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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: S6O-00403

Asked by: James Dornan, MSP for Glasgow Cathcart, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers to be the underlying strengths of any economic growth in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-04057

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many school pupils in Scotland have paid for music tuition, provided by their local authority, since April 2021, broken down by local authority.

The Scottish Government does not hold this data for the 2020-21 academic year. Data on local authority instrumental music services is collected by the Improvement Service and their report on the 2020-21 academic year will be published shortly at www.improvementservice.org.uk .

Since the start of the 2021-22 academic year, no charges have been levied on pupils for instrumental music tuition following agreement between Scottish Government and local authorities as part of the implementation of the Scottish Government's 100-day manifesto commitments.

Question reference: S6W-04062

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02154 by Maree Todd on 27 August 2021, whether it will launch a consultation on restricting the advertising and promotion of Nicotine Vapour Products (NVPs) in November 2021.

Question reference: S6W-04059

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a response to the results of the Prohibiting smoking outside hospital buildings: consultation.

Question reference: S6W-03758

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the timetable is for compliance with the legislation in the refreshed Human Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-03757

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of its funding for the delivery of its Human Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy is ring-fenced for improving identification and recovery of potential victims.

National Referral Mechanism (NRM) First Responder organisations play a key role in the identification and recovery of potential victims of human trafficking and exploitation. First Responders in Scotland include Police Scotland, UK Visas and Immigration, Border Force, Home Office Immigration Enforcement, National Crime Agency, local authorities, Gangmasters and Labour Abuse Authority (GLAA), Migrant Help and the Trafficking Awareness Raising Alliance.

In March this year, we launched a toolkit for NRM First Responders which aims to improve the formal identification of victims in Scotland. We are also establishing a working group to ensure the ongoing consideration of training and awareness raising resources.

Grant funding of £2million was awarded in the current financial year to organisations providing support for recovery to adult and child victims. It is not possible to accurately cost the wide range of activity undertaken by the Scottish Government and partners to improve identification and recovery, or to express this as a percentage of overall activity to deliver the Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-03739

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any current projects it has active in Glasgow that are designed to tackle climate change.

The Scottish Government works with communities and the local authority in Glasgow, and across Scotland, to support our just transition to net zero emissions in a number of ways. This includes, but is not limited to:

Committing £1.3 million of grant funding to 8 Climate Challenge Fund projects in the Glasgow area. The Climate Challenge Fund supports communities across Scotland to take action on climate change and make the move to low carbon living. The Glasgow projects cover a range of themes including helping communities to reduce their reliance on car travel, cut waste, grow local food, improve household energy efficiency and tackle fuel poverty.
Commissioning a study, as part of the Clyde Mission, into climate adaptation pathways along the tidal reach of the River Clyde. That study will conclude in early 2022.
Supporting the installation of a river source heat pump at a community hub in Govan, through the Clyde Mission Fund. A further £25m will be allocated to riverside heat decarbonisation projects along the Clyde in the current Parliamentary term.
Awarding a £128,000 grant, through the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, to Southside Housing Association. The project is applying Passivhaus (Enerphit) principles to the retrofit of eight pre 1919 sandstone tenements in the south side of Glasgow.
Providing £4.5 million of grant funding from the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme to the NG Homes Air Source Heat Pump Project in Springburn, which will reduce emissions and heating bills for nearly 600 homes.
Investing over £60 million in active travel routes in Glasgow through the Scottish Government funded Places For Everyone Programme including projects such as Glasgow Avenues Plus and the South City Way. These will contribute towards tackling climate change by supporting a modal shift away from cars and towards walking, wheeling and cycling.
The Early Learning and Childcare 1140 hours expansion is driving Glasgow City Council’s construction of four new nurseries, which will incorporate innovative green technologies, including receiving their hot water and heating from electricity, to help mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change. The inclusion of sustainable solutions – is being delivered through match-funding from the Scottish Government’s ‘low carbon infrastructure transition programme’ (LCITP).

Question reference: S6W-03756

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to increase the identification of UK nationals being trafficked in Scotland.

We have identified a low representation of UK nationals in referrals from Scotland to the National Referral Mechanism (NRM) when compared to the rest of the UK in our annual trafficking and exploitation progress reports, although there was an increase in 2020.

The NRM toolkit for First Responders launched earlier this year aims to improve the formal identification of victims in Scotland and is clear that anyone can be a victim of human trafficking and exploitation, including UK nationals. We are establishing a working group to consider the quality and availability of training and awareness raising resources, which will also consider whether additional resources are needed on the issues relating to UK nationals.

Question reference: S6W-03485

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it gave to people who are unable to receive their scheduled COVID-19 vaccine dose as a result of testing positive for the virus, when it was developing its COVID-19 vaccine certification policy.

As at 23 October 87% of the adult population (i.e. 18 years +), and 85% of 16 year + age group are now fully vaccinated and these numbers increases on a daily basis.

Certification was not introduced until after the date all the adult population had the opportunity to be fully vaccinated. Furthermore we provided a month’s notice of our intention to introduce certification and a further 2 weeks before the scheme became enforceable. This allowed time for people who were not fully vaccinated to be vaccinated. We recognise that a small number of people would not have completed their full vaccination course when the certification scheme came into effect as a result of testing positive for the virus. We would encourage them to complete their vaccination course as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6W-03885

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 22 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged 70 to 79 who are eligible for their COVID-19 booster vaccine have received this dose, and by what date all eligible people aged 70 to 79 will have received their COVID-19 booster vaccine.

Booster vaccinations in Scotland started as soon as possible once the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provided their advice on boosters, which stated that the booster dose should be offered no earlier than six months after completion of the primary vaccine course.

627,898 people have received a booster to 29 October, and we are working as quickly as we can, prioritising those most vulnerable.

Data on boosters by JCVI priority group is not yet published. We continue to work closely with Public Health Scotland to develop the vaccination data to provide robust statistics that enhance public understanding.