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-09105

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what will happen to hardcopy paper responses to Scotland's Census 2022 after the information has been extracted.

Question reference: S6W-09103

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how treatment of hardcopy paper responses to Scotland's Census 2022 differs from the treatment of hardcopy paper responses to the (a) 2011 census and (b) 2021 census in England and Wales.

Scanning of paper questionnaires for Scotland’s Census 2022 is in line with the 2011 census and the 2021 census in England Wales.

Full information on the coding and data processing methods employed on Scotland’s Census 2022 is published on the NRS website. Comparisons to 2011 and the 2021 census in England and Wales are made where appropriate.

Statistical methodology | Scotland's Census (scotlandscensus.gov.uk)

Question reference: S6W-09101

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 29 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to ensure that hardcopy paper responses to Scotland's Census 2022 are recorded accurately and that errors in recording can be corrected.

A rigorous approach is taken to ensure accurate census paper questionnaire data.

Paper questionnaires are scanned and the answers are captured digitally using character recognition software. During scanning, the system looks to automatically allocate a numeric code to each answer, which allows the data to be easily analysed. Trained Quality Control operators perform daily checks on a sample of cases to ensure the quality of data captured from scanned questionnaires meets expectations.

It is not always possible to automatically allocate valid codes during scanning as some answers provided are not always on lists the system matches to. To ensure complete information is recorded, National Records of Scotland (NRS) set up a manual coding service where trained coding operatives visually inspect census questionnaires and make a decision on the most accurate code to assign.

Further manual inspections of the paper forms are made by NRS staff to check allocated categories and codes.

Question reference: S6W-08801

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the establishment of an invasive non-native species inspectorate in the Animal and Plant Health Agency of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, and whether it plans to establish a similar body.

Following approval by the UK Non-Native Species Programme Board, a four-countries collaborative group which directs action to implement the Invasive Alien Species Regulation across Great Britain, the GB Non-Native Species Secretariat which is located in APHA but provides specialist support to all four devolved nations, led the establishment of an Invasive Non-native Inspectorate as a pilot for 2021-22 across all of Great Britain. Following a successful initial year for the Inspectorate, resourcing has been continued for 2022 to extend the pilot for an additional year. During this time the Scottish Government will be reviewing whether to provide continued support for the GB Inspectorate.

Question reference: S6W-08802

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 14 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking and what plans it has to address the reported arrival and spread of invasive non-native species and their impact on the country's ecosystems.

The Scottish Government and its agencies collaborate closely with their counterparts in Wales and England on the control of INNS. Scottish Government officials have played an active role with their counterparts in drafting the 2022-2030 Great Britain Invasive Non- Native Species Strategy. This key document sets out our agreed, collaborative approach to preventing invasive non-native species reaching our shores, through surveillance, early detection and rapid response provisions and long terms management and control of species already established. The provisions in the Strategy will be implemented in Scotland through the Non-native Species Action Group, and similar partnerships, which has representatives from the public and voluntary sectors.

Question reference: S6W-08803

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the ecological and functional benefits that might arise from the planting of tree species native to Scotland, and what action it is taking to ensure that these are realised.

The Scottish Government funds considerable research and analysis into the benefits of planting tree species native to Scotland. One example of some recent work is a niches for species model that integrates species habitat requirements for multiple species, and provides mapped outputs of their niches, and hence their potential occurrence in native woodlands. The Scottish Government will be using this work to help inform forestry planning and management.

In addition, the creation of new woodlands will continue to be underpinned by the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) which is supported by a large body of research and analysis. The Scottish Government supports tree planting through the Forestry Grant Scheme where UKFS requirements are met, and the site is suitable for the trees being planted. Over 4000 hectares of new native woodland were planted in 2020/21.

Question reference: S6O-01117

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government in what circumstances it would provide support to a business in situations where legal advice stated that doing so could breach state aid rules.

Question reference: S6O-00978

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the findings of the HM Inspectors of Education review of foundation apprenticeship provision.

Question reference: S6W-06748

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether plans for the ferry vessels MV Glen Sannox (hull 801) and hull 802 that are currently under construction include provision of Changing Places toilet facilities.

Question reference: S6W-06749

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 4 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) public toilets, (b) accessible public toilets and (c) Changing Places toilets there were in each of the last 10 years, broken down by local authority area.