph zones across Scotland, and what analysis has been undertaken on the potential cost to the Scottish economy of introducing 20mph speed limits.

The Scottish Government have supported local road authorities with £1.4 million in funding to undertake the necessary roads assessments which will determine the number of roads affected and the financial implications of introducing the national strategy for 20mph speed limits. The findings from the road assessments will enable the multi-stakeholder 20mph Task Group to scope the next steps for implementation at their meeting in October.

Question reference: S6W-21497

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider extending eligibility for COVID-19 vaccinations to people aged over 50.

Scotland’s vaccination programme continues to focus on protecting those most vulnerable from serious illness from COVID-19 .

Our decision-making on vaccine deployment throughout all COVID-19 vaccination programmes has been guided by the expert clinical advice of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). We welcome the final advice of the JCVI on the winter 2023 vaccination programme and encourage people to come forward for their appointment when called.

There are currently no plans to make COVID-19 vaccination available to groups not covered by JCVI advice this winter.

Question reference: S6W-21642

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the proportion of undisputed invoices to each (a) of its directorates, (b) of its agencies and (c) non-departmental public body that was paid within five days, in each year since 2011.

The Scottish Government is committed to paying its contractors promptly, and has a commitment to pay all valid invoices within 10 days of receipt, going beyond the contractual responsibility to pay within 30 days. Systems and processes are in place to monitor and maintain performance data against this 10 day prompt payment target for each Director General area within the core Scottish Government and where payment services are provided centrally for relevant agencies.

Since 2014, the Scottish Government has also maintained a top level figure for the percentage of valid invoices paid within 5 days across the whole of the Scottish Government and its agencies, as shown in the table below. However, as systems are calibrated to report on the 10 prompt payment commitment, it is not possible to break this down further into directorate or agency reports.

Financial Year	2011	2012	2013	2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
% paid in 5 days (inc EPC)*	Not reported	Not reported	Not reported	77.8	79.6	79.7	79.7	84.6	83.8	78.4	75.2	80.3
% paid in 10 days (inc EPC)*	96.8	97.6	98.5	98.5	98.4	98.6	98.2	99.0	98.7	97.6	97.1	97.3

*The figure shows the percentage of payments made within 5 and 10 days, inclusive of payments made via the government electronic procurement card

Question reference: S6W-21621

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its international offices held (a) Burns Night and (b) St Andrew’s Day celebrations, as a means to promote Scotland abroad, in each of the last five years.

Both Burns Night and St Andrew’s Day are important opportunities in the calendar to promote Scotland’s interests internationally: highlighting Scottish culture and food and drink, presenting opportunities to engage a global audience and opening doors for future trade, investment and collaboration.

The figures requested are presented in the following tables. In the past twelve months, when the majority of covid restrictions were no longer in force, eight offices undertook public activity linked to Burns Night in 2023, and all nine did so at events linked to St Andrew’s Day 2022. The planned Burns programme in Paris this year was not able to proceed due to safety concerns in the city at that time.

All our international offices are preparing St Andrew’s Day events for 2023, as part of a programme promoting Scotland internationally throughout the Winter Festivals season leading up to Burns Night in 2024. Diplomatic, trade and investment and cultural engagement delivered by offices in the international network around both Burns Night and St Andrews Day includes joint working with SDI, the FCDO, and other government and external partners both at home in Scotland and in-country, hosting events or representing Scotland at established events.

Covid restrictions from the spring of 2020 through to early 2022 meant that much in-person activity was suspended, and offices collaborated within the network and with other partners to host or promote virtual and online celebrations instead. Some St Andrew’s Day activity for 2022 in Beijing was postponed due to ongoing restrictions, and took place in March 2023.

(a) Burns Night

Year	Number of participating offices
2023	8
2022	5
2021	6
2020	7
2019	5

(b) St Andrews Day

Year	Number of participating offices
2022	9
2021	3
2020	4
2019	5
2018	5