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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-27933

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 13 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to have a national integrated ticketing system for public transport in place and operational before the end of the current parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government has already introduced a national smartcard that can be used across all modes of public transport. The National Entitlement Card ( saltire card) is available to any Scottish resident and, since 2019, can be used across Scotland for any operator that provides a compatible smart ticket. This platform is also used for the national concessionary travel schemes, with approximately 170m smart journeys taken each year.

Our refreshed Smart Delivery Strategy will be published in summer 2024, outlining our programme of work in the coming years. This includes exploring development of options for a new national integrated ticketing system to reflect passenger desire for progression to integrated contactless and digital ticketing. We will encourage operators across all modes to participate in these options for a new system that could offer multi-modal fare capping, removing the need to think about a ticket for each leg of the journey, potentially building on the five regional integrated ticketing schemes that are available in Scotland, led by operators and local transport authorities.

The strategy aligns with the work of the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board (NTSAB), established in November 2023, to advise on national technological ticketing standards that will support a new integrated system, as well as delivery of smart ticketing measures from the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019. With NSTAB’s advice, a business case will be developed, which will consider the timescales and costs of delivering a national integrated ticketing system.

Question reference: S6W-27927

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has engaged with (a) universities, (b) Universities Scotland, (c) the Scottish Funding Council, (d) the Department for Education and (e) any other part of the UK Government regarding contingency planning in the event that a university in Scotland becomes bankrupt, and whether it has plans in place to deal with such an incident.

The Scottish Government are in regular discussions with the Scottish Funding Council about the financial sustainability of the university sector. These discussions consider sector risks and plans and seek to strengthen our collective approach.

Additionally, I last met with University Chairs on 5 March 2024 at which a range of topics of importance to the sector were discussed. In addition to regular meetings with Universities Scotland (US), I met with US, the Scottish Funding Council and PriceWaterhouseCoopers on 29 May to discuss the short to medium term financial sustainability of universities in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-27930

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to allow patients to access their medical records digitally, and whether it plans to roll this out across Scotland.

As stated in the answer to question S6W-27820 on 11 June 2024, I can confirm the Digitisation of records is an operational responsibility of individual Health Boards GP practices and Local Authorities, and their partner organisations commissioned to deliver care. At a national level and building on the existing use of electronic record systems, we are focussed on allowing records to be stored, linked, and shared securely.

Our national work recognises, however, that we need to improve the way this works for people across Scotland in a nationally consistent manner. As set out in our integrated health & social care record and a digital front door so that we can introduce a national approach to improving the process for accessing care records for care experienced people, and those around them.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-27925

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update the Parliament on its work to split the role of the Lord Advocate, and whether this work remains one of its priorities.

I refer the member to the answer to question PQ S6W-27235 on 17 May 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at - https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

The Scottish Government has announced it will consult on whether the prosecution and government functions of the law officers should be separated.

Question reference: S6O-03608

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that homeless women are not safe in hostels.

Question reference: S6W-27887

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much support it has provided in (a) grant funding and (b) loan guarantees to Scotland-based manufacturers for the purposes of manufacturing hydrogen buses in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-27922

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Lothian, (b) the City of Edinburgh Council and (c) other relevant authorities regarding the reports of non-surgical Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedures taking place in the city, which led to the local authority issuing a public warning on 25 April 2024.

The Scottish Government was approached by NHS Lothian, the City of Edinburgh Council and Public Health Scotland to make it aware of issues regarding Brazilian Butt Lift (BBL) procedures taking place in Edinburgh.

The Scottish Government invited an environmental health officer from the City of Edinburgh Council to the Scottish Cosmetic Interventions Expert Group meeting on 25 March 2024 to provide the group with further details.

The decision to issue a public warning regarding these procedures rested with, and was made by, the City of Edinburgh Council.

Question reference: S6W-27942

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of when the (a) Lord Advocate and (b) Solicitor General attended meetings of the Cabinet since August 2023, and the reason for their attendance at any such meetings.

Question reference: S6W-27932

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to retain the commitment to active travel spending by 2024-25, as outlined in the Bute House Agreement.

Since 2021, we have seen year on year increases confirming record breaking funding in Active Travel. However, the significant pressures on public finances, including the failure of the outgoing UK government to provide more capital funding for Scotland in its Spring budget, means that there are real challenges in progressing our ambitions to invest in infrastructure, particularly for my portfolio. Consequently, difficult decisions about how and where to invest our capital for transport projects had to be made and continue to be kept under review.

Nonetheless, the Active Travel budget for 2024-25 was confirmed as £220m, a 16% increase on 2023-24. While the Bute House Agreement came to an end in April 2024, the Scottish Government remains committed to delivering on our ambition to increase investment in and participation in walking, wheeling and cycling.

Question reference: S6W-27884

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to (a) encourage and (b) incentivise the production of hydrogen buses by Scotland-based manufacturers.

Through Scottish Enterprise, the Scottish Government provides a range of different types of support to Alexander Dennis Ltd, including for the development of zero emission buses.

In addition, the Scottish Government has been working to transform the market for zero emission buses in Scotland through the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB). This funding programme has been designed to incentivise the adoption of zero emission buses and their supporting infrastructure, increasing the size of the domestic market and encouraging increased levels of private investment. ScotZEB has been designed in collaboration with bus operators and industry, including Alexander Dennis Ltd.

However, while hydrogen fuel cell vehicles and their supporting infrastructure were eligible for funding through ScotZEB, it is up to individual bus operators to decide what type of zero emission vehicle best suits their circumstances. No bids have been received for hydrogen fuel cell buses through ScotZEB.