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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.

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Question reference: S6W-28537

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the advanced works for the dualling of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy; whether it will specify what upgraded active travel works have been undertaken, what the total cost was for this work, what consultation it undertook, whether this work has been completed, and, if this is not the case, when it anticipates that this work will be completed.

Question reference: S6W-28532

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the original tender for the A9 Tomatin to Moy dualling contract was rejected on the grounds of excessive cost.

Question reference: S6W-28531

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the sum was of the tender by the sole bidder for the contract for the dualling of the A9 Tomatin to Moy under the original tender process, in light of the recent award of the re-tendered contract for £184.7 million.

Question reference: S6W-28536

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 12 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the advanced works for the dualling of the A9 between Tomatin and Moy, whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of the (a) total cost and (b) cost of any (i) preparatory work and (ii) consultancy fees for the creation of an ecological pond to accommodate a fly species.

Question reference: S6W-28571

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 9 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's recent announcement of plans for an additional 300 planning officers, what action it will take to assist boosting planning capacity in Scotland through (a) ensuring there are more officers and (b) removing from local authorities any burden of work caused by the short-term let regulations.

Question reference: S6W-28444

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what level of uptake in the NHS Highland area for immunisation against pertussis (whooping cough), as a percentage of the total number to be immunised under the programme, is acceptable, and what the level of uptake has been in the NHS Highland area for each period for which records have been kept since March 2023.

Question reference: S6W-28443

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether any information held by NHS Highland in relation to the comparative uptake rates of childhood immunisation through the (a) GP practice-delivered and (b) NHS board-delivered vaccination service in Argyll and Bute, against illnesses such as pertussis (whooping cough), has been withheld from GPs practicing in the Highlands; if this is the case, for what reason; whether any information not provided to Highland GPs has been shared with the Scottish Government by NHS Highland, and, if so, on what dates any such information was shared.

Question reference: S6W-28478

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 31 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the level of uptake for the pertussis (whooping cough) vaccine has been in the (a) NHS Highland area and (b) rest of Scotland for each period for which information is available in each of the last three years.

Question reference: S6W-28071

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to fatal accident inquiries, how many cases the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has investigated in each of the last 10 years, and what the comparative figure was for each of the last 10 years in which the former unit for investigating deaths was in operation before it was replaced by the SFIU.

In relation to each of the last ten years, the number of deaths reported to the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service has been as follows:

Financial Year	Deaths Reported
2014-15	9,173
2015-16	9,579
2016-17	10,931
2017-18	10,865
2018-19	10,397
2019-20	10,921
2020-21	15,739
2021-22	15,377
2022-23	14,147
2023-24	13,218

The comparative figures of deaths reported to the Procurator Fiscal for each of the last ten years prior to the commencement of SFIU on 1 April 2012 are as follows:

Financial Year	Deaths Reported
2002-03	14,508
2003-04	13,885
2004-05	13,786
2005-06	13,746
2006-07	13,572
2007-08	13,457
2008-09	13,608
2009-10	13,498
2010-11	13,112
2011-12	11,671

The extent of the investigation that requires to be carried out will depend on the particular circumstances of each death. A decision to conclude a death investigation may be able to be taken in the very early stages or after extensive enquiries have taken place. There are often legitimate reasons for prolonged enquiry before a decision on the conclusion of an investigation or the holding of an FAI can be taken, including the need to await the outcome of investigations by reporting agencies, to consider reports from other agencies or to instruct and receive expert opinion. It is not therefore possible to provide figures for every death investigation where the holding of an FAI has been in contemplation.

Question reference: S6W-28070

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to fatal accident inquiries, how many people are currently employed in the Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) of the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and what the comparative figure was for the former unit for investigating deaths that the SFIU replaced.

The Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU) is one of a number of specialist units within COPFS which investigates deaths and may conduct Fatal Accident Inquiries. Current staffing figures are shown in the following table:

	Legal & Case Preparer Staff	VIA (Victim Information & Advice) Staff	Administrative Staff	TOTAL
Scottish Fatalities Investigation Unit (SFIU)	42	5	31	78
Health & Safety Investigation Unit (HSIU)	25	4	5	34
Custody Deaths Unit (CDU)	8	0	0	8
COVID Deaths Investigation Team (CDIT)	50	20	17	87

Staffing levels in these units have increased in recent years to reflect the importance of this area of work.

Prior to the commencement of SFIU in April 2012, deaths were primarily reported to Procurators Fiscal who would carry out investigations alongside their other core function of the prosecution of crime. It is therefore not possible to provide comparative staffing figures.