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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-00696

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to support disabled people, including people with a visual impairment, to vote in person during the 2022 local government elections.

Question reference: S6W-05076

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what data it collects on spirometry.

Question reference: S6W-05077

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will make spirometry a key diagnostic test to ensure that data on lung health diagnostic testing is (a) collected, (b) assured and (c) regularly published.

Spirometry is already a key recommendation in national clinical guidelines and we expect clinicians to deliver care in line with all relevant clinical guidelines when assessing patients who present themselves at healthcare settings with respiratory symptoms.

We also recognise that data plays an important role in improving services and understanding respiratory care in Scotland. That is why in our Respiratory Care Action Plan we have committed to develop a core respiratory data set that will help us understand the areas for improvement in respiratory care.

Question reference: S6F-00590

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 December 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the latest household waste statistics from SEPA, which reportedly show a small reduction in household recycling in 2020 compared with 2019.

Question reference: S6O-00534

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to allowing registered social landlords to purchase properties from homeowners who would like to remain in their homes but become social housing tenants.

Question reference: S6W-04468

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of (a) an alcohol-related and (b) a drug driving offence in each of the last two years, broken down by Police Scotland operational division.

The Scottish Government criminal proceedings database does not hold information based on Police Scotland operational divisions.

The latest available information on the number of people convicted for ‘driving under the influence’ is published in the ‘Criminal Proceedings in Scotland – 2019-20’ statistical bulletin, table 4(b). A breakdown of the various crime types that make up this category is provided in the following table, please note that we are unable to separate alcohol related offences from drug related offences in some crime groups.

People convicted of offences related to driving under the influence¹, by crime type, 2018-19 to 2019-20

Main crime or offence	2018-19	2019-20
Total convicted	3,552	3,385
Driving motor vehicle while unfit through drink or drugs	315	303
Driving motor vehicle with blood alcohol content above prescribed limit	2,548	2,451
Driving motor vehicle while under influence of controlled drug above prescribed limit	-	4
In charge of motor vehicle while unfit through drink/drugs	34	42
In charge of motor vehicle while blood alcohol content above limit	209	178
Failure to provide breath specimen at the roadside	42	43
Failure to provide breath, blood or urine specimen at police station	404	364

1. Where main charge.

Source: Scottish Government criminal proceedings database

Information on the number of people convicted for ‘causing death by careless driving when under the influence of drink/drugs’ can be found under the 'Supporting documents' to the aforementioned bulletin at this link Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2019-20 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Question reference: S6F-00467

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what consideration the Scottish Government has given to increasing the minimum unit price for alcohol.

Question reference: S6O-00408

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what assistance it will provide to MSPs to make improvements to the ventilation of their local offices, in order to support their reopening when that decision is taken.

Question reference: S6W-03873

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 29 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing legislation similar to the Access to Neighbouring Land Act 1992, particularly in relation to allowing homeowners temporary access to neighbouring land to carry out repairs or maintenance to their property.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to change the legislation in this area.

In relation to flatted properties, section 17 of the Tenements (Scotland) Act 2004 gives homeowners reasonable access for maintenance and other purposes through the property of other owners. Section 17 may be viewed at:-

http://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2004/11/contents

There is no equivalent legislation for non-flatted properties. In some cases, title deeds, servitude rights over neighbouring land or the common law may provide the necessary access rights. Access to neighbouring land might also be permitted by way of a private arrangement between individuals. Where parties are in dispute, mediation can sometimes provide assistance.

If however, the member has evidence that a change in the law would be helpful, I would be happy to consider the issue further.

Question reference: S6O-00274

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring engagement across government with the public, private and third sectors to ensure that the experiences of people providing frontline support to the most vulnerable help shape the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.