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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 790 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-04028

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what, if any, requirements exist for contracts to install electric vehicle charging stations to be awarded to companies that are based in Scotland.

Restricting high value contracts to participation by suppliers based on their location would not be in keeping with the requirements of the Public Contracts (Scotland) Regulations 2015. However our public procurement policy and legislation has driven high levels of local business participation as well as investment in jobs, skills and subcontracting with Scottish SMEs.

The majority of chargers on the publicly funded ChargePlace Scotland network are owned by local authorities who are responsible for procurement of their charging infrastructure. Scottish ministers do not hold information on these contracts. These contracts are however covered by public procurement policy and legislation, this includes a requirement to consider how procurement processes can facilitate the involvement of SMEs, third sector bodies and supported business and how public procurement can be used to promote innovation.

There are no specific provisions in the Scottish Government Offers of Grant that require contracts to be awarded to one cohort of companies over another.

Grantees in the private sector or members of the public select a local installer from the Energy Saving Trust’s list of approved installers ( Domestic charge point funding - Energy Saving Trust ). There is no cost for a business, including Scottish SMEs, to register to be added to this list, should they be interested in doing so.

Installation of an electric vehicle charge point involves various aspects, including works related to electrical connections, civils and supply and installation of charging units. This range of work provides opportunities for local businesses, including SMEs, to benefit from investment in development of the electric vehicle charge point network.

Question reference: S6W-03996

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 October 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential risk to the safety of rail passengers and rail workers if planned drainage works are not carried out or scaled back during Control Period 6.

Question reference: S6W-03822

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that (a) Transport Scotland and (b) Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) fully consult with recognised trade unions on public ferry services on future contracts tendered as part of the vessel replacement programme outlined in its Infrastructure Investment Plan to 2025-26.

Transport Scotland and CMAL fully understand the importance and significance of engaging with the relevant trade unions on ferry services and future vessel contracts. In relation to the Islay vessels project regular meetings were held with unions by Transport Scotland, CMAL and CalMac, from the outset of the project in January 2019. Similarly, these bodies have provided unions with progress updates on the development on the new Islay vessels, listening and taking action on their views when appropriate. A similar approach will be taken with all future projects.

Question reference: S6W-03825

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that contracts for the vessel replacement programme outlined in its Infrastructure Investment Plan to 2025-26 are directly awarded to (a) publicly-owned shipyards and (b) other shipyards in Scotland or the rest of the UK.

CMAL conducted an open tender process for delivery of the new vessels intended to service the Islay routes. Under procurement law, direct award of vessels to any shipyard is only permitted under limited circumstances. We have to approach the issue of direct award with care. We are looking at future contracts from public agencies and whether any might be legally open to direct awards. No decision has yet been taken regarding the direct award of future vessels to publicly owned shipyards or any other shipyard in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Question reference: S6W-03770

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it decided to outsource the design of the National Care Service on a procurement framework that had few or no organisations with expertise in the delivery of social care, and, if so, for what reason.

The Scottish Government is currently consulting on proposals for the National Care Service to ensure a wide range of views are heard and understood. Co-design with people using services and delivering services is a foundational principle in the National Care Service programme. The scope of external involvement is for the setup of the Design Authority programme management structure which will support the introduction of a National Care Service pending the outcome of consultation responses.

Additional external expertise and specialisms are required to ensure safe and robust governance for programme development. Ensuring our design processes are robust, take account of the views of people, promote system clarity and improved outcomes for people is paramount. Having external expertise to support major transformation is essential to ensure robust design process.

Question reference: S6W-03768

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis it considers the contract awarded to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) for the design of the National Care Service to be legally competent, in light of the Contract Award Notice reportedly being “sent for publication” after the expiry of the Framework Agreement.

The PricewaterhouseCoopers contract was awarded to provide recommendations for the National Care Service design authority programme management structure which will support the proposals for community health and social care outlined in the National Care Service consultation.

The contract was awarded on 2 September 2021 in accordance with the Crown Commercial Services (CCS) Management Consultancy Framework 2 (RM6008) terms with the Contract Award Notice.

Question reference: S6W-03769

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations approved to be on the Crown Commercial Service framework agreement, RM6008, in the Management Consultancy Framework Two, it considers have expertise in the delivery of social care.

The Framework represents a range of skills required for major transformation programme support including programme management and governance setup as opposed to social care delivery experience. The Framework was established specifically in recognition of the need for such services on an occasional basis and is available for use by all UK public bodies. It sought to address the understandable lack of such specialist internal resources due to the temporary nature of such a requirement. Calling off from the Framework provides access to a range of skill sets, and levels and areas of specialism drawn from a team of resources as opposed to reliance on single individuals.

Question reference: S6W-04333

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body when it last met with trade unions representing Scottish Parliamentary Service and MSP staff.

Question reference: S6W-04332

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 November 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answer expected on 24 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what it considers to be its obligations under the Fair Work Convention with regards to staff employed directly by MSPs.

Question reference: S6W-03797

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 October 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02134 by Ivan McKee on 7 September 2021, whether it will provide an update on its review of the UK Government’s Subsidy Control Bill and its impact on public contracts for (a) rail and (b) ferry services in Scotland, and which external organisations it has consulted as part of that review.

The process of reviewing the UK Government’s Subsidy Control Bill is ongoing. This is at a relatively high level while we await sight of proposed supporting subordinate legislation and guidance which may impact on specific sectors, such as rail and ferries.

I gave evidence on 26 October to the House of Commons Committee considering the Bill, making clear Scottish Government concerns that the Bill as drafted impinges on the Devolution Settlement. I continue to press UK Minister Paul Scully on our concerns about the Bill and its progress.

External organisations have not yet been approached at this stage but this will likely form part of the process moving forward.

In the meantime, compliance with applicable Subsidy Control rules is an important part of our considerations on rail contracts and will form part of any consideration around new options that may be available for procurement of ferry services and/or impact on ferry fares policy.