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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

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Question reference: S6W-22873

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with the General Teaching Council for Scotland regarding the length of waiting times for teacher registration in Scotland for those applying under the "qualified in the UK and registered with a teaching body" section.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS) about registration waiting times for teachers qualified outside of Scotland (QoS) and I have raised this directly with Pauline Stephen, Chief Executive and Registrar, at the GTCS. We are aware that they receive a high number of applications – approximately 1,300 a year – and that GTCS has been taking steps to improve waiting times for decisions.

In August, GTCS reported that it had recruited additional staff to deal with the QoS workload, which initially had a greater impact on processing times for ‘qualified within the UK’ applications. They are continuing to look for ways to manage the workload as efficiently as possible.

Question reference: S6T-01631

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a Unison survey that reportedly shows a 31% increase in the number of violent incidents against public sector workers in the last year.

Question reference: S6W-22223

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12681 by Mairi McAllan on 13 December 2022, whether the second National Marine Plan (NMP2) will require Regional Marine Plans that are produced in line with the latest scientific and economic evidence, and in consultation with all stakeholders.

The new National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) is being developed with stakeholders and regional planners. Once adopted, the new NMP2 will provide the context for future regional marine planning by setting the vision for the sustainable management of our marine space. The updated NMP2 will also set national aims and objectives for marine planning as well as set out how these will be supported by regional objectives. The NMP2 will provide a new focus on regional issues and priorities which could be considered within future regional plans.

Regional marine plans must be in conformity with the National Marine Plan currently in effect, unless relevant considerations indicate otherwise, and are developed by delegates known as Marine Planning Partnerships. The current Plan sets out that the precise approach and coverage of the regional plan will be for these Partnerships to determine based on local priorities and taking account of existing partnerships, methodologies and alignment with other local plans.

The requirements for public consultation on a marine plan and assessment of the condition and review of the physical, environmental, social, cultural and economic characteristics of a region are set out in the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010.

Question reference: S6W-22224

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12681 by Mairi McAllan on 13 December 2022, whether the second National Marine Plan (NMP2) will require Regional Marine Plans that set specific areas, bounded by grid coordinates, for individual uses of marine space or specific combinations of such uses.

Eleven Scottish Marine Regions are spatially defined under the Scottish Marine Regions Order 2015. Certain functions for marine planning for these regions can be designated to a delegate, known as Marine Planning Partnerships, through Ministerial Direction. The current National Marine Plan provides guidance to support the development of regional marine plans but specifies that the precise approach and coverage of the regional plan, will be for Marine Planning Partnerships to determine based on local priorities and taking account of existing partnerships, methodologies and alignment with other local plans.

The National Marine Plan 2 (NMP2) is in the early stages of development, working with Marine Planning Partnerships and stakeholders, it will set the context for future regional marine planning and consider options for spatially explicit planning as part of the NMP2 process.

Question reference: S6W-22225

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 November 2023

The purpose of Scotland’s National Marine Plan is to set out the strategic policies for the sustainable development of our marine resources. Regional marine plans are currently being developed for three out of the eleven defined Scottish Marine Regions (Orkney, Shetland and the Clyde). Unlike the National Marine Plan, which ‘must’ be prepared and adopted under the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, regional marine plans ‘may’ be prepared and adopted, under the same legislation. It is not within the scope of any National Marine Plan to require the production of Regional Marine Plans by a set date.

Question reference: S6T-01599

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to resolve industrial action in schools.

Question reference: S6W-21899

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many second-hand vessels have been considered for (a) charter and (b) purchase by (i) CMAL and (ii) CalMac since 1 June 2022 to date.

Question reference: S6F-02428

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2023

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of any impact of operational changes in the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service on response times to recent incidents, including the fires at the Ayr Station Hotel and Kitty’s nightclub in Kirkcaldy.

Question reference: S6W-21394

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of the total payments made from the public purse to Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP for consultancy work on the (a) design and (b) tender of the (i) Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) 1 and (ii) CHFS2 contract.

Question reference: S6W-21393

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide a list of the total payments made from the public purse to Cameron McKenna Nabarro Olswang LLP for consultancy work on the (a) design and (b) tender of the (i) Northern Isles Ferry Service passenger specifications, (ii) Northern Isles Ferry Services freight specifications and (iii) Gourock to Dunoon contracts.