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 2175 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-14519

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the impact in Scotland of increased fuel bills.

Question reference: S6W-14306

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to proposals from Midlothian Council to remove free musical instrument lessons for some pupils.

The Scottish Government remains committed to the removal of fees associated with instrumental music tuition so income is not a barrier to children and young people taking up an instrument. Access to instrumental music tuition is for local authorities to determine depending on local circumstances and priorities.

Councils are autonomous and it is their responsibility to agree their annual budgets taking into account their statutory duties and national and local priorities.

Question reference: S6W-14281

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to make a decision on whether to establish a public inquiry into the 2014 and 2018 Glasgow School of Art fires, in light of the correspondence with the Scottish Parliament's Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee, in 2022, and the reported ongoing concerns about the works to restore the iconic Mackintosh building.

Question reference: S6W-14221

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the remit is of its data reconciliation project, as outlined in its publication, Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland: statistics – December 2022.

In November the Scottish Government began a data reconciliation project with the aim of gathering detailed case-level updates on the progress and outcomes of property checks by Local Authorities for the Expressions of Interest from volunteer hosts. This data was collected ahead of the launch of the Scottish Government’s Offers of Accommodation scheme and is intended to provide a baseline data set for the property matching app being developed. The returns will be analysed and published in the monthly Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland statistics series, as part of our commitment to data transparency.

Question reference: S6W-14172

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which routes will see peak fare rail prices removed as part of the trial from April 2023.

Question reference: S6W-14173

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which routes will not see peak fare rail prices removed as part of the trial from April 2023.

Question reference: S6W-14213

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 27 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next publish statistics in relation to the Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-13837

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 20 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13629 by Neil Gray on 12 January 2023, when it expects to provide the update mentioned in the response, and whether this will be by the end of January 2023.

Question reference: S6W-13624

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether relevant stakeholders, including PLACE and community councils, were consulted before it took the decision to delay the implementation of commercial short-term let licensing by six months.

We are not delaying the implementation of commercial short-term let licensing. Licensing schemes opened in October 2022, and new hosts must now apply for, and obtain, a licence before accepting bookings or receiving guests. Local authorities continue to receive applications from new and existing hosts

In recognition of the wider cost of living crisis that is placing pressure on existing short-term let hosts and businesses, we have announced that we will introduce legislation in January 2023 to extend the deadline for existing hosts to apply for a licence from 1 April 2023 to 1 October 2023.

This is not a pause and we encourage hosts to keep applying throughout.

Question reference: S6W-13625

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons it is delaying the implementation of commercial short-term let licensing by six months.