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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-33286

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how much it plans to spend in 2025-26 on work related to Scottish independence.

Question reference: S6W-33285

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent civil servants are currently engaged in work relating to Scottish independence.

Question reference: S6W-33287

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that it will publish the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series.

Question reference: S6W-33292

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government when it next plans to provide an update on the use of artificial intelligence within the public sector.

Our next formal update will be as part of a parliamentary debate currently planned for early June, subject to ministerial and parliamentary timetables. It is planned that this debate will focus on AI and its current and future impact in the Health sector.

However the Scottish AI Alliance provide monthly updates on the meeting of the Scottish AI Taskforce. This group of public servants meet to discuss and share AI challenges and opportunities, with the intention of avoiding duplication and ensuring shared best practice. These meetings offer a good overview of the public sector approach to AI, and you can find minutes and details from these meeting on the Alliance website. Public Sector AI - Taskforce — Scottish AI Alliance

We are also currently working on our response to the recent publication of the UK Government AI Action Plan, and that response will include a public sector component.

The AI Register remains the intended source of publicly available information on AI in use across the Scottish public sector. Work is on-going to encourage use across Scotland and to build completion of the register into our procurement and development processes.

Question reference: S6W-33293

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 23 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants (a) retired, (b) took voluntary redundancy and (c) were made redundant involuntarily, broken down by grade (i) A3, (ii) A4, (iii) B1, (iv) B2, (v) B3, (vi) C1, (vii) C2 and (viii) C3 in (A) 2021-22, (B) 2022-23, (C) 2023-24 and (D) 2024-25 to date.

(a) The number of civil servants in Scottish Government core directorates who retired in recent years are as follows:

	2021-2022	2022-2023	2023-2024	April to September 2024
A3	16	11	14	5
A4	8	8	11	8
B1	10	9	6	8
B2	25	20	21	14
B3	27	28	32	21
C1	15	16	19	20
C2	14	16	15	8
C3	7	2	5	3

Please note that data is only available to September 2024.

(b) Under the terms of the Civil Service Compensation Scheme, which the Scottish Government is entitled to follow, there are three categories of early departure: voluntary exit, voluntary redundancy, and compulsory redundancy.

No voluntary redundancy schemes have been run in 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, or 2024-25 to date in the Scottish Government. Therefore the number of civil servants who took voluntary redundancy in all years is nil.

(c) No compulsory redundancy schemes have been run in 2021-22, 2022-23, 2023-24, or 2024-25 to date in the Scottish Government. Therefore the number of civil servants who took involuntary or compulsory redundancy in all years is nil.

Question reference: S6W-33388

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government which property classes are included in its definition of "hospitality" for its planned 40% non-domestic rates relief scheme for 2025-26.

The Scottish Budget announced 40% hospitality relief in 2025-26 for properties with rateable values up to and including £51,000, and capped at £110,000 per business.

Secondary legislation for this relief will be laid before the Scottish Parliament. It is the Scottish Government's intention that the relief will cover the same property uses as the 100% islands and remote areas hospitality relief in place for 2024-25 as set out in The Non-Domestic Rates (Islands and Remote Areas Hospitality Relief) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, with the additional inclusion of music venues with a capacity of up to 1,500 and rateable values up to and including £51,000.

Question reference: S6W-33291

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many civil servants are currently employed in roles related to the deployment of artificial intelligence within the public sector.

The Scottish Government does not hold responsibility for the recording and monitoring of staff grades and structures across the public sector, so we can only respond in relation to our own staffing.

Artificial Intelligence is increasingly being used in a number of policy areas and for a diverse range of purposes. Generally these activities will make up a small proportion of a staff members’ daily duties, while AI may be one technology among many deployed for a particular solution, so we only have a small number of staff whose job role is primarily focused on the deployment of AI.

Recently published FOI release (Scottish Government staffing and salary statistics: FOI release - gov.scot) shares that in 2024 we had 6 data scientists, and a wide range of functions involved in the preparation of data, design of digital services, and support functions which could be related to the use or deployment of AI.

Question reference: S6O-04259

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service regarding the setting of mandatory timescales for decisions relating to the charging and prosecution of criminal proceedings.

Question reference: S6W-32884

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether the review commissioned by Public Health Scotland into the potential regulation of alcohol advertising and marketing will involve (a) calls for evidence and (b) stakeholder evidence sessions.

The evidence review undertaken by Public Health Scotland (PHS) will focus solely on existing literature, studies and research in order to set out potential areas of action on alcohol marketing and advertising. The commission is not seeking to develop or deliver new studies or research.

PHS will have independence in developing its review structure, resources and methods upon identifying its requirements for delivering this strand of work, ensuring that quality, integrity and transparency are achieved.

Question reference: S6W-32562

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 16 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23524 by Elena Whitham on 11 December 2023, what engagement has taken place with stakeholders, including those representing business and consumer interests; in the event that no engagement has taken place, whether it still plans to consult with stakeholders on proposals for alcohol marketing, and, if so, (a) when and (b) in what format.

The Scottish Government remains committed to progressing work on protecting children and young people from exposure to alcohol marketing.

Public Health Scotland has been commissioned to undertake a review of the evidence for potential regulation of alcohol advertising and marketing that may be taken forward in future.

On receipt of Public Health Scotland’s findings, the Scottish Government will consider where the evidence supports taking forward a further consultation on a range of targeted proposals. This would include consultation with stakeholders representing business and consumer interests.

The Scottish Government regularly engages with business and industry stakeholders with an interest in alcohol policy.