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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: S6W-17856

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) longest, (b) average and (c) median wait time was for callers to Social Security Scotland’s contact telephone number, in each month since January 2023.

Information on the (a) longest, (b) average and (c) median waiting time for answered telephone calls in 2023 to date is provided in the following table.

Month	Longest Wait Time (hours: minutes: seconds)	Mean Wait Time (minutes: seconds)	Median Wait time (minutes: seconds)
January	02:39:55	27:07	24:18
February	02:15:25	31:15	27:09
March	02:18:48	25:54	21:07
April	03:00:26	31:37	30:27
May (up to 14 May)	02:12:25	23:35	22:58

This information is based on internal management information and has not yet been quality assured to the same standard as published information on telephony services.

Question reference: S6W-17855

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) longest, (b) average and (c) median time taken was between a successful application for Adult Disability Payment being received and the first payment being made, in each month since January 2023.

Official statistics covering processing times for Adult Disability Payment are published as a part of the regularly scheduled quarterly publication. The latest Adult Disability Payment statistical publication was published on 14 March 2023, covering up to end January 2023. Information on the median average processing time by month is included in table 9.

https://www.gov.scot/collections/social-security-scotland-stats-publications/#benefitsforcarersanddisabilityassistance .

The next publication will be published on 13 June 2023, and will cover up to end April 2023.

Processing time is the number of working days from part 2 of the application being received to a decision being made or the application being withdrawn.

Our systems and processes record the time taken to a decision, rather than only approvals, and as such we are unable to provide the longest time taken between a successful application for Adult Disability Payment being received and the first payment being made.

Question reference: S6O-02282

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans for Scottish carbon credits, including how it ensures benefits for local communities.

Question reference: S6W-17564

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any budget for railway enhancements is included in its recent Statement of Funds Available (SOFA) for Control Period 7 (CP7).

Question reference: S6W-17562

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether an impact or risk assessment has been undertaken of any potential effect of continued high inflation on the delivery of (a) outstanding Control Period 6 (CP6) projects and (b) future Control Period 7 (CP7) commitments on Scotland’s railways.

The risk assessment in relation to inflation on the delivery of the remainder of Control Period 6 (April 2019 – March 2024) and for Control Period 7 (April 2024 – March 2029) is reflected in the draft forecasts presented by Network Rail and the amount of risk funding allocated to it.

The impact or risk of inflation in Control Period 6 continues to be monitored by Network Rail and reported to Transport Scotland as part of the normal four weekly monitoring process.

As for Control Period 7, the potential impact of inflation is being considered by Network Rail in their planning for Control Period 7 via the ongoing Periodic Review 2023 process. This will be assessed and regulated by the Office of Rail and Road and be reflected in their final determination for CP7.

Question reference: S6O-02252

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the timescale is for the completion of the Monklands Replacement Project.

Question reference: S6W-17563

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the total budget is for railway enhancements for Control Period 7 (CP7).

Question reference: S6W-17346

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what budget savings the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service has budgeted to make in each year since its formation, and whether these have been achieved.

The resource budget for SFRS is set each year in the Budget Act and the SFRS Board has responsibility for taking decisions on how that budget should be spent. There are no savings targets set out in the annual budget process and the SFRS Accountable Officer is responsible for ensuring that SFRS delivers a balanced budget and does not overspend. SFRS has achieved that each year since it was established in 2013.

Question reference: S6W-16573

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 2 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the drugs that are currently being prescribed in prisons in order to support prisoners to desist from the use of illegal drugs, including a breakdown of which illegal drug each of the prescribed drugs are intended to stop the use of.

Medicines used in prisons related to drug misuse and dependence will be made available in line with the UK-wide Guidelines on Clinical Management and should be approved for use by the Scottish Medicines Consortium. Records of medicines used in prisons are maintained by NHS National Services Scotland. From its records the list of medicines can be found below:

Methadone - Methadone is prescribed to prevent the illicit use of opiate and opioid drugs.

Buprenorphine –Buprenorphine is also prescribed to prevent the use of illicit opiate and opioid drugs.

Naltrexone –Naltrexone would be prescribed to prevent relapse use of opiate and opioids (not widely prescribed treatment).

Dihydrocodeine (DHC) – DHC is used as part of the safe management of withdrawal protocols. The objective of the DHC safe withdrawal symptom is to manage withdrawal symptoms and prevent patients from seeking opiates or opioids.

Diazepam – Diazepam is used as part of a safe management of withdrawal protocol for those who come into custody and have a positive urine test for a benzodiazepine. Diazepam is prescribed in a reducing dose protocol to safely manage withdrawals.

Acamprosate – is used to maintain abstinence in alcohol use in those who were previously heavy drinkers.

Disufiram – is an alcohol deterrent drug . Both acamprosate and disulfiram must be accompanied by appropriate supportive treatment.

Question reference: S6W-16570

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 27 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will give consideration to the creation of drug recovery wings in prisons.

The Drug Deaths Taskforce concluded that, due to the prevalence of drug use in prisons and the principle of keeping people closer to their families for support, a specific recovery prison would not be adequate for the whole prison population. Issues were also raised around the punitive approach that may be taken for those who relapse in a recovery wing. It therefore recommended a more nuanced approach, expanding recovery cafes and hubs across the prison estate, and supporting these to develop into recovery communities. As these communities grow, there may be a case for providing dedicated wings, however any provision would be an operational decision for the Scottish Prison Service.

The Scottish Prison Service are already working in partnership with local third sector and national organisations to enhance and develop approaches to deliver consistent recovery pathways to support integration back into our communities. The Scottish Prison Service will also publish its new Drug and Alcohol Strategy this year that will include a focus on developing recovery communities across the prison estate.

As part of our National Mission, the Scottish Government is now providing a record level of funding to the community and grass roots groups which set up and run recovery communities, hubs and cafes in prisons.