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-05869

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the ministerial statement on strengthened fire alarm standards on 19 January 2022, whether it will provide detailed clarification of what the implications will be for homeowners who have not complied with the new legislation on interlinked fire alarms by 1 February 2022.

The legislation provides flexibility for people to fit the necessary alarms in due course if they are unable to do so by the February 2022 deadline. The rules place a legal duty on local authorities, not homeowners, to ensure homes are fitted with the correct alarms. A joint SG/ COSLA statement was published on

‎ 21 January, which confirmed that local authorities will be taking a proportionate and measured approach to compliance taking individual circumstances into account as well as reflecting the evolving situation with the Covid 19 pandemic.

No one will be criminalised if they need more time and there are no penalties for non-compliance. However, we would encourage everyone to install these alarms at their earliest opportunity as they can help to save lives.

Question reference: S6W-05860

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether closing rail ticket offices will increase or decrease rail passenger numbers.

The consultation phase of ScotRail’s review on ticket office opening hours closed on 2 February. Transport Focus, the independent watchdog for transport users, is in the process of collating responses in order to produce a report of the consultation outputs. It would not be prudent for Scottish Ministers to prejudge the outcomes of that process prior to the Transport Focus report being published.

Question reference: S6W-05861

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reducing opening hours at rail ticket offices will increase or decrease rail passenger numbers.

Question reference: S6W-05866

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many trade union representatives will be on the board of the new company that will run Scotland's Railway.

Question reference: S6W-05863

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed closure and reduction in opening hours of rail ticket offices has been the subject of an Equality Impact Assessment, and, if so, what the outcome was.

Question reference: S6W-05865

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the appointment of (a) trade union and (b) passenger representatives on the board of the new company that will run Scotland's Railway.

Question reference: S6W-05864

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the proposed closure and reduction in opening hours of rail ticket offices will increase or decrease levels of (a) antisocial behaviour and (b) safety for (i) passengers and (ii) staff (A) at train stations and (B) on trains.

Abellio ScotRail has carried out an assessment of all ticket sales, passenger assistance, ticket buying facilities, waiting areas, toilets, passenger footfall, links to local schools, colleges and businesses for every station with a ticket office. In addition, Abellio ScotRail also reviewed any instances of anti-social behaviour to ensure the proposed changes would reduce anti-social behaviour, offer passengers more staff visible in the frontline, both in stations and on train whilst improving revenue collection.

Abellio ScotRail has also confirmed that no job loses would occur and any change to opening times would see every minute reused in the local area.

Question reference: S6O-00745

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what impact Brexit has had on its policies across government, including how it invests in business.

Question reference: S6W-05878

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 2 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported recruitment issues in the retained fire service, and whether it will list the (a) actions that it has taken and (b) additional resources that it has provided in this regard.

Recruitment of any staff group to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) is a matter for the SFRS Board. The Scottish Government is aware of the challenges of recruiting and retaining Retained and Volunteer Duty System (RVDS) firefighters as fewer people live and work in the same location. The Scottish Government has invested an additional £9.5m in the 2022-23 budget for service delivery and modernisation of SFRS. How that money is spent is a matter for the SFRS Board.

SFRS now has 58 full time manager positions in rural locations to help with availability and recruitment of RVDS firefighters and is currently reviewing RVDS arrangements to assess what more can be done to help the situation.

Question reference: S6W-05871

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 2 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it has stated that it will not take forward the recommendation of the Climate Assembly to adopt Passivhaus standards for newbuild housing.

The Climate Assembly recommended adoption of Passivhaus standards (or an agreed Scottish Equivalent) within the next five years.

Our response to the recommendation agrees with the need for review of regulation to further improve energy and environmental standards for new homes. It noted the relevance of the current review of Scottish building regulations, due to be completed this year. It provides an assurance that the outcome sought by the recommendation will be reported on, as part of the current review of standards.

Further work to consider the performance and processes of Passivhaus and similar standards is planned over the next few months, in support of the ongoing review of Scottish building regulations.

The members of Scotland’s Climate Assembly met for an eighth and final weekend on 5 and 6 February. Ministers intend to make a Parliamentary Statement on the Assembly later this month.