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 32228 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-08400

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of any modelling or estimates it has of the number of applications that will be made for the Self-Isolation Support Grant from 1 May 2022 until the end of the financial year 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-08386

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance documents, other materials or training teachers and other SEEMiS users should be familiar with before using the system.

Question reference: S6W-08302

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether suitable signage in parks and other outdoor recreational areas should be required to include information about the appropriate steps that a visitor can take to prevent tick bites, how to identify Lyme disease, and where to seek treatment.

Question reference: S6W-08304

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the educational psychology bursary being liable for taxation during the third year of a course.

The Scottish Government and COSLA agreed a joint funding model in 2018 to support the training of new Educational Psychologists. This model was agreed and developed by the National Scottish Steering Group for Educational Psychologists (NSSGEP), which the Scottish Government chairs. This group includes representation from professional bodies, ADES, COSLA and EIS.

The model consists of two stages. Stage one is a 2-year MSc in Educational Psychology at Dundee University. Tuition fees are fully funded and students are entitled to receive a living-costs grant of £15,000 from SAAS.

In Stage two, trainees are employed by a local authority for a year, during which they complete the Qualification in Educational Psychology (QEP). During this year, their living-costs grant is paid in the form of a salary. In addition, their membership fees for the British Psychological Society (BPS) are paid.

As local authority employees, trainees are liable for tax and national insurance, but also benefit from employment rights including paid annual leave and the option to join a pension scheme. The Scottish Government agreed with the NSSGEP that employment in a local authority offers the experience and support needed for trainees in their third year.

Question reference: S6W-08305

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of a study in the medical journal, Health Affairs, stating that, in the United States, there were 10% fewer COVID-19-related deaths in unionised, compared with non-unionised, care homes, whether there are similar comparative figures available for Scotland, and, if not, whether it will commit to compiling them.

Question reference: S6W-08297

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07060 by Shona Robison on 17 March 2022, what the key stages are of assessment, and how many properties are at each stage of assessment.

Single Building Assessment applicants are supported through the process to complete the application form and commission professional services ahead of receiving the final survey report. 15 pilot blocks are within the Application Phase. 10 pilot blocks are within the Delivery Phase. One additional block is existing within the new approach where we direct commission those professional services on behalf of a building.

Question reference: S6W-08301

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to ensure that visitors to parks and other areas for outdoor recreation are aware of the risk of Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases.

Question reference: S6W-08296

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many quotes single building assessment participants are required to obtain and submit to the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-08258

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many electric vehicle (EV) charging points there were in Scotland in 2019, and how many there are now.

Question reference: S6W-08241

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline the circumstances in which a Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) appraisal must take place.

As set out in the STAG Managers Guide , an appraisal using Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) is required whenever Scottish Government funding, support or approval is needed to change the transport system. It may also offer a suitable framework for other funders.

STAG is applicable to all transport interventions. Option generation as part of STAG should be unconstrained and should fully reflect the range of multi-modal options available. Typically, the STAG process is not used for developing and comparing alternative designs for the same mode-specific option, for example alternative corridors for a new road project, however the principles for appraisal and evaluation are similar and the basis of determining socio-economic impacts derive from HM Treasury Green Book.

A transport appraisal in accordance with STAG aligns with the Strategic Business Case (SBC) stage, the initial stage of business case development in line with Transport Scotland’s Guidance on the development of Business Cases , where a decision is taken to progress any option to the next stage.

Certain transport options which emerge from the STAG process may then require further consideration using mode-specific guidance at the next stages of business case development, for example:

Project Acceleration in a Controlled Environment (PACE) – for rail projects; and
Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (DMRB) – for roads schemes.

STAG is not usually adopted when considering maintenance issues of an existing asset which will not significantly change or affect the operation of the transport system.