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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-27471

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has recently considered an independent review of the Children's Hearings Scotland system, in light of the concerns raised by the group, Children's Hearings Scotland Scandal.

None of the concerns or grievances raised by this group in respect of their own experiences within the children's hearings system justify a wider review of the well-established and highly-regarded multidisciplinary children's hearings system. More broadly, and working with system partners and with people bringing lived experience of children’s care and justice, the Scottish Government is currently engaged in redesigning the children’s hearings system. This work follows publication of the independent ‘Hearings for Children’ report in May 2023. The Scottish Government published its own response to those recommendations in December. A redesign board was established in January to progress non-legislative improvements to the system. For those improvements that require new legislation, a full public consultation on proposed reforms will take place in summer 2024.

Question reference: S6W-27467

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether panel members at Children's Hearings Scotland have the right of appeal after a decision is made on any complaint involving them.

Question reference: S6W-27610

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to respond to the recommendations of the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee.

Question reference: S6W-27479

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the concerns raised by the group, Children's Hearings Scotland Scandal, whether it has made any representations to the UK Government regarding including volunteer panel members of Children's Hearings Scotland under existing whistleblowing law.

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 offers legal protections to workers. Workers are defined in the Act where they have a contract or other arrangement to do work or services personally for a reward; their reward is for money or a benefit in kind, for example the promise of a contract or future work; they only have a limited right to send someone else to do the work (subcontract); their employer has to have work for them to do as long as the contract or arrangement lasts; they are not doing the work as part of their own limited company in an arrangement where the ‘employer’ is a customer or client.

Panel members within Scotland’s children’s hearings system are volunteers. The inclusion of volunteers within the Act is a matter for the UK government. By virtue of Schedule 2 Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 the Panel members are appointed by the National Convener rather than Scottish Ministers.

Ministers and Scottish Government officials have clearly and comprehensively explained the Scottish Government’s position in relation to the matters raised by the group of former panel members and their representatives on numerous occasions dating back several years.

Scottish Ministers are satisfied that there are appropriate safeguards and procedures in place for any panel member to raise a concern or complaint via the Children’s Hearing Scotland (CHS) complaints procedure, with appropriate recourse to appeal to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. As such, Scottish Ministers do not feel it is appropriate to raise this subject with the UK Government

Question reference: S6W-27278

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to attract more airlines to establish direct routes to Scotland, and what its position is on whether its planned Air Departure Tax could be used to improve the competitiveness of Scotland's airports as hubs within Europe and the UK.

The Scottish Government has always recognised the importance of Scotland’s international connectivity. Our ambition is to make Scotland at least as well connected as peer nations. Transport Scotland, in partnership with VisitScotland and Scottish Development International, works to help Scotland’s airports secure new routes that are essential for inbound tourism, business connectivity and the economy as a whole. Recent successes include direct routes from Atlanta, Calgary and Beijing and we look forward to welcoming the arrival of a new airline for Scotland later this month, with JetBlue launching their first ever Scottish service to New York JFK.

Representatives from the cross government partnership recently took part in the route development forum Routes Europe 2024, meeting with a number of airlines to discuss future opportunities and promote Scotland as a market that can sustain more direct connectivity.

The Scottish Government recognises that tax is one factor in airlines’ decision-making on where to fly. We will review the rates and bands of Air Departure Tax prior to the implementation of the tax once a solution to the Highland & Islands exemption has been identified.

Question reference: S6W-27380

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has offered (a) ScotRail, (b) Transport for Edinburgh and (c) bus operators any additional support to ensure that all people travelling to and from the upcoming Taylor Swift concert in Edinburgh can do so without any concerns for capacity issues on public transport.

Question reference: S6W-27382

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18553 by Emma Roddick on 14 June 2023, whether it has since received the initial findings, and whether it will publish these in due course.

The archival analysis element of the research is underway and the report is currently being drafted. We anticipate receiving the report from this work towards the end of summer 2024. The contract for the qualitative research was tendered twice but no compliant bids were received.

We intend to publish the report from the archival analysis in due course, and will work to ensure those who wish to provide feedback and share their experiences will be able to do so. We will then consider next steps thereafter.

Question reference: S6W-27379

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions (a) the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and (b) her officials have had with (i) ScotRail, (ii) Transport for Edinburgh and (c) bus operators regarding preparations for the upcoming Taylor Swift concert in Edinburgh.

Transport Scotland Officials, along with relevant transport stakeholders, routinely take part in the multi-agency Events Planning and Operations Group (EPOG) dealing with Events. EPOG is run by the City of Edinburgh Council as the lead planning authority in respect of events within Edinburgh, such as Taylor Swift.

Through the EPOG discussions, enhanced transport arrangements have been put into place across Lothian Buses, Edinburgh Trams and ScotRail services, to meet the increased demands expected at the Taylor Swift concerts.

Question reference: S6O-03460

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the impact of the updated fiscal framework.

Question reference: S6W-27279

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 15 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of any impact on bridge infrastructure of the increased weight payload of electric vehicles, in light of the forthcoming 2030 deadline for prohibiting the sale of new combustion engine cars.