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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-11870

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing an exemption to allow off-gas-grid (a) home and (b) business owners to use low carbon direct emissions heating systems after 1 April 2024.

The New Build Heat Standard (NBHS) is our proposed new standard that will prohibit the use of direct emissions heating systems (DEH) in new builds warranted from 1 April 2024.

Independent analysis of the responses received to the recently closed Part II New Build Heat Standard consultation is currently underway.

As part of this consultation process, the Scottish Government sought evidence on whether there any limited, specific situations where the use of direct emissions heating systems would be required in new buildings.

We will publish our report into the consultation prior to bringing forward the regulations.

Question reference: S6W-12078

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details regarding the announcement of an Island Cost Crisis Emergency Fund.

Question reference: S6W-12035

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to take action regarding the automatic response to people who refer safeguarding matters, in light of it reportedly being an automatic response from the General Teaching Council for Scotland to state the matter is "frivolous".

The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) is the independent regulatory body for teachers and, as such, Scottish Ministers have no locus to intervene in their procedures. The GTCS fitness to teach policy sets out key principles and acts as a mechanism for dealing with a teacher who presents a risk of harm. The fitness to teach process also aims to ensure that we have a teaching profession in Scotland that is and remains fit to teach so that public trust and confidence in teachers is maintained and the learning of our children and young people is protected.

The Scottish Government Child Protection Unit engages with GTCS on a regular basis on child and public protection and safeguarding issues, and to clarify the role of the bodies that are responsible for dealing with teachers who present a risk of harm to children.

The Scottish Government has also recently established an internal forum on the implementation of the child protection guidance in schools, and will continue to facilitate discussions on reporting and investigation processes of child protection issues within schools.

Question reference: S6W-11898

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether local authorities should be considered as potentially suitable recipients of the Ayrshire Rural and Islands Ambition (ARIA) Fund 2022-23, whether it will provide a breakdown of the funding that has been allocated to each local authority area, and what is the definition of local authority core funding that is used to assess eligibility for the Fund.

A Local Authority cannot apply alone for funding. This funding is not intended to replace core/statutory duties of Local Authorities. Local Authorities may however allocate funding to facilitate the commissioning of recruitment, upskilling and the rebuilding of the Local Action Group (LAG) but are not direct recipients of the funding.

Funding is allocated to Local Action Groups rather than single Local Authorities areas. Local Authority area spend is ongoing and unavailable at present. The LAG allocation breakdown is provided in the following table;

LAG Area	Allocation £
Aberdeenshire North & South	£924,990,00
Angus	£288,469.00
Argyll & Islands	£618,889.00
Ayrshire	£533,604.00
Cairngorms	£281,606.00
Dumfries and Galloway	£665,492.00
Fife	£279,306.00
Forth Valley and Lomond	£213,746.00
Greater Renfrewshire	£115,520.00
Highland	£1,069,878.00
Kelvin Valley and Falkirk	£140,600.00
Lanarkshire	£282,826.00
Moray	£292,405.00
Orkney	£188,330.00
Outer Hebrides	£255,806.00
Rural Perth and Kinross	£447,098.00
Scottish Borders	£487,275.00
Shetland	£188,538.00
Tyne Esk	£204,382.00
West Lothian	£151,240.00
TOTALS	£7,630,000.00

Question reference: S6W-12055

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract, which is due to end in September 2024, will be retendered.

Question reference: S6W-12041

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assist Ukrainian households out of their temporary welcome accommodation into longer-term accommodation.

The Scottish Government doesn’t want anyone to stay in a hotel or temporary accommodation for longer than necessary. We are therefore taking action to strengthen the matching process to help more displaced people access host or longer-term accommodation as quickly as possible. Through our review of the super sponsor scheme, we have identified a number of interventions to improve matching that we are already taking forward. This includes introducing a new digital matching tool to support the matching process.

This is in addition to the £11.2 million the Scottish Government has committed to Local Authorities to increase capacity of resettlement teams, support refurbishment of properties, help integration and enhance the pace of checks.

We have also introduced the £50 million Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund: Ukraine Longer Term Resettlement Fund - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . Through this Fund, the Scottish Government is working with Local Authorities and Registered Social Landlords to increase the number of homes available to support the longer term resettlement of displaced people from Ukraine, by improving and bringing void homes back into use. The Fund has so far provided over £400,000 to North Ayrshire Council and £6 million to Aberdeen City Council to increase the number of homes available to support displaced people.

Question reference: S6W-12054

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what power it has to extend the current Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract after its conclusion in September 2024; if it has the power, whether it plans to do so, and, if so, for how long.

Question reference: S6W-11899

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations, including local authorities, have applied for funding from the Ayrshire Rural and Islands Ambition (ARIA) Fund 2022-23.

Question reference: S6O-01597

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-01602

Asked by: Natalie Don-Innes, MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how measures set out in the NHS Recovery Plan will support innovation and capacity in diagnostics for thrombosis.