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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-29966

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many individual properties in Scotland have had unsafe cladding completely removed since 2017.

There are 107 entries in the pilot of the Cladding Remediation Programme.

Pilot assessments have been undertaken for 30 of the entries. A pilot assessment includes those carried out prior to the publication of the Single Building Assessment (SBA) specification on 21 June 2024. This number relates to known pilot assessments only; developers, homeowners or other organisations could have commissioned assessments without informing the Scottish Government. Therefore, the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.

Works to mitigate or remediate risks have started for five of the entries. Works in this context refers to any action taken to address known cladding-related risks, including Urgent Interim Measures. This number relates to known works on a pilot entry only; developers or other organisations could have carried out works without informing the Scottish Government. Again, this means the true number may be higher and could increase as further information becomes available.

Works to remediate risks have not been completed for any of the entries. Although work on the external wall cladding system has been undertaken on one building, an SBA – carried out to the standard to be specified by Scottish Ministers under section 32 of the Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Act 2024 – is required to ensure that all works required have been identified and completed ahead of the remediation being designated as complete.

Question reference: S6W-29347

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is committed to at least maintaining current funding levels for the Nature Restoration Fund during the remainder of the current parliamentary session, in light of the reported continuing loss of nature and the Fund's positive reputation amongst stakeholders.

Protecting and restoring our natural environment is key to addressing the twin crises of nature loss and climate change. Our commitment to the Nature Restoration Fund (NRF), and to introduce a Natural Environment Bill which will set a framework for statutory targets to restore and protect nature, are reiterated in our most recent Programme for Government.

While capital funding of £5 million from this year’s NRF allocation to Local Authorities has been redirected to fund the public sector pay offer, it will be restored in 2025-26. The competitive strand of the NRF, administered by NatureScot, remains unaffected by this temporary reallocation of local authority funding.

Question reference: S6W-29312

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that individual artists can still apply for and have access to public funding, in light of Creative Scotland's recent change to its guidance on applications from individual artists.

Question reference: S6W-29315

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when Scotland's Mental Health First Aid: Young People (SMHFA: YP) courses will be available, following the reported pausing of the programme in 2020.

The mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is an absolute priority for the Scottish Government.

Public Health Scotland (PHS) holds the national licence for Scotland’s Mental Health First Aid: Young People- (SMHFA:YP). Following COVID, PHS took the decision to pause the delivery of the SMHFA: YP, due to the content of the course being considered out of date, given changes to the social and cultural context in which young people live in Scotland (for example, content in relation to alcohol and drugs and bullying). There are no current plans to update the content or reverse the current pause on this programme; as many alternative and up-to-date sources of advice are available to adults who support children and young people.

A new professional learning resource for school staff, supported by the Mental Health in Schools Working Group, was published in 2021. The resource provides essential learning required to support children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing. The resource is free and can be found at: CYPMH – Professional Learning Resource. A number of education resources linked to Curriculum for Excellence are also available to support the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people in schools and other settings. Just this week, a new resource will be launched – One Good Adult:Job Description. This was designed by children and young people to help those around them provide the support they need.

In addition, Public Health Scotland and NHS Education for Scotland have developed further digital resources aimed at those supporting the mental health, self-harm and suicide prevention needs of young people. These can be found at: Informed level of practice | Turas | Learn (nhs.scot)

Interactive training is also available on specific topics. For example, Self-Harm Network Scotland provides free training sessions, in-person or online. Anyone can sign up for these sessions, and there are a range of options offered, with more in-depth sessions for professionals. Since these started in early 2023, the service has already trained over 2,500 people.

These sources of advice complement expanded provision of supports and services for children and young people – with access to counselling available through every secondary school; over 300 community-based mental health and wellbeing supports for children and young people now in place across Scotland; and advice for young people themselves available through the investment we have made in the likes of Young Scot’s Aye Feel website.

Question reference: S6W-29350

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent report from the Design Council, Design Economy: The Green Design Skills Gap, what work is being conducted to ensure that environmental impact is at the heart of the design process in Scotland.

Creative Scotland, in its role of supporting the growth of sustainable creative businesses in Scotland, has an explicit focus on environmental sustainability. This is detailed in their 2022 A Climate Emergency and Sustainability Plan for Creative Scotland | Creative Scotland and subsequent annual reviews, Environmental Sustainability Review 2023/24 | Creative Scotland as well as in the detailed guidance in the form of funding criteria Environmental Sustainability | Creative Scotland that is employed in assessing applicants to its Grant-in-Aid and National Lottery funds.

The design sector, as defined by Scottish Government, reported GVA of £570.8m in 2022, but its impact and benefits are often overlooked. In response to this, Creative Scotland and V&A Dundee have been working together under the banner of ‘Design for Scotland’ to progress a project involving the design community responding to a call to action of ‘Ask not what Scotland can do for Design, but what Design can do for Scotland’. This has included consideration of the environmental impact of design.

In Scotland, we benefit from excellent design education in our colleges and Universities. Per head of population, Scotland has more of its art and design schools in the global top 100 ranking Universities than any other European country.

Furthermore, Architecture and Design Scotland helps support the design of sustainable buildings and places in Scotland, including with local authorities, agencies, stakeholders and communities to address environmental impacts of the built environment and promote positive environmental outcomes.

We can be confident that both the Design community and the structures that support them are looking forward to ensuring that their skills and aspirations are fully employed in ensuring that environmental impact is at the heart of the design process in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-29282

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the planned date of commencement of the prohibition of the use of snares, as provided for in the Wildlife Management and Muirburn (Scotland) Act 2024.

Question reference: S6W-29363

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether there was any increase in passenger levels on the (a) Aberdeen to Inverness and (b) Perth to Inverness route during the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot compared with passenger levels prior to the pilot being introduced, and, if so, whether it can outline this as a percentage of passengers.

Question reference: S6T-02111

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported announcement that issues with the gearbox of the MV Caledonian Isles have been identified, resulting in a further delay to its return to service on the Arran route.

Question reference: S6T-02115

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding whether the early release scheme for prisoners has been a success.

Question reference: S6F-03383

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 September 2024

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government plans to embed domestic abuse experts in 999 control rooms, similar to plans announced by the UK Government for England and Wales.

Route	Change in demand from Peak Fares
ABERDEEN-INVERNESS	4.5%
GLASGOW/EDINBURGH-INVERNESS	3.5%