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 409 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-14326

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 9 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Deputy First Minister regarding the emergency budget review, on 2 November 2022, whether it remains its position that £1.7 billion has been eroded from the Scottish Budget 2022-23.

The calculation referred to in the question was made based on data on inflation available at the time. Using the updated GDP deflators the comparable figure is now around £800 million.

As the Scottish Fiscal Commission has noted, due to the way that the GDP deflator is calculated, it may not accurately capture the change in all costs incurred by government, and as result the above real-terms calculations may underestimate the true scale of inflationary pressure on some areas of Scottish Government resource spending.

Question reference: S6O-01869

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry.

Question reference: S6O-01833

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve transport connectivity for Scotland’s islands.

Question reference: S6O-01786

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comments by the Scottish Chambers of Commerce regarding the Budget 2023-24 that it represents “a clear disadvantage for Scotland’s businesses and workers”.

Question reference: S6O-01746

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Creative Scotland’s actions following the announcement of the draft Budget.

Question reference: S6O-01738

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many vessels operated by CalMac, Northlink or Scotland’s local authorities will be operating past their working life expectancy by the end of the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6O-01623

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of hospital coverage for remote and rural areas in the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S6W-11683

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) is aware of and (b) has had contact from any body with investigatory powers that is currently undertaking any investigation into the affairs of GFG Alliance, other than the Serious Fraud Office, broken down by the (i) name of any such organisation and (ii) date of any such contact.

Question reference: S6W-11344

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 1 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it raised any concerns at a (a) ministerial and (b) official level with CMAL about preferential treatment in procurement relating to Ferguson Marine Engineering Ltd (i) before and (ii) following the broadcast of the BBC programme, Disclosure: The Great Ferries Scandal.

Procurement for vessels 801 and 802 was the responsibility of CMAL. Scottish Ministers were not aware of any potential impropriety in CMAL’s procurement process.

Following the Disclosure Scotland allegations, Scottish Ministers asked the Permanent Secretary to speak with the Auditor General on this matter and we welcome confirmation that Audit Scotland will be looking at the substance of the allegations and deciding if further audit work is required.

Question reference: S6W-11351

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had regarding (a) its, (b) its agencies and (c) Police Scotland's ability to provide assistance to the Serious Fraud Office in relation to its investigation into GFG Alliance and any issues arising in Scotland.