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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: S6O-03291

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent work it has undertaken under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 (Contingency Planning) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 in relation to any potential nuclear event in Scotland, in light of reports that nuclear warheads are routinely transported by road across the country.

The transportation of defence nuclear material in Scotland is a reserved matter for the Ministry of Defence (MOD). The Scottish Government expects any such transportation to be carried out safely and securely and has made this expectation clear to the UK Government.

Our emergency services have plans in place for responding to the consequences of any major incident regardless of the cause. There are well established resilience structures in Scotland to manage the consequences of any emergency, and we regularly engage with key stakeholders in Scotland and where appropriate with relevant authorities across the UK.

Question reference: S6W-26418

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 22 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series will be published.

The Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment to build the case for an independent Scotland within the EU, through the development of a prospectus to give people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future. I’m pleased to confirm that on 25 March we are publishing ‘Education and lifelong learning in an independent Scotland’.

This is the twelfth paper in the Building a New Scotland series. The paper sets out how Scotland’s approach to education and skills demonstrates the benefits of taking decisions in Scotland, for Scotland, and how we would be able to improve outcomes for our children and young people with the full powers of independence and without the UK Government taking decisions on key areas such as social security, public spending and our relationship with the EU.

The Scottish Government is continuing to prepare further papers in the Building a New Scotland series and these will be published shortly. I can also confirm that the matters raised in this publication will be taken forward as part of a future debate in the Scottish Parliament.

‘Building a New Scotland: Education and lifelong learning in an independent Scotland’ is available to view on the Scottish Government website from 25 March at www.gov.scot/newscotland

Question reference: S6O-03228

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any implications for its role in supporting the delivery of Prevent in Scotland of the UK Government’s new definition of extremism.

Question reference: S6W-25844

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 27 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the school and college teacher consultation on the recommendations of the Independent Review of Qualifications and Assessment and National Discussion on Education.

Question reference: S6O-03082

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it considers when determining how to allocate funding for humanitarian aid in situations such as those in Gaza.

Question reference: S6O-02972

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the potential impact on Scotland’s exchequer and public finances of the measures referred to in the speech by the First Minister on 8 January.

Question reference: S6W-24010

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 18 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance can be provided to local authorities to support families struggling with school meal debt.

School meal debt is ultimately a matter for local authorities in the first instance, and the Scottish Government expects them to use the powers available to them to support families struggling with school meal debt.

However, we recognise that we are currently in the midst of a cost-of-living crisis which is hurting families across the country. In that spirit, the Scottish Government intends to bring forward a one-off, emergency fund to support councils to help remove the impact of school meal debt on families.

It is our expectation that local authorities will implement COSLA’s guidance on school meal debt going forward.

Further details on the one-off fund will be brought forward in due course.

Question reference: S6O-02874

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to setting its Budget and fiscal policy for 2024-25, whether it has undertaken any quantifiable financial analysis of the relative performance of European countries comparable in size to Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02857

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of the impact of the UK Government’s Autumn Statement on NHS funding in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02762

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding any impact of the Autumn Statement on Scotland’s public finances.