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-17843

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 23 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in the academic year 2022-23, how much it (a) received through the apprenticeship levy and (b) spent to fund apprenticeships through the (i) Flexible Workforce Development Fund and (ii) Scottish Government Apprenticeship programme.

The UK Government Apprenticeship Levy is a reserved tax on employers which was implemented by the UK Government. Scotland receives a proportionate share of tax revenues via the block grant as per the Fiscal Framework agreement with UK Treasury.

On 14 November 2016, the UK Government announced the Scottish Government’s settlement from the UK Apprenticeship Levy based on a population share of projected revenue for the first three years only. From 2020-21, the normal operation of the Barnett Formula has applied. As a result, the Scottish Government has no direct control or responsibility for its operation and we have not had a breakdown of Levy funding for Scotland since 2020-21.

SDS fund Modern and Foundation apprenticeships through their core grant in-aid budget. Audited spend for 2022-23 will be published in the SDS annual accounts later in the year, which will be available on the SDS website.

The Flexible Workforce Development Fund (FWDF) does not fund apprenticeships. It is designed to provide employers across Scotland with flexible training to upskill their current workforce.

Question reference: S6O-02270

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest data reportedly showing that a majority of Scottish taxpayers now pay higher income tax than those elsewhere in the UK.

Question reference: S6O-02259

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to assist any businesses that are struggling to recruit skilled workers.

Question reference: S6O-02210

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to reduce waiting times for NHS Scotland’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

Question reference: S6W-16827

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how the public has been informed of the closure of the Dumb Dumpers fly tipping reporting service.

Previously the public were able to report flytipping via the Dumb Dumpers system (whereby reports could either be made online to Zero Waste Scotland, or via a telephone hotline hosted by SEPA) and to local authorities directly.

As of 1 April 2023, the Dumb Dumpers telephone line no longer accepts flytipping reports. A recorded message advises callers to contact the relevant local authority.

Online searches for the Dumb Dumpers hotline and web form are directed from the Zero Waste Scotland and SEPA websites to an online tool which helps visitors to identify the correct local authority to which the report should be made. A Frequently Asked Questions document has been developed and is available on both websites to inform the public of updated reporting arrangements and why this change has been made.

Question reference: S6W-16825

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Dumb Dumpers fly tipping reporting service, through which members of the public could previously report incidents of fly tipping, is no longer operating as of 1 April 2023.

Previously the public were able to report flytipping via two parallel mechanisms: the Dumb Dumpers system (whereby reports could either be made online to Zero Waste Scotland, or via a telephone hotline hosted by SEPA) and to local authorities directly. From 1 April 2023, the public can continue to report incidents to the relevant local authority through local authorities’ existing mechanisms.

The change has been made in order to streamline and reduce confusion about public reporting of flytipping incidents; and to aid more accurate analysis of the scale of flytipping.

A range of evidence gathered by Zero Waste Scotland and SEPA highlighted that the previous approach was no longer fit for purpose and should be reviewed. Analysis by ZWS and SEPA has suggested that reports submitted through the Dump Dumpers system accounted for a small percentage of the total number of flytipping incidents in Scotland and the majority of incidents are reported directly to local authorities. A survey of local authorities, undertaken as part of a review of the previous litter strategy, Towards A Litter-free Scotland, highlighted a range of concerns including duplicated reports, delays and inaccurate location information.

Scottish Government’s 2022 consultation on the National Litter and Flytipping Strategy included the proposal to review the Dumb Dumpers system to ensure a fit-for-purpose mechanism for citizens to report flytipping incidents. Only 30% of respondents, and 18% of local authority respondents, supported the system’s continued use.

The recent streamlining of reporting mechanisms will not change how incidents of flytipping are investigated, which will continue to be the joint responsibility of local authorities and SEPA with local authorities handling the majority of cases.

Question reference: S6W-16826

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 25 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how members of the public can report incidents of fly tipping, now that the Dumb Dumpers reporting service has been closed.

Question reference: S6O-02147

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people, who have been sentenced for a crime, were aged under 25 when they pled guilty, or were found guilty, since 26 January 2022.

Question reference: S6W-15454

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 15 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the remit of the external review of NHS Grampian procurement practices by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, as announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care in December 2022.

As set out in the Chamber on 15 Dec, NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde was asked to undertake a high-level review of a specific procurement exercise carried out by NHS Grampian.

The Board was asked:

On the basis of having appropriate NHS procurement expertise and having not been involved in the procurement exercise being reviewed.
To consider if the overall process was conducted in accordance with NHS procurement procedures, including documentation, scoring and selection.

The review has since completed and been shared with the Member. The review found that the exercise was conducted in a compliant manner.

Question reference: S6W-15455

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 15 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde will begin taking evidence in relation to its external review of NHS Grampian procurement practices.