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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-15855

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase the amount of freight delivered by (a) water and (b) rail.

Scottish Ministers and officials have been working with industry stakeholders to explore the data on routes key Scottish exports take to market. Officials plan to annually update and publish this data on the modes and routes through which exports leave Scotland, including the commodity gaps in relation to the rest of the UK, to better inform exporters on the flows of Scottish goods to the EU and the rest of the world, as we continue to explore opportunities to increase exports from Scotland.

The Scottish Ministers have set a further rail freight growth target for rail control period seven (2024-2029) through their recent High Level Output Specification. Details can be viewed via the following link:-

Scottish Ministers’ High Level Output Specification (HLOS) - Control Period 7 - 2024 – 2029 | Transport Scotland .

Question reference: S6T-01299

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on targeted counsellor funding for colleges and universities.

Question reference: S6T-01294

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to recent reported analysis by Health Equals, which shows that poverty-driven health inequalities are reducing life expectancy among people who live in the most deprived areas.

Question reference: S6F-01996

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential impact of the anticipated 1 April rise in energy bills on household finances in Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-01981

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the poverty statistics published last week in the report, Poverty and Income Inequality in Scotland 2019-22.

Question reference: S6F-01967

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government will take to tackle the climate and nature emergencies.

Question reference: S6F-01965

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the First Minister, in light of last week's Fiscal Sustainability Report published by the Scottish Fiscal Commission, what the Scottish Government’s economic priorities are.

Question reference: S6F-01963

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01962

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-15999

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 27 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07586 by Patrick Harvie on 7 April 2022, for what reason it did not set out more detailed proposals on a Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill by the end of 2022.

The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Covid Recovery wrote to the Convener of the Finance and Public Administration Committee on 13 December 2022, which provided the Scottish Government’s response to the ‘Ambitions into Action’ Inquiry. The letter expressed the Deputy First Minister’s shared ambition for an NPF that better achieves impact that is recognised and felt by the people who live in Scotland. The letter also set out more details on the development of the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development Bill.

The Committee, in their inquiry into the National Performance Framework, stated that where necessary the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (WSD) Bill should also give legal effect to the outputs of the statutory review of the National Performance Framework and National Outcomes. The Scottish Government is therefore considering how the NPF can be further embedded in the practices of government and public bodies which will therefore form a key part of the development of the WSD Bill.

The Scottish Government continues to develop the policy proposals for the Bill and intended to set out more detailed proposals after the Review of National Outcomes is complete.