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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-02994

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration was given to domestic manufacturers prior to awarding £4 million of funding from the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme to manufacturers in China.

The Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS) provided support to purchase new ultra low emission buses. The scheme was open to bus operators, local authorities and companies leasing buses to authorities/bus operators who run local registered bus services in Scotland. The bids included information about the buses that would be acquired, including the manufacturer, but whether the manufacturer was domestic or otherwise was not factored into the assessment of the bids. Scotland is bound by World Trade Organisation (WTO) subsidy control rules and the WTO’s principle of National Treatment prohibits discrimination between imported and domestically produced goods, however of the 272 buses purchased under this scheme 207 have been ordered from Alexander Dennis Ltd, the bus manufacturing company based in Larbert, Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-02995

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether domestic manufacturers will be (a) considered and (b) given priority in future bids for Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme funding.

The Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme has now been replaced by the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB). Bidders are strongly encouraged to put in place arrangements with partners or collaborators, to minimise the level of subsidy being requested. Bids from domestic manufacturers, or involving domestic manufacturers, will be assessed on the same basis as bids from other eligible parties. Scotland is bound by World Trade Organisation (WTO) subsidy control rules and the WTO’s principle of National Treatment prohibits discrimination between imported and domestically produced goods.

Question reference: S6W-03078

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to establish a group similar to the Rail Industry Recovery Group in England and, if so, (a) whether the recognised train unions will be (i) invited to participate in the group and (ii) permitted to propose items for discussion, (b) what the remit of the group will be and (c) whether it would expect Abellio ScotRail to be a member of the group.

Question reference: S6W-03079

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether ScotRail Trains Ltd will be responsible for commencing negotiations with the recognised trade unions regarding the 2022 pay award for ScotRail staff, which has an anniversary date of 1 April 2022.

Question reference: S6O-00247

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the decision to remove the cohesion target from the National Performance Framework, how it is monitoring whether the employment gap is narrowing between the best and worst performing areas.

Question reference: S6W-02874

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the financial outturn report of December 2020, how (a) revenue and (b) capital underspends in the Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity portfolio have been allocated, and what underspend remains unallocated.

The Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity portfolio underspend reported in the portfolio outturn statement in the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2020 of £232 million forms part of the overall Scottish Government outturn, with underspends carried forward in the Scotland Reserve to support the delivery of the Government’s outcomes, meaning there is no loss of spending power to Scotland. Overall changes to the Scottish Budget are set out in full at budget revisions.

Question reference: S6W-02875

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 24 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the financial outturn report of December 2020, how (a) revenue and (b) capital underspends in the Transport Scotland budget have been allocated, and what underspend remains unallocated.

The Transport Scotland budget underspends form part of the Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity portfolio underspend reported in the portfolio outturn statement in the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts for the year ended 31st March 2020 of £232 million, which in turn forms part of the overall Scottish Government outturn, with underspends carried forward in the Scotland Reserve to support the delivery of the Government’s outcomes, meaning there is no loss of spending power to Scotland and no underspend remains unallocated. Overall changes to the Scottish Budget are set out in full at budget revisions.

Question reference: S6W-02698

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it consulted the Scottish Green Party or any of its MSPs on the issue of vaccine certifications before the policy announcement was made in the Parliament on 1 September 2021 and, if so, when did this occur, and by whom it was initiated.

Question reference: S6W-02690

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 17 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many two-year-olds are currently (a) receiving and (b) eligible for 1,140 hours of funded early learning and childcare in each local authority.

Based on population projections published by National Records of Scotland, it is estimated the eligible two-year old population is 14,500 children. The Scottish Government is working with UK Government departments and the Office for National Statistics to acquire further UK government held data which will enable us to measure the eligible population more accurately.

The latest data published by the Improvement Service in May 2021 reported that at the national level, there were 6204 two-year-olds accessing funded ELC. Of that number, 4113 two-year-olds were accessing 1140 funded hours. Updated figures will be published by the Improvement Service in the next month.

In December, the Scottish Government will publish Schools in Scotland, Summary Statistics report for 2021. This report will include figures to show the number of registrations of two-year-olds at national and local authority level.

Question reference: S6T-00127

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the ongoing industrial disputes with ScotRail.