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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-02860

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is addressing the ticketing issues raised by the Cumbrae Ferry Committee and Cumbrae Community Council.

Question reference: S6W-22363

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 face masks and face coverings guidance withdrawal issued to social care workers on 9 May 2023, whether social care workers will still have the personal choice to wear PPE, even when this is not recommended in the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) or the Care Home Infection Prevention and Control Manual (CH IPCM).

Social care workers have always been, and continue to be, able to choose to wear a mask.

The Scottish Government’s guidance on the extended use of face masks and face coverings was first published in June 2020. It was an adjunct to guidance for social care workers on the use of face masks within the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual (NIPCM) and the Care Home Infection Prevention and Control Manual (CH IPCM). In September 2022, the face mask guidance for adult social care settings was amended and staff, visitors and service users of adult social care settings stopped routinely wearing face masks. Guidance on the use of face masks had therefore reverted to circumstances as set out in the NIPCM/CH NIPCM with one addition: “Staff, visitors and those receiving care and support may choose to wear a mask and this should be supported”. It was this line of guidance that was withdrawn in May 2023.

Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland recommended that this line of guidance was removed as it was unnecessary and increased the risk of confusion and misinterpretation, and that guidance on the use of face masks in adult social care settings should revert to the NIPCM, which is based on clinical need and risk assessment. The withdrawal of the extended guidance on the use of face masks and face coverings in social care settings and reversion to the NIPCM/ CH NIPCM does not prevent social care workers from wearing a face mask.

Question reference: S6W-22361

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 31 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards delivering the action set out in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation to "undertake and publish a review of how best to significantly increase the number of social enterprises, employee-owned businesses and cooperatives in Scotland, supporting regional regeneration and the wealth of local communities".

The review is in-progress and is being led by a representative stakeholder group, chaired by Neil McInroy, Global Lead for Community Wealth Building with The Democracy Collaborative, and also Chair of the Economic Development Association of Scotland (EDAS).

The review process commenced in June 2023, with the first two meetings of the group being held in September and October. It is anticipated that the work will complete, with findings and recommendations published in Spring 2023.

Question reference: S6W-21846

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it maintains a central list of any businesses and other organisations that are prohibited from engaging with Scottish public bodies due to human rights concerns, such as the use of forced labour.

Question reference: S6W-21978

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21585 by Richard Lochhead on 3 October 2023, whether (a) it has changed its relationship and (b) public bodies have changed their relationships with any companies listed by the UN Human Rights Office as involved in activities related to the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, following the exchanges of correspondence published in response to FOI/202200334471.

I refer the member to my answer to S6W-21585 on 3 October 2023, outlining Scottish Government action.

The Scottish Government asked public bodies to consider the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) list as part of their due diligence processes. Relationship management is an operational matter for each public body.

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-21585

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 3 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-00207 and S6W-00208 by Ivan McKee on 27 October 2021, whether it will publish (a) a list of any companies that it has written to due to their appearing on the UN Human Rights Office list, (b) a summary of each response, and (c) details of any further actions that it or its agencies have taken as a result.

In December 2021 the Scottish Government wrote to Public Bodies in Scotland to ask that they consider the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) list of companies involved in listed activities in illegal Israeli settlements, as part of their Human Rights Due Diligence processes. We also asked Public Bodies to report any existing relationships with companies on the list.

In June 2022, the then Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise wrote to the companies that had been identified, asking what action they had taken or were planning to take to cease those listed activities. The Minister wrote to those companies again in March 2023 to advise them that we would write to Public Bodies again, following the publication of any revised list.

The Scottish Government’s response to FOI 202200334471 , issued on 9 February 2023, sets out the letters written to the companies in June 2022 and the responses received at that point. The Scottish Government has no plans to publish any further correspondence, pending the publication of a revised list.

Question reference: S6O-02609

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to any proposals to increase the frequency of services on the Milngavie rail line.

Question reference: S6O-02579

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensured that the views and experiences of young people, in particular LGBTQ young people, were reflected in the new draft guidance, Delivery of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) Education in Scottish Schools.

Question reference: S6F-02368

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 September 2023

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to the first UN global stocktake report on the Paris Climate Agreement.

Question reference: S6F-02348

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2023

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government plans to maximise the economic benefits, including the number of new jobs, that result from any growth in renewable energy sources, including onshore wind.