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: S6T-02058

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported public safety and environmental concerns arising from the fire at Linwood industrial estate on 23 June.

Question reference: S6F-03260

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2024

To ask the First Minister what assurances the Scottish Government can provide to the arts and culture sector to ensure confidence, in light of the reported issues with the sponsorship of cultural events.

Question reference: S6W-27460

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14445 by Neil Gray on 7 February 2023, whether it will provide updated information on how many public libraries have closed in each year since 2009, based on the latest information available.

Further to the answer provided to question S6W-14445, according to information gathered by the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) in financial year 2022-23, 8 out of 474 public libraries closed in Scotland.

The data for the total number of libraries in Scotland provided by SLIC for financial year 2022-23, relates solely to static library venues and does not include mobile library services.

Information for financial year 2023-2024 is not yet available.

Question reference: S6O-03395

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what cross-government action it is taking to support Scotland’s islands and their economies.

Question reference: S6W-26838

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of all funding streams that are being used, or could be used, to fund anti-racist education initiatives.

The Scottish Government is absolutely committed to embedding anti-racism in education. As part of the Anti-Racism in Education Programme for financial year 2023-24 the Scottish Government provided the following funding streams aimed at providing anti-racist education. Funding streams for 24-25 will be published in due course.

Funding Streams:

Anti-Racism in Education Programme (AREP) funding stream
Curriculum workstream of the AREP
School Library Improvement Fund
Holocaust Educational Trust “Lessons from Auschwitz project”
Vision Schools Scotland
STUC Unions into Schools project

Question reference: S6O-03316

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy meant by her reported comments to the Ferguson Marine workforce on 9 April 2024, that the Scottish Government will “stand with you long into the future”.

Question reference: S6O-03227

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the BBC Scotland Disclosure programme, Surviving Domestic Abuse, which was broadcast on 11 March.

Question reference: S6T-01858

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Creative Scotland has awarded £85,000 to the project Rein, in light of concerns about its explicit content.

Question reference: S6W-25946

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason section (a) 9 and (b) 10 of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 is not in force.

Sections 9 and 10 of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 are not in force because the requisite court rules are not in place. Civil court rules govern the procedure to be followed in cases heard in the Court of Session and in civil cases in the sheriff courts to ensure a fair, efficient, and accessible legal system in Scotland.

Commencing legislative provisions without court rules in place would be irresponsible - potentially creating problems for court users and placing added pressures on our court system.

Responsibility for drafting court rules lies with the Scottish Civil Justice Council (SCJC), a statutory body chaired by the Lord President. The Council prepares an annual report on its activities along with an annual plan setting out its objectives and priorities each year and lays a copy before the Scottish Parliament. The rules required for sections 9 and 10 are currently in the SCJC work plan and are listed as a priority.

Implementing emergency measures to allow the court system to function during the pandemic and the subsequent work to manage recovery has had a significant impact on the delivery of the Council’s business, and its available resources. However, the SCJC have advised that drafting of the new rules is progressing well.

Scottish Government officials are continuing to engage with the SCJC and stand ready to commence the remaining sections of the Civil Litigation (Expenses and Group Proceedings) (Scotland) Act 2018 as soon as court rules are finalised.

Question reference: S6O-03213

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the creation of a national online support platform to expand music learning for children and young people in Scotland.