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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-29813

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 26 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ending of the ScotRail peak fares removal pilot, what alternative incentives it is considering to encourage the use of public transport over car travel.

I have instructed ScotRail to offer a 12 month 20% reduction on the price of weekly, monthly and annual season tickets also to amend the Flexipass terms so it offers 12 return journeys for the same price as 10.

Passengers will be able to make significant savings with these discounted products.

For example, in the Member’s constituency, if someone travels between Ayr and Glasgow at least 4 days a week, the equivalent of the daily return with an annual season pass would be £11.48, and £9.18, if they commute 5 days a week, which in both cases is lower than the off peak fare of £13.40 or £20.10 - the new all day fare. For those traveling less regularly, flexipass could be an option to consider, with this pass a return journey would cost an equivalent of £13.62.

It would be most welcome if the Member could help promote these discounts to her constituents.

Question reference: S6O-03793

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what compensation is available for any families that are paying for private urgent dental treatment due to delays in accessing NHS treatment.

Question reference: S6W-29811

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 25 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the costs for affected individuals resulting from the ending of the universal Winter Heating Payment for pensioners.

The UK Government’s decision to restrict eligibility for Winter Fuel Payments was taken without consultation with the Scottish Government This decision is estimated to result in a reduction in this year’s Block Grant Adjustment (BGA) provided to the Scottish Government of approximately £150 million, over 80% of the cost of the Scottish Government’s planned replacement benefit, Pension Age Winter Heating Payment (PAWHP). Scottish Government analysis suggests that around 900,000 pensioners will no longer be eligible for this payment, of between £200 and £300, in Scotland in 2024-25.

Despite our best efforts to review our financial position we have no choice but to follow the UK Government and restrict eligibility for Pension Age Winter Heating Payment to older people who receive relevant eligible benefits.

Question reference: S6W-29926

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the Practitioner Advisory Group to reform and modernise the compulsory purchase process.

The Practitioner Advisory Group was set up in March 2024, and has met three times since, and is due to meet again in November 2024.

The Group acts as a sounding board for the Scottish Government in developing its proposals for changes to the compulsory purchase system. As indicated in the Programme for Government 2024-25, the Scottish Government will issue a package of proposals for public consultation, which is due in autumn 2025. This will pave the way for a comprehensive bill in the next Parliament.

Further information on the Practitioner Advisory Group, including the minutes of their meetings (once agreed by the Group), can be found at: https://www.gov.scot/groups/compulsory-purchase-practitioners-advisory-group/ .

Further information on compulsory purchase reform programme can be found at:

https://blogs.gov.scot/planning-architecture/2024/07/09/compulsory-purchase-reform/.

Question reference: S6W-29929

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to ensure that forestry planting rates will rise to 18,000 hectares, as per the woodland creation target.

The Scottish Government remains committed to maximising the important contribution forestry makes in tackling the climate and biodiversity crises, despite the most challenging budget settlement from the UK Government since devolution.

As announced in the Programme for Government in 24-25 around 10,000 hectares of new woodland, including around 4,000 hectares of native woodland will be created. Putting this in context, it will still allow Scotland to create more woodland than the rest of the UK combined.

To support this work Scottish Forestry continues to develop the Woodland Carbon Code, which provides an alternative revenue stream for land owners to support woodland creation. Scottish Forestry have already exceeded the target to increase the woodland carbon market by 50% by 2025. This year Scottish Forestry are piloting a new funding scheme allowing applicants to access a reduced public grant alongside Woodland Carbon Code funding, which will allow greater woodland creation to take place with reduced public funds. SF are also in the process of rolling out improvements to systems and processes to make the woodland creation application process more efficient and transparent, these are captured in a new Woodland Creation Route Map which will be published shortly.

Question reference: S6W-29979

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of any potential reduction in grant funding for the Timberlink shipping service.

Question reference: S6W-29810

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in the past five years, how many people have faced consequences of any cosmetic procedures gone wrong due to the reported lack of regulation of beauticians carrying out non-surgical cosmetic procedures, and what the cost has been for the NHS to treat any issues associated with this.

This information is not centrally collected. When NHS Scotland treats someone that has suffered harm from a non-surgical cosmetic procedure which has gone wrong, NHS Scotland will not necessarily record that this was the result of that procedure as there is no specific code to record this. This means that it is difficult to assess the cost to NHS Scotland of treating harm or complications that may have been caused.

Question reference: S6W-29932

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the forestry sector regarding any potential future reduction in the maximum threshold for planting of a single species to below 65%.

Question reference: S6W-29814

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports from a General Medical Council survey that one in three doctors felt unable to cope with their workload, what assessment is being undertaken to identify the satisfaction rates of NHS staff in Scotland.

The NHSScotland iMatter Staff Experience Survey provides an annual assessment of staff experience. All NHSScotland staff and local authority staff from participating Health and Social Care Partnerships, are invited to respond.

All Boards receive local reports, which provide them with a measure of employee satisfaction, and they are expected to take appropriate actions based on their results. Assurance that results are being acted upon is sought via our annual Staff Governance Monitoring exercise.

Question reference: S6W-29812

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of crime is estimated to have gone undetected by the police between June 2023 and June 2024.

By its nature, it is difficult to estimate the volume of crime in Scotland which doesn’t come to the attention of the police. The Scottish Crime and Justice Survey (SCJS) asks victims of crime whether they reported the incident to the police (or any other authority). As a survey of adults living in private residences within Scotland, the SCJS findings do not include any crimes against children (those aged under 16), those living in communal establishments or businesses.

The SCJS results are typically reported for financial years ending in March with figures for 2023-24 due to be published in 2025. The latest figures available, for 2021-22, estimated that 29% of property and violent crimes combined were reported to the police (based on interviews over October 2021 to December 2022), this splits into 27% and 34% for property and violent crimes respectively.

From the 2023-24 survey sweep, the SCJS questionnaire was expanded to include measures of fraud and computer misuse victimisation, including estimates of those cases reported to the police. The first results from this new module will be published alongside the main report next year.

Finally, the survey also asks about experiences of sexual victimisation and partner abuse. The latest figures for 2018-20 estimated that the police came to know about the most recent (or only) incident for 22% and 16% of respondents who experienced serious sexual assault or partner abuse respectively since the age of 16.

We encourage victims to report all crimes to Police Scotland, who are committed to protecting our communities.