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-06809

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recourse residents have where Residential Amenity Greenspace, as defined by a Local Development Plan, moves into private ownership and is not being maintained.

The Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 sets minimum standards for the property management industry (including land maintenance companies). It provides protections for homeowners who use their services. The Act requires all factors to be on a national register and abide by a statutory Code of Conduct.

Homeowners who have complaints about the level of the service of their property factors can apply to the First-Tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) for redress. Further information at: https://www.mygov.scot/property-factors/ .

If no property factor as defined in section 2(1) of the 2011 Act is appointed to maintain greenspace when it moves into private ownership, then homeowners should make contact with the owner of the land to establish the obligations that were agreed at hand over or sale of the greenspace. Enforcement may be required by the local authority or through the court. Homeowners may also wish to consult their title deeds and may wish to seek independent legal advice from an advice agency or solicitor.

Question reference: S6W-06738

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what animal welfare assessment it has undertaken regarding any stalking of pregnant hinds by Forestry and Land Scotland contractors.

Forestry and Land Scotland continually carries out various assessments in regards to all of its deer culling activities. Any issues noted in regards to any deer’s health or welfare are recorded in their Wildlife Management System. Culling of pregnant hinds carried out professionally and following industry best practice, as operated by Forestry and Land Scotland, has no welfare issues associated with it.

The vast majority of deer on Scotland's national forests and land are in excellent condition and are managed sustainably in line with their land management objectives

Question reference: S6W-06754

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when Ministers last discussed increasing rail services from Lockerbie railway station with train operators.

Lockerbie railway station is serviced by Avanti West Coast and Transpennine Express, known as cross-border rail operators. These operators are managed by the Department for Transport.

Transport Scotland officials have frequent meetings with all cross-border rail operators to discuss Covid related issues and service delivery. We are aware of the issues that Transpennine Express face in delivering a reliable service at Lockerbie due to Covid and industrial action but continue to press for improvements to performance.

We welcome their intention to increase services in May 2022 and the arrangement reached by Transpennine Express for Avanti West Coast to make special stops, where possible, at Lockerbie in the event that Transpennine Express is unable to call.

Question reference: S6W-06579

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many children living in (a) Midlothian, (b) East Lothian, (c) Scottish Borders, (d) Dumfries and Galloway, (e) South Ayrshire (f) East Ayrshire, (g) North Ayrshire, and (h) South Lanarkshire council areas are eligible to receive a free laptop or tablet and, of those, how many (i) have received a free laptop or tablet and (ii) are yet to receive a free laptop or tablet.

The following table shows how many school-aged children are in each local authority (as at September 2020) and how many devices have been distributed by councils using the £25m digital inclusion funding made available by Scottish Government in 2020-21.

Local authorities across Scotland have a range of approaches to provision of technology in schools, including some councils who have undertaken to provide cohorts of their school population with devices using their own budgets. We do not hold information centrally on those approaches, therefore, the table below only shows devices distributed through the funding made available by Scottish Government in 2020-21.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all school-aged children and young people in Scotland have access to a digital device by the end of this parliament.

Local Authority	Pupils (as at September 2020)	Devices Distributed
Dumfries & Galloway	18,682	2,371
East Ayrshire	16,223	1,837
East Lothian	14,882	1,806
Midlothian	13,458	1,235
North Ayrshire	18,061	1,734
Scottish Borders	14,478	316
South Ayrshire	14,267	1,512
South Lanarkshire	45,091	5,544

Question reference: S6W-06580

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it estimates that every eligible child living in (a) Midlothian, (b) East Lothian, (c) Scottish Borders, (d) Dumfries and Galloway, (e) South Ayrshire (f) East Ayrshire, (g) North Ayrshire, and (h) South Lanarkshire council areas, will have a free laptop or tablet in their possession.

Question reference: S6W-06482

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of frontline NHS spending is currently allocated to child and adolescent mental health services.

The latest available data from the Scottish Health Service Costs book shows that for 2019-20 the percentage of NHS expenditure spent on child and adolescent mental health services was 0.61%.

We are working with partners to deliver the 2021-22 Programme for Government commitment to ensure that at least 10% of frontline NHS spend goes towards mental health and 1% goes on child and adolescent services by the end of this Parliament.

Question reference: S6O-00889

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being done by sportscotland and Creative Scotland to provide opportunities for children and young people.

Question reference: S6O-00888

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what additional funding is being provided to restore and enhance rural health services.

Question reference: S6O-00891

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the action it is taking to prepare for Ukrainian refugees arriving in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-00887

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support is in place to assist GPs in certifying Power of Attorney documents.