Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 46843 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-33468

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what targets it has set for improving the energy efficiency of its buildings, and by what date it anticipates that these will be achieved.

Question reference: S6W-33295

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many students from (a) Scotland have accessed further and higher education courses in English institutions and (b) England have accessed further and higher education courses in Scottish institutions in each year since 1999.

UCAS data can be used to look at the number of Scottish and English domiciled applicants securing university places across the UK, typically at full-time undergraduate level. Data is available in background tables back to 2006: https://www.ucas.com/data-and-analysis/undergraduate-statistics-and-reports/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resources-2024

Information on the number of Scottish domiciled students enrolling at English Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and English domiciled students enrolling at Scottish HEI courses, covering all levels, years and modes of study is published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA). Data, covering 2014-15 to 2022-23, is available on HESA’s website:

https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/students/table-59

Earlier university data can be found in the publication archive under the “Students in Higher Education” section: https://www.hesa.ac.uk/data-and-analysis/publications. Between 2009-10 and 2013-14 information can be found in table 7g. Between 1999-2000 and 2008-09 information can be found in tables 5a and 5b. HESA data prior to academic year 2013-14 counted all enrolments at the Open University, regardless of domicile, as at English Providers, so data is not fully comparable.

Data for Scottish domiciled students enrolling at English colleges is not held by the Scottish Government. Data for English domiciled students enrolling at Scottish colleges is collected by the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), and provided below:

English domiciled students (headcount) at Scottish colleges by academic year

Academic year	Further Education (headcount)	Higher Education (headcount)
1999-00	1,300	385
2000-01	1,120	425
2001-02	1,730	640
2002-03	1,310	530
2003-04	1,260	535
2004-05	1,505	490
2005-06	1,490	450
2006-07	1,630	415
2007-08	1,835	360
2008-09	1,505	315
2010-11	1,065	250
2011-12	820	165
2012-13	755	190
2013-14	640	125
2014-15	675	105
2015-16	620	115
2016-17	640	160
2017-18	570	190
2018-19	930	325
2019-20	920	370
2020-21	1,400	405
2021-22	1,425	380
2022-23	1,735	315

Source: SFC, Further Education Statistics (FES), Secondary Analysis

Note: The data above covers headcounts, however some students may have enrolled on an FE and an HE course in the same year. There is also a potential for double counting where an individual undertook more than one enrolment at different points in the academic year.

Question reference: S6W-32874

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02268 by Natalie Don-Innes on 7 January 2025, what action in response to child sexual exploitation it has taken to support the care sector in eradicating victim-blaming attitudes and language by (a) delivering training, (b) supporting internal audits and reflection and (c) measuring progress in dealing with the issue.

Question reference: S6W-33240

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for a reintroduction of the school libraries strategy, which ended in 2023.

The Scottish Government funds the School Library Improvement Fund which has provided £1.72m of funding to support improvement in library provision across Scotland since 2017.

The Scottish Government is working with partners and stakeholders to reconvene the School Libraries Education and Policy Working Group to build on the success of the National School Library Strategy – Vibrant Libraries, Thriving Schools at a national level.

Question reference: S6W-33269

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20923 by Maree Todd on 26 September 2023, whether it can provide an update on progress with the implementation of Anne's Law, and whether it will be in force by the end of 2025.

The core elements of Anne’s Law have already been delivered by using our existing powers to strengthen Health and social care standards on visiting in care homes and in updates to guidance. As a result people living in care homes can now expect to see family members or friends during outbreaks and are able to name people who can directly participate in meeting their care needs.

The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to enshrining Anne’s Law in primary legislation, and will deliver it within the National Care Service Bill. The timing of this will be dependent on the Bill successfully completing its Parliamentary passage.

Question reference: S6W-33268

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting and resourcing local authorities to manage ash dieback effectively and to replace lost trees with appropriate species.

The Scottish Government supports local authorities to manage ash dieback and replace lost trees with appropriate species through Scottish Forestry working in partnership with The Tree Council. This collaboration produced an ash dieback toolkit, first published in 2022, to help local authorities to manage ash dieback effectively. This covers:

• Raising awareness of ash dieback

• Preparing an Ash Dieback Action Plan

• Taking action and responding to ash dieback

• Recovery and adaptation

Ongoing support for local authorities provides help to develop Ash Dieback Action Plans and facilitates joint working and sharing of experience and best practice across local authorities. Guidance is provided to help those with responsibility for ash trees in Scotland, including local authorities, to make informed management decisions. This includes identifying and monitoring affected ash trees and managing them accordingly, taking a risk-based approach considering tree condition and location. Guidance is also provided to assist with decisions about replacing lost ash trees. This covers both advice on encouraging natural regeneration of alternative native species where possible, and information on appropriate replacement tree species for ash in different habitat types in Scotland in cases where planting is necessary.

Question reference: S6W-33246

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-12917 and S6W-12918 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 December 2022, what progress it is making with delivering each of the "Transport Scotland Required Outputs" listed on page 11 of the Scotland's Railway July 2022 publication, Enhancements Delivery Plan.

Question reference: S6T-02302

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the number of unauthorised absences from schools.

Question reference: S6F-03773

Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2025

To ask the First Minister, in light of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation report, UK Poverty 2025, whether he will provide an update on the Scottish Government's actions to tackle poverty in Scotland, including in relation to any potential impact of planned UK Government welfare reforms.

Question reference: S6F-03764

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2025

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the recent CBI report, which reportedly suggests that businesses are preparing to “cut staff and raise prices”.