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: S6O-03610

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the provision of emergency homeless accommodation in the West Scotland region.

Question reference: S6O-03592

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken to consider the impact that Brexit has had on Scottish food and drink exports.

Question reference: S6O-03601

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the levels of uptake for baby and child immunisation programmes, including any emerging trends.

Question reference: S6O-03599

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will proceed with its reported plans to downgrade the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital Wishaw.

Question reference: S6O-03600

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of inflation on health and social care services in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-27876

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when East Kilbride will have an all-day, four-train-per-hour "turn up and go" assisted travel service.

ScotRail’s passenger assist service provides assistance to those who need help when travelling on the ScotRail network. Passengers who require assistance when travelling can turn up and use the help point to request assistance. For those who want peace of mind assistance cab be booked in advance with one hour’s notice, which compares favourably with the 2 hours required by other GB Train Operating Companies.

Currently ScotRail operates a half hourly service on the East Kilbride route, with additional services operating at peak times which gives four trains per hour. ScotRail keeps its services under continued review to ensure its services meet passengers requirements as much as possible.

Question reference: S6W-28029

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the refreshed Skills Investment Plan for Scotland's Historic Environment sector, which was published on 1 April 2024, what additional investment has been allocated to progress the priority areas identified, particularly to provide career opportunities in the South of Scotland and in the historic built environment.

The Scottish Government and the Historic Environment sector cannot achieve the aims of the Skills Investment Plan alone. Public, private, and third sectors, private owners, and communities across the country all have a role to play in delivering the Skills Investment Plan actions, and all will benefit from a highly skilled historic environment sector.

The Scottish Government supports the historic environment through its sponsorship of Historic Environment Scotland the lead public body set up to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment.

In 2024-25 Historic Environment Scotland’s operational budget is rising by 13.3% to £129.7 million, enabling the organisation to invest in fair staff pay, in running and maintaining its properties, in delivering grants to the heritage sector, continue research on Climate Change and in fulfilling its advisory and regulatory functions.

Skills Development Scotland commenced contracting for new apprenticeship opportunities at the start of April 2024 and Scottish Government investment will support up to 25,500 new Modern Apprenticeship starts across Scotland, and continue to provide support for around 38,000 apprentices already in training for 2024-25. This will include MAs in traditional skills and craft roles.

Skills Development Scotland publishes annual Regional Skills Assessments to provide a coherent evidence base to inform future investment in skills, built up from existing datasets and forecasts. Skills Development Scotland has worked with key partners and stakeholders in the production of these assessments to ensure an inclusive approach to their development, dissemination and utilisation and that they cover all Regional Outcome Agreement areas, City and Growth Deal Regions and Rural Scotland.

Additionally, Scotland’s strategy for the historic environment ‘Our Past Our Future’ will work with regional economic partnerships to embed the historic environment in job creation across the country.

Question reference: S6W-28052

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the availability of liquified petroleum gas as a vehicle fuel in Scotland.

Supply of LPG fuel in the UK is a matter reserved for UK Government. It is the responsibility of individual LPG retailers to ensure that the availability of LPG is actively monitored, and managed to prevent shortages, which can occur during periods of peak demand. The investment costs and installation of LPG fuelling sites is commercially led, and applications for new sites fall within the remit of local authority planning.

Question reference: S6W-28056

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting small businesses to meet any potential costs associated with compliance with the requirements of Low Emission Zones.

Financial support has been provided to smaller businesses since 2019 in preparation for Low Emission Zones, through scrappage grants and retrofitting grants. Over £6.3 million has been paid out to small businesses with cars, taxis and vans whilst over 1,100 non-compliant business vehicles have been scrapped with the owner receiving a £2000 cash scrappage grant. Over 450 taxis have retrofitted using the grant funding available. A further £5 million has been allocated to the LEZ Support Fund in this financial year to help both smaller businesses and lower income households scrap or retrofit their vehicles to adapt to LEZs.

Question reference: S6W-27932

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to retain the commitment to active travel spending by 2024-25, as outlined in the Bute House Agreement.

Since 2021, we have seen year on year increases confirming record breaking funding in Active Travel. However, the significant pressures on public finances, including the failure of the outgoing UK government to provide more capital funding for Scotland in its Spring budget, means that there are real challenges in progressing our ambitions to invest in infrastructure, particularly for my portfolio. Consequently, difficult decisions about how and where to invest our capital for transport projects had to be made and continue to be kept under review.

Nonetheless, the Active Travel budget for 2024-25 was confirmed as £220m, a 16% increase on 2023-24. While the Bute House Agreement came to an end in April 2024, the Scottish Government remains committed to delivering on our ambition to increase investment in and participation in walking, wheeling and cycling.