Chamber and committees

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

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 990 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-07255

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people aged (a) 25 to 50 and (b) 51 to 75 have been convicted of dangerous driving in each of the last five years; how many have had their licence removed, and what the average period of disqualification was.

The available information is provided in the following tables.

People aged 25-50 and 51-75, convicted for Dangerous and careless driving offences (where main crime), 2015-16 to 2019-20.

	2015-16		2016-17		2017-18		2018-19		2019-20
	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75
Dangerous driving offences	349	62	389	73	521	76	458	70	545	90
Driving carelessly	1,500	575	1,557	599	1,518	593	1,235	494	1,283	539

Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database

People convicted for Dangerous and careless driving offences (where main crime) receiving driving disqualification, 2015-16 to 2019-20.

	2015-16		2016-17		2017-18		2018-19		2019-20
	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75
Dangerous driving offences	335	57	368	67	496	68	432	63	521	85
Driving carelessly	228	37	259	35	256	50	177	42	181	27

Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database

Average period of driving disqualification (in months), received by people aged 25-50 and 51-75, convicted for Dangerous and careless driving offences (where main crime), 2015-16 to 2019-20.

	2015-16		2016-17		2017-18		2018-19		2019-20
	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75	25-50	51-75
Dangerous driving offences	27	17	25	20	26	19	26	18	25	18
Driving carelessly	11	12	12	12	12	10	10	14	10	10
Average total	19	15	18	17	20	14	20	16	20	16

Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database

Please note: Averages exclude lifetime driving bans.

Question reference: S6W-07247

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 22 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, High and highly bonded: Fused football fans who use cocaine are most likely to be aggressive toward rivals, by Martha Newson, which found that around 1% of fans reported using cocaine in football stadia and around 30% had witnessed other fans take cocaine at matches, and what action it will take in response to the findings.

The High and highly bonded report has a Britain-wide focus and makes no mention of Scotland. Nonetheless, we fully recognise the need to address the use of drugs in Scotland. January marked the first year of the National Mission to save and improve lives affected by problematic drug use. Over the last year our main focus has been on laying the groundwork so that we can focus on delivering change that will make a real and tangible difference to people's lives.

In January 2020 the First Minister set out clear priorities of the National Mission: to wrap support around people who are most at risk through fast and appropriate access to treatment, increased access to residential rehabilitation, better support after non-fatal overdoses, and recognising the vital role of frontline organisations.

Question reference: S6W-06590

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 21 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress regarding its Mental Health – Scotland’s Transition and Recovery plan.

We continue to make good progress with the delivery of the Mental Health Transition and Recovery plan, which was published in October 2020. The delivery of the plan is supported by our £120 million Recovery and Renewal Fund which is being used to transform services and increase our focus on prevention and early intervention.

A range of activity is being progressed. This includes work to enhance Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services and psychological therapies, the implementation of the Eating Disorders Review and further roll out of digital innovations developed in response to the pandemic. We are also expanding the support available within communities, including the provision of £21 million (2021-2022) and £15 million (2022-2023) via the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund for grassroots community groups to help tackle the impact of social isolation, loneliness and mental health inequalities amongst adults. A further £15 million has been made available to local authorities to provide community mental health and wellbeing support for children and young people.

This activity will continue in 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-06498

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of staff bullying have been brought against each NHS board, what the outcome was of those cases, and how much was paid in compensation from those cases, in each year since 2007.

This is a matter for individual Health Boards. We do not hold this specific information centrally.

Since 2018-19, as part of our annual staff governance monitoring exercise, Boards advise us of the number of formal bullying and harassment cases raised locally each year. This information was not requested in 2019-20 due to the pandemic.

The information we hold does not separate out the number of cases that relate to bullying, sexual harassment or other forms of harassment. We also do not hold information on the outcome of these cases or level of compensation if paid.

The Boards have reported the following information to us (please note where numbers of cases are less than 5, we cannot give specific figures for reasons of maintaining anonymity):

? NHS Ayrshire & Arran reported less than 5 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 19 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Borders reported 6 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 7 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Dumfries & Galloway reported 8 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 7 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Fife reported 17 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 9 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Forth Valley reported 12 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and less than 5 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Grampian reported 14 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 8 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde reported 21 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 10 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Highland reported 14 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 38 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Lanarkshire reported 27 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 7 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Lothian reported 41 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 36 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Orkney reported less than 5 formal complaint of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and less than 5 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Shetland reported less than 5 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and less than 5 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Tayside reported 6 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 13 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Western Isles reported less than 5 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 6 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Education for Scotland reported no formal complaints in 2018-2019 and less than 5 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Golden Jubilee Foundation reported less than 5 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 5 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Healthcare Improvement Scotland reported less than 5 formal complaint of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and no cases in 2020-2021.

? NHS Health Scotland - Public Health Scotland reported no formal complaints in 2018-2019 and less than 5 in 2020-2021.

? NHS National Services Scotland reported 16 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 6 in 2020-2021.

? NHS State Hospital reported less than 5 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and less than 5 in 2020-2021.

? NHS 24 reported 12 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and less than 5 in 2020-2021.

? NHS Scottish Ambulance Service reported 24 formal complaints of bullying and harassment in 2018-2019 and 7 in 2020-2021.

Question reference: S6W-06500

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 18 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of sexual harassment have been brought against each NHS board, what the outcome was of those cases, and how much was paid in compensation from those cases, in each year since 2007.

Question reference: S6W-06592

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the new East Linton railway station will open, and how many (a) weekday and (b) weekend services it will have.

Question reference: S6W-06551

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider extending the powers of the Scottish SPCA to enable the investigation of a wider range of wildlife crime.

We set out our commitment to establish an independent taskforce to consider whether the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Scottish SPCA) should be given extra powers to investigate wildlife crime in both the 2021-22 Programme for Government and in our Scottish Government and Scottish Green Party Shared Policy Programme.

The taskforce’s role will include due consideration of the potential implications of any proposed changes to the powers of the Scottish SPCA. The taskforce will report back by the end of 2022.

We will set out the remit of the taskforce in more detail in due course.

Question reference: S6W-06575

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it monitors any variance in the level of electric vehicle charging point tariffs between areas and, if so, whether it will share the data that it collects, and, if it does not carry out such monitoring, whether it will consider doing so.

Question reference: S6W-06577

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to publish guidance on electric vehicle charging point tariffs.

Question reference: S6W-06576

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce a regulatory system regarding electric vehicle charging point tariffs.

Tariffs are set by charge point owners, taking into account local demand and use, to cover a number of costs including electricity provided. In July 2021 Transport Scotland published a joint report with Scottish Futures Trust highlighting the importance of tariffs to attract private sector investment to expand the public charging network. In January we announced a new £60m fund to grow the public charging network in Scotland and, as part of this, our work with local authorities will consider the levels of tariffs required to ensure the public network is financially sustainable. In parallel, following a UK-wide consultation on consumer experience at public charge points last year, the Scottish Government is engaging with the UK Government Office for Zero Emission Vehicles on progress with development of regulatory powers related to electric vehicle charging tariffs and will keep outcomes of work in this area under review.