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.

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Question reference: S6W-17083

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in providing the powers to local authorities to introduce a Transient Visitor Levy.

Question reference: S6W-17076

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of the cost of living crisis on the Edinburgh festivals in 2023.

The Scottish Government recognises the profound impact the current cost crisis is having across Scotland.

While we have had to make difficult choices to live within budgets, we have also listened to the concerns raised by the wider culture sector across Scotland and the specific challenges Edinburgh festivals continue to face.

As referred to in the answer to question S6W-11081 on 29 September 2022, the Scottish Government will remain in an honest and open dialogue with the festivals organisers in an ongoing assessment of their individual situations to establish how best to assess the impact of issues impacting festivals, offer appropriate support where possible and use what levers we can to mitigate the various issues related to rising costs, while ensuring the protection of the most vulnerable in our society.

As well as our support to the culture sector and Edinburgh festivals during previous years, the Scottish Government have confirmed that fourteen major festivals in Edinburgh and Glasgow will receive a share of this year’s £1.8 million EXPO Fund.

Since the fund was established by the Scottish Government in 2007, the EXPO fund’s aim remains to build innovation across the Edinburgh festivals, support domestic performances and maximise national and international opportunities for the artists contributing to the festivals to find new audiences further afield.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-17077

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 24 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the Culture and Major Events Directorate has had with (a) ScotRail and (b) Transport Scotland, regarding planning for rail services during the Edinburgh festivals in 2023.

There have been no recent discussions between the Scottish Government Culture and Major Events Directorate (a) ScotRail and (b) Transport Scotland.

However Culture and Major Event Officials, along with relevant transport stakeholders, routinely take part in the multi-agency Events Planning and Operations Group (EPOG) dealing with Summer Events. EPOG is run by the City of Edinburgh Council as the lead planning authority in respect of Summer Events within Edinburgh, such as Edinburgh Festivals.

Outwith Edinburgh, Transport Scotland continue to discuss planning arrangement for major events with transport deliver partners and key stakeholders through quarterly Major Events Planning meetings in addition to regular event specific meetings.

In addition, ScotRail is required under the terms of its grant agreement to use all reasonable endeavours to provide for reallocation of Passenger Carrying Capacity to serve Special Events.

Question reference: S6W-16824

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, following the latest ministerial reshuffle, which minister now has responsibility for refugees from Ukraine.

Question reference: S6W-16898

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many Cabinet meetings took place in 2022, and how many times the Lord Advocate attended such meetings.

Question reference: S6W-16823

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, following the First Minister's appointment, whether it plans to continue publishing its Building a New Scotland series.

Question reference: S6W-17277

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-16901

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what the (a) short- and (b) long-term impact will be of the reported pause to Scotland’s involvement in the Venice Biennale, in light of the exhibition's reported role in promoting Scottish arts and culture worldwide over the last 20 years.

The Scottish Government recognises the important international platform offered by the Venice Biennale to promote the best contemporary art and architecture from Scotland on the world stage.

The decision by Creative Scotland and the other Scotland + Venice partners to pause their involvement in the Venice Biennale in 2024 allows for an important period of reflection and review.

The decision does not affect the delivery of the 2023 Scotland + Venice Architecture project, A Fragile Correspondence, which will take place in Venice from May – November, this year.

The Scotland + Venice partners will be undertaking sectoral engagement to explore new approaches to the project for the longer term while also looking to identify opportunities for artists and curators to experience the Biennale in 2024.

The Scottish Government is fully committed to supporting the Scottish culture sector’s international interests and ambitions and is currently developing an International Culture Strategy to that end.

Question reference: S6W-15995

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it still has an inter-ministerial group on policy coherence for sustainable development, and, if so, how many times it has met since May 2021, and who its members are.

In line with the 2021 Programme for Government commitment, the Ministerial Working Group on Policy Coherence for Sustainable Development (PCSD) reconvened and met on 29 June 2022. Going forward, the Ministerial Working Group will support and input to the Wellbeing and Sustainability Bill scheduled to be introduced in 2024 under the stewardship of the Deputy First Minister.

The following Minister’s attended the 29 June 2022 meeting:

Then Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, (Chair) Neil Gray

Then Minister for Equalities and Older People, Christina McKelvie

Then Minister for Public Health, Women's Health and Sport, Maree Todd

Then Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity, Lorna Slater

Then Minister for Children and Young People, Clare Haughey

Then Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, Ivan McKee

It should be noted the Working Group, apart from being Chaired by the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development, has no fixed membership as Ministers are invited to attend as, and when, areas within their ministerial portfolios are discussed. Our approach is for responsibility for PCSD and its delivery to reside across all Ministerial portfolios, with the Group providing Ministers with the opportunity to reflect on how their portfolios shape and influence these issues, and what is required to improve policy coherence, not just within but across portfolios.

Question reference: S6W-16015

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the letter from the Scottish Government’s Health Finance Directorate to NHS boards stating that all capital investment projects are paused and that only projects that are legally committed to will be funded for the financial years to 2025-26, whether the plans to build the Edinburgh Eye Pavilion replacement project will be delayed, and when it expects this project will be completed and the asset to be operational.

The Health Finance Directorate has not written to NHS Boards stating that all capital investment projects should be paused. The Directorate does however, engage regularly with all NHS Boards, including NHS Lothian, on the overall funding position for both capital and revenue budgets. The replacement of the Edinburgh Eye Pavilion remains a government priority and the Scottish Government engage regular with the NHS Lothian team on project timescales.