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-30992

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 13 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many employers make deductions at (a) the maximum and (b) less than the maximum permitted level for accommodation other than a house from workers on the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme.

The number of employers and the amount they deduct is not a statistic (figure) that the Scottish Government collects or has access to. The amount deducted is a contractual agreement between employer and employee and would only be investigated during a wages complaint or routine inspection if the amount deducted was more than the maximum allowed under the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order (AWO). The AWO does not differentiate between agricultural workers on the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme and other seasonal workers or permanent employees.

Question reference: S6W-30991

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 13 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) employers and (b) workplaces are monitored by the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team.

All agricultural businesses that have employees are required to comply with the Agricultural Wages (Scotland) Order (AWO). The monitoring of compliance with the AWO takes the form of Control Test Inspection (CTIs). Each year, a selection of 120 businesses, encompassing employers and workplaces, are randomly selected from the information taken from the June Scottish Agricultural Census. In 2024, circa 8200 businesses were deemed to have employees covered by the AWO. In addition to CTIs, the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team will investigate all businesses where employees have raised complaints.

Question reference: S6W-30995

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 13 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many agricultural wages inspectors are (a) directly employed by it and (b) independent contractors.

There are currently 21 Scottish Government employees working as Agricultural Wage Inspectors. This role is conducted by Agricultural Officers who work for Rural Payments & Inspections Division and are responsible for other statutory functions in addition to agricultural wages inspections.

No independent contractors conduct the role of Agricultural Wages Inspector on behalf of the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-30994

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 13 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent staffed posts there have been in the Agricultural Wages Enforcement Team in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-30998

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 12 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what housing standards (a) caravans and (b) static homes that are provided by employers to workers employed on the Seasonal Worker Visa scheme are subject to.

Caravans and static homes provided by employers through a Service Occupancy Agreement are not subject to housing standards. Where agricultural land is used for the accommodation of people involved in farming operations on a seasonal basis, a site licence for a caravan is not required.

Employees’ rights will depend on what is written in their employment contract and will depend on the individual circumstances of the case. However, if an employee has a Private Residential Tenancy, then they will have the same rights as a private tenant.

Question reference: S6T-02170

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of any potential implications for accessibility, equality and safety for passengers and the public, whether it will permit the reduction in opening hours of ticket offices by ScotRail.

Question reference: S6W-30521

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding any changes to ticket office opening hours.

Question reference: S6W-30519

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether any decision to reduce ScotRail ticket office hours would be compatible with its Accessible Travel Framework.

Scottish Rail Holdings (SRH) recently submitted proposals for ScotRail (SRT) to redeploy staff to more passenger focussed duties across the Scottish rail network through changes to ticket office hours, and secured approval to this proposal from Transport Scotland. This acceptance was predicated on conditions that stipulate existing passenger assistance arrangements for disabled passengers will not be affected, and that additional help points are installed at stations where the ticket office is at a different level to the platforms. It should be made clear that these proposals continue to keep ticket offices open for passengers when they are needed and that no members of staff will lose their jobs as a result.

SRH and ScotRail have given assurances that reducing the opening hours at some stations will create opportunities for staff to offer enhanced face to face support for passengers, including those with disabilities.

Question reference: S6W-30523

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding the potential impact in Scotland of the wholesale objection by Transport Focus to plans by train operating companies to close the majority of their ticket offices in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-30524

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ruled out reducing any ScotRail ticket office opening hours in line with the proposed changes that were consulted on in 2021.

Financial Year	Full Time Equivalents
2020-2021	0.8
2021-2022	0.8
2022-2023	1.2
2023-2024	2.1
2024-2025	2.25