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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-02404

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to reports of widespread contamination at many of Scotland’s outdoor swimming sites.

Question reference: S6F-02399

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-02400

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-21398

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 25 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it will encourage food production under Tier 2 payments in the proposed Agriculture Bill.

Question reference: S6W-21071

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 25 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much of the £1.8 billion of funding for energy efficiency and renewable systems schemes, which it has committed to provide in the current parliamentary session, has been allocated.

Question reference: S6W-20883

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 01 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the introduction of the Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill, whether there are any recommendations of the Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issues in Relation to Policing that it anticipates will not be implemented.

The Police (Ethics, Conduct and Scrutiny) (Scotland) Bill is part of a programme of work to respond to the recommendations made in the Independent Review of Complaints Handling, Investigations and Misconduct Issue in Relation to Policing. The Bill addresses recommendations that require primary legislation, and continues to build on improvements made through the delivery of a number of non-legislative improvements (set out in the most recent Thematic Progress Report ).

However, in Scottish Ministers commitment to broadly accepting the majority of the recommendations from the Review, they also made clear that the Scottish Government would explore options where other routes or mechanisms may achieve the desired outcome. Following the Scottish Government’s engagement with stakeholders, and due to improvements already made by policing partners, the following recommendations are not being implemented at this stage:

Recommendation 35. This is because current provisions within the Police Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006 already provide appropriate and proportionate lines of accountability to Scottish Ministers, and in turn to the Scottish Parliament. This is in line with the governance and accountability arrangements in place for other office-holders the Parliament oversees.

Other recommendations, taken forward in secondary legislation, may also need to be taken forward in a manner that best takes account of circumstances at the time, therefore we are committed to working with policing partners and stakeholders as we develop secondary legislation and the written guidance that will underpin delivery of legislation.

Question reference: S6W-20847

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 25 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 25 September 2023

Through the Block Grant, the Scottish Government's policy towards local authorities’ spending is to allow them the financial freedom to operate independently. It is their responsibility to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on youth work, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Question reference: S6W-21175

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 25 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what inspection programme is in place to review the quality of temporary accommodation.

As the legal duty to accommodate homeless households lies with local authorities, the responsibility for ensuring that the temporary accommodation provided meets the temporary accommodation standards framework rests with local authorities. These standards relate to all types of temporary accommodation to ensure that the quality of all temporary accommodation is of good standard and meets all of the needs of the household. The standards framework covers four main areas: physical, location, service and management.

Social housing landlords must ensure that they meet all of their legal duties and responsibilities and that they adhere to the relevant guidance and requirements of other regulators. Social landlords, including local authorities, must submit a mandatory Annual Assurance Statement to the Scottish Housing Regulator (SHR) to provide assurance that their organisation complies with the relevant requirements of chapter 3 of the Regulatory Framework .

The SHR monitors, assesses and reports on all landlords’ compliance with regulatory requirements and performance of housing activities. All 32 local authorities are included in their annual risk assessment. An indicator used by the SHR to assess risk in relation to performance in delivering services is the percentage of tenants satisfied with the quality of their home.

Where the SHR requires further information and assurance from a local authority, an engagement plan will be published setting out what the social landlord needs to do and what the SHR will do.

Question reference: S6W-21067

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 25 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly taken the decision not to increase police officers' pay in line with the level of pay increases awarded to other emergency services.

Agreement has been reached through the Police Negotiating Board for a 7% increase to officer pay across all ranks for 2023-24. It means that police officers in Scotland remain the best paid in the UK.

The agreement recognises the valuable contribution police officers make to keeping people and communities across Scotland safe. It is also cognisant of the current economic climate and seeks to recognise the fact that officers are unable to take industrial action.

This agreement ensures a cumulative 12.35% increase in police officer pay since 1 April 2022 which broadly mirrors wage growth for firefighters in the Scottish Fire Rescue Service. In 2023-24 Nurses and Paramedics received a 6.5% pay award.

Question reference: S6W-20888

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 25 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what progress has been made regarding a review of councillor pay and remuneration.

Both COSLA and the Scottish Government recognise the need for a review of councillor pay to ensure that terms and conditions truly reflect the responsibilities of a modern-day councillor and, to ensure remuneration does not act as a barrier to encouraging a diverse range of people from standing for elected office.

Councillor pay is currently being reviewed by the Scottish Local Authority Remuneration Committee (SLARC). SLARC is an independent committee appointed by Ministers to review Councillor pay. The Committee started its work in April this year and, has been gathering evidence in preparation to provide its advice to Ministers. Ministers anticipate the Committee’s final report to be submitted later this year.