Seòmar agus comataidhean

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

Criathragan Hide all filters

Displaying 115 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6O-02690

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taken to increase recruitment and retention of staff in the Scottish Ambulance Service this winter.

Question reference: S6O-02594

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to support community pharmacies.

Question reference: S6W-21293

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 September 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the peak fares pilot.

The Scottish Government is able to confirm that the ScotRail Peak Fares Removal Pilot will operate between 2 October 2023 and 29 March 2024 in a move which will make rail travel more affordable and accessible over the pilot period and encourage modal shift from private car to rail.

This trial is an exciting and unique opportunity to encourage more people to choose a safe, reliable, and green form of public transport. We know that there is much to be done in encouraging people back to rail if we are to achieve our net zero targets.

The Scottish Government will consider carefully the impact of the pilot and the long-term sustainability of such a proposition before committing to any reinstatement of the pilot after 29 March 2024.

During the pilot, ScotRail will ensure that all fares and products set and controlled by it which are valid in the off peak are valid to travel all day.

Question reference: S6F-02358

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 September 2023

To ask the First Minister, in light of reports that no bids were received for offshore wind projects in the UK Government’s latest contract-for-difference round, what action the Scottish Government is taking to encourage investment in offshore wind and hydrogen power in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02509

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent in the last five years, within the Aberdeen City Council area, to mitigate any effect of UK Government welfare policy.

Question reference: S6W-20582

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 August 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Neil Gray on 10 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for further implementation of No One Left Behind.

Providing the support that people need to move towards, into and to sustain work is a key aspect of building a fairer and more equal society. I am pleased to confirm that from 1 April 2024, following the end of referrals to Fair Start Scotland in March 2024, employability support for disabled people and those at risk of long-term unemployment will be provided through No One Left Behind.

Learning and evaluation must continue to underpin our ambitions and I welcome today’s publication of the Implementation Evaluation of No One Left Behind and the Young Person’s Guarantee, which offers valuable insight on how we continue to build upon the strengths of local delivery and good practice.

Question reference: S6W-19594

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it will protect the Firth of Clyde cod seasonal spawning in future.

The Scottish Government’s Fisheries Management Strategy sets out a clear approach for managing sea fisheries in partnership with our stakeholders in a way that balances environmental, social and economic interests.

Sustainability is at the heart of how we manage Scotland’s fisheries, and an important part of protecting spawning cod in the Firth of Clyde is through a targeted seasonal closure, in the same way as we protect spawning cod in other parts of our seas. We have authorised a full closure of the spawning grounds in the last two years, without exemptions, following a reassessment of the knowledge of these spawning grounds.

As this closure is implemented on a biennial basis, we are now undertaking a public consultation which will run for 12 weeks to gather views on the continuation of the closure for 2024 and 2025. The consultation will run from 30 June to 22 September 2023 on Citizen Space. The consultation is available at https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/firth-of-clyde-cod-spawning-closure-for-2024-25/

A partial BRIA has been produced alongside the consultation document and we will be seeking further information from stakeholders to input into the final BRIA following the consultation period.

We have a strong record of engaging with stakeholders and I would encourage all to respond to this consultation.

The consultation reports can be found here:

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805259701

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805259718

Question reference: S6W-19290

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on efforts to recommence operations at Stoneywood paper mill in Aberdeen.

Question reference: S6W-19074

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is regarding the implications for people in Scotland of Energy UK’s estimate that consumer energy debt across the UK is between £3.5 and £3.6 billion.

The Scottish Government is fully aware of the impact that high energy prices are having upon many Scottish consumers. We estimate that from July to September 2023 there will be around 850,000 fuel poor households in Scotland which equates to 34% of all households.

While energy markets policy remain reserved to the UK Government, there are severe limits on the actions that we can take to help those facing the most serious impacts. However, we are taking measures where we can.

For example, we have tripled our Fuel Insecurity Fund to £30 million for this year and replaced DWP’s Cold Weather Payment with our new Winter Heating Payment, which will help around 400,000 low-income individuals.

I will also be chairing three working groups over the summer to discuss the impact of high energy prices on Scottish energy consumers. These will focus on the challenges facing those living in vulnerable circumstances, in the more rural areas of Scotland, and non-domestic consumers. The groups will identify collaborative action that we and our partners can continue to take, as well as maintaining a consensus on those areas where the UK Government must bring its reserved powers to bear.

I recently met the UK Government Minister for Energy Consumers and Affordability and repeated our call for further action to support and protect those who have been most affected by the ending of the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

The fact that the energy price cap from July to September is lower than the Energy Price Guarantee means that the UK Government now has greater scope to support those most in need. This includes introducing a much needed social tariff for vulnerable consumers, which should be funded through taxing significant windfall gains rather than passing the cost on to taxpayers.

Question reference: S6W-19073

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact in Scotland of the end of the Energy Price Guarantee on 30 June 2023.