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-22860

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make representations to Scottish Water urging it to restart the job evaluation and regrading process with the full involvement of trade unions.

Question reference: S6W-22862

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to protect the lowest paid workers in Scottish Water who may face losing income due to the regrading exercise.

Question reference: S6W-22861

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 24 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that publicly owned Scottish Water is proposing to implement a regrading structure that will see a decrease in income to the lowest paid and an increase in income to the higher paid employees.

Question reference: S6W-22858

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what contingency plans are in place to ensure that the 2.62 million households and 159,219 business premises that are supplied by Scottish Water will be safe during the current industrial action.

Question reference: S6W-22866

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the income differential between the lowest and the highest paid workers in Scottish Water has been in each of the last five financial years.

Question reference: S6W-22864

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the full-time equivalent staffing levels in Scottish Water have been in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-22865

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported increasing use of private contractors to deliver services that had previously been undertaken in-house by Scottish Water employees.

Over the last 5 years, Scottish Water’s workforce has remained broadly stable at around 4,500 employees. It supports thousands of additional jobs through its supply chain and provides information on this in its Annual Reports, available at www.scottishwater.co.uk/Help-and-Resources/Document-Hub/Key-Publications/Annual-Reports . In 2022-23, 75% of its supply chain was made up of SMEs and more than 90% of its spend was on organisations located in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-22770

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what input it has made to the Infected Blood Inquiry to date.

The Scottish Government continues to fully cooperate with the UK Infected Blood Inquiry and has provided significant input to the Inquiry to date, including by providing hundreds of relevant files as evidence, through provision of written statements and oral evidence, and by providing a detailed closing submission to the Inquiry, which can be found on the Infected Blood Inquiry’s website at SUBS0000056 - Closing submissions to the Infected Blood Inquiry by the Scottish Government - 16 Dec 2022.pdf .

Question reference: S6W-22772

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost was of the public inquiry into hepatitis C and HIV infection acquired from NHS treatment in Scotland with contaminated blood and blood products, and what percentage of this was spent on legal fees.

The total cost of the public inquiry into hepatitis C and HIV infection acquired from NHS treatment in Scotland (the Penrose Inquiry) was £12,123,754. Approximately 42.5% of these costs were spent on legal fees, including legal representation for patients and relatives and other witnesses, and fees for Counsel to the Inquiry. A breakdown of costs is available on the Penrose Inquiry website at Copy of Penrose Inquiry - Publication of Costs .

Question reference: S6W-22771

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates the Scottish Hospitals Inquiry, which is investigating the construction of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow, and the Royal Hospital for Children and Young People, and Department of Clinical Neurosciences, Edinburgh, is likely to deliver its findings.

In a meeting between myself and Lord Brodie on 15 November 2023, Lord Brodie provided an update on the Inquiry’s progress and the forthcoming hearings on both Edinburgh and Glasgow hospitals. Whilst no date for presenting recommendations has been published, the Chair provided assurances of his dedication to concluding the Inquiry promptly whilst ensuring the focus remains on fulfilling the Inquiry Terms of Reference.