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-15770

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision of the Lord Advocate to instruct the police to investigate the Scottish Prison Service for corporate homicide, whether it will hand over to Police Scotland all correspondence, transcripts, notes of meetings and all other communications with ministers, their officials and the Scottish Prison Service to assist with this investigation.

Question reference: S6W-15034

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the full-time equivalent staffing levels were in Transport Scotland’s Ferries Unit in each year from 2012 to date.

Within Transport Scotland, we only have FTE records available from 2016, due to data retention policies. From 2016 to December 2022, Ferries existed as a team within the Aviation, Maritime, Freight and Canals (AMFC) Directorate. I have provided the FTE separately for both the Ferries team and the AMFC directorate as a whole. From December 2022, a new Ferries Directorate was formed, this FTE figure is shown below. All figures are as at March of each year.

FTE Figures	AMFC Directorate	Ferries Team within AMFC
March 2016	34.6	17
March 2017	29.1	13.5
March 2018	30.5	15.5
March 2019	33.3	19.3
March 2020	38.4	23.6
March 2021	42.7	23.8
March 2022	48.5	30.6
	N/A	Ferries Directorate
Currently		41.7

Question reference: S6W-15032

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Minister for Transport’s reported commitment on this issue, what steps it has taken to ensure that its private sector consultant, Ernst and Young, meets with trade unions organising Scotland’s ferry workers to discuss Project Neptune.

Question reference: S6W-15033

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 February 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the recommendations in Project Neptune that it is taking forward for public consultation.

Question reference: S6W-15031

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many times Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd has time chartered the MV Arrow for service on publicly-contracted ferry routes in Scotland from January 2012 to date, and what the (a) duration and (b) cost was of the time charter in each instance.

Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) have never chartered the MV Arrow, which is owned by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. Any charter has been between the publicly funded ferry operator and the owner of the vessel.

The following table details, from January 2012, when either CalMac Ferries Ltd or Serco NorthLink Ferries have chartered the MV Arrow.

Operator	Network *	Period of Charter
Serco NorthLink	NIFS	18-10-14 to 12-11-14
Serco NorthLink	NIFS	02-11-17 to 12-11-17
Serco NorthLink	NIFS	22-11-17 to 30-11-17
Serco NorthLink	NIFS	18-01-18 to 19-02-18
Serco NorthLink	NIFS	14-09-18 to 07-10-18
Serco NorthLink	NIFS	14-10-18 to 07-11-18
Serco NorthLink	NIFS	31-10-19 to 23-11-19
Serco NorthLink	NIFS	13-01-20 to 26-01-20
Serco NorthLink	NIFS	16-06-20 to 25-06-20
Serco NorthLink	NIFS	10-05-22 to 24-05-22
Serco NorthLink	NIFS	07-11-22 to 28-11-22
CalMac Ferries	CHFS	16-07-21 to 09-09-21
CalMac Ferries	CHFS	01-11-21 to 13-11-21
CalMac Ferries	CHFS	14-01-23 to 15-03-23

*	CHFS – Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services NIFS – Northern Isles Ferry Services

The cost of any charter is commercial in confidence between the respective ferry operator and owner of the MV Arrow.

Question reference: S6O-02007

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-15334

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support those affected by workplace bullying.

The Scottish Government is clear that that bullying and harassment of any worker, under any circumstances, is unacceptable. All employers have a duty of care to protect the health, safety and welfare of their workers. We endorse the Fair Work Convention's Fair Work Framework and agree that every worker, regardless of status or position, should be treated fairly and with respect.

Employment law, Equality law and Health and Safety legislation remains reserved to the UK Government. Only with the devolution of further powers will the Scottish Government have the full set of levers to take real action on workplace injustices.

On 09 December 2022 we published our refreshed Fair Work Action Plan, and are committed to promoting effective voice channels, such as trade unions, allowing workers views to be heard and help tackle issues such as workplace bullying. In addition, we are also introducing a requirement for recipients of public sector grants to provide effective voice channels as a condition of the grant, effective from 1 July 2023, as per the Bute House Agreement. This further recognises the role of effective voice in allowing the other dimensions of Fair Work to be realised, and in fostering a culture where bullying and harassment is prevented.

Where workers feel they have been unfairly treated, they should have the option of raising concerns through their workplace grievance and/or bullying and harassment procedures, seeking support from their recognised trade union representative if present. All workers should have access to justice via an employment tribunal, and should seek free and impartial advice from the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service wherever required.

Question reference: S6W-15333

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take, within its devolved powers under the Scotland Act 1998, to address workplace bullying.

The Scottish Government believes that bullying and harassment of any worker, under any circumstances, is unacceptable. Employment law, Equality law and Health and Safety legislation remains reserved to the UK Government. Only with the devolution of further powers will the Scottish Government have the full set of levers to take real action on workplace injustices.

However, in the absence of such powers, we are using our Fair Work policy to promote fairer work practices across the labour market in Scotland.

In the Scottish public sector, while executive non-departmental public bodies have their own HR policies independent of Scottish Government, we’d expect their policies to align with Scottish Government priorities. All public bodies should have in place appropriate HR policies for their staff, which comply with current employment legislation, other relevant guidance, and the standards expected of public sector employees. These should include but not be limited to: grievance procedure, guide to standards of behaviour, disciplinary procedures, whistleblowing, and performance management for all staff.

Question reference: S6W-15336

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it provides to organisations that support workers who are not members of a trade union and are affected by workplace bullying.

The Scottish Government believes that bullying and harassment of any worker, under any circumstances, is unacceptable. We endorse the Fair Work Convention's Fair Work Framework and agree that every worker, regardless of status or position, should be treated fairly and with respect.

The Scottish Government promotes the role of Citizens Advice Scotland and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) in providing advice and support on workplace issues, such as bullying and harassment.

We are also committed to supporting strong trade unions in Scotland for the benefit of workers and our economy. It is our belief that a progressive approach to industrial relations and to trade unionism is at the very heart of a fairer, more successful society, and we are clear that trade unions are key social partners in delivering our economic and social aspirations. Trade unions are a mechanism for providing effective voice in workplaces and have a role to play in tackling issues such as workplace bullying.

Question reference: S6W-15335

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to organisations that support those affected by workplace bullying.

The Scottish Government promotes the role of Citizens Advice Scotland and the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) in providing free and impartial advice and support on workplace issues, including bullying and harassment.

Everyone has the right to go to work without fear of intimidation. We endorse the Fair Work Convention's Fair Work Framework and agree that every worker, regardless of status or position, should be treated fairly and with respect.

We are committed to supporting strong trade unions and promoting collective bargaining. On 09 December we published our refreshed Fair Work Action Plan and continue to encourage all employers to provide effective voice channels, giving workers a voice in tackling workplace issues such as bullying.

Only with the devolution of employment powers will the Scottish Government have the full set of levers to take real action on workplace injustices.