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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-12207

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any barriers that may prevent those outwith the COVID-19 vaccine priority groups from receiving a booster dose this winter, should they wish to get one, or if the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recommends they do so.

Decisions to prioritise one population group over another for vaccination are not taken lightly, nor are they straightforward. That is why our prioritisation decisions have been, and will continue to be, guided by the independent expert advice provided by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and senior Clinicians.

As with previous campaigns, vaccinations will be offered first to frontline health and social care workers and those most vulnerable to the effects of the virus. Information on the Winter Vaccines programme including eligible groups can he found here .

Full information on the considerations made by the JCVI with regards to which groups have been offered a COVID-19 booster vaccine can be found here .

Question reference: S6W-12314

Asked by: Rona Mackay, MSP for Strathkelvin and Bearsden, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the (a) number and (b) percentage of voluntary resignations among police officers in Scotland in each of the last five years, and how this compares with England and Wales.

From data provided by Police Scotland, the Scottish Government can confirm that as a proportion of the workforce in 2021-22 the rate of voluntary resignation among officers in Scotland was less than half that in England and Wales.

The following tables show that, as a proportion of the workforce, rates of voluntary resignations among police officers have been consistently lower in Scotland over the last five years compared to England and Wales

Leavers and Leaver Rates (excluding transfers)- Scotland
Leavers (excluding transfers)	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22
Normal retirement	418	480	494	576	421	689
Voluntary resignation	211	192	181	163	106	177
Other (medical retirement, dismissal, death in service)	115	94	114	85	52	41
Total	744	766	789	824	579	907
Officer numbers at start of year (31-03-2021 for 2021-22)	17,317	17,256	17,170	17,251	17,431	17,283
Leaver rates
Normal retirement	2.4%	2.8%	2.9%	3.3%	2.4%	4.0%
Voluntary resignation	1.2%	1.1%	1.1%	0.9%	0.6%	1.0%
other	0.7%	0.5%	0.7%	0.5%	0.3%	0.2%
Total Leaver rate	4.3%	4.4%	4.6%	4.8%	3.3%	5.2%

Leavers and Leaver Rates (excluding transfers) - England and Wales
Leavers (excluding transfers)	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22
Normal retirement	4,507	4,747	4,492	4,169	3,429	4,134
Voluntary resignation	2,035	1,995	2,175	2,363	1,996	3,433
Other (medical retirement, dismissal, death in service)	933	762	721	609	593	550
Total	7,475	7,504	7,388	7,141	6,018	8,117
Officer numbers at start of year (31-03-2021 for 2021-22)	124,066	123,142	122,405	123,189	129,110	135,301
Leaver rates
Normal retirement	3.6%	3.9%	3.7%	3.4%	2.7%	3.1%
Voluntary resignation	1.6%	1.6%	1.8%	1.9%	1.5%	2.5%
other	0.8%	0.6%	0.6%	0.5%	0.5%	0.4%
Total Leaver rate	6.0%	6.1%	6.0%	5.8%	4.7%	6.0%

Question reference: S6W-12264

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Minister for Transport (a) last met Strathclyde Partnership for Transport, and what issues were discussed and (b) will next meet Strathclyde Partnership for Transport.

Question reference: S6W-12280

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many fires have been caused in local authority waste and recycling centres and in transport taking waste or recycling to such centres by lithium contained within disposable vaping products being crushed.

Neither SEPA nor the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service hold any central statistics that would indicate the number of fires caused in waste or recycling facilities by lithium contained within disposable vaping products being crushed.

Scottish Government is aware of this issue, and through our regular sector forum with stakeholders across the Scottish resources and waste sector, discussions are ongoing to look at what more can be done to build understanding and tackle this issue in partnership with the sector.

Question reference: S6W-12255

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been found guilty of offences under section 40(1) of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 since 1 January 2014.

Question reference: S6W-12125

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis (a) it, (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (c) VisitScotland has carried out on any impact of the recent cancellations and disruptions to ferry services on the depopulation of the islands.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken specific analysis, regarding the impact of disruption to ferry services on depopulation, however, recognise the importance of the provision of safe and reliable lifeline ferry services for our island populations.

Highlands and Islands Enterprise has not undertaken any specific analysis of the impact of recent disruption to ferry services on depopulation. However, its ‘ My Life in the Highlands and Islands ’ research does explore issues around transport, including views on satisfaction/dissatisfaction with ferry services.

VisitScotland has not carried out any analysis on the impact of cancellations and disruptions to ferry services but recently shared relevant information with the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 8 November 2022, a transcript of which is published on the Scottish Parliament website .

Question reference: S6W-12219

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the current nurse retention rate is, given as a percentage, for nurses who completed a funded degree programme in nursing and midwifery in 2022.

Question reference: S6T-01012

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to tackle the illegal trade in puppies, in light of the Scottish Multi-Agency Strategic Threat Assessment report that the trade is funding serious organised crime.

Question reference: S6T-01010

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the cyber-attack on 4 August 2022 which reportedly targeted NHS Scotland's patient management software.

Question reference: S6T-01004

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle cancer inequalities.