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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-03560

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any implications for its Budget and public sector finances, what assessment the finance secretary has made of how much revenue the visitor levy could generate for local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-27853

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 4 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the creation of a Scottish Veterinary Service.

Yes. Colleagues from across a range of sectors assisted us to scope out the case for the creation of a Scottish Veterinary Service. This identified that a new Scottish Veterinary Service (SVS) would deliver quality improvements and would be financially sustainable. However, the current financial climate and significant budget constraints mean that we are unable to progress with plans for the SVS, given the significant costs to create the new service.

Question reference: S6T-02015

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to review the New Build Heat Standard.

Question reference: S6W-27586

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26769 by Jim Fairlie on 29 April 2024, whether it will reallocate the remaining £473.1 million of the £500 million originally allocated to the Bus Partnership Fund, and, if so, when.

Budget is allocated on an annual basis, therefore the £500m long term investment in bus priority infrastructure was not allocated in one budget to the Bus Partnership Fund.

Capital budget is allocated to the Scottish Government as a total and then set against agreed priorities as part of the budget process on an annual basis. Future funding availability will be considered as part of annual budget setting processes and prioritisation exercises.

Question reference: S6W-27585

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 28 May 2024

The amount spent through the Bus Partnership Fund was £2.54 million in 2021-22, £9.93 million in 2022-23 and £8.03 million is expected to be spent in 2023-24 following the processing of final grant claims from Partnerships (consisting of local authorities, bus operators and other key stakeholders) in the coming months. This has delivered bus gates, enforcement cameras and traffic light equipment to help buses get through them more quickly in Aberdeen, North Ayrshire, Glasgow, Inverness, and Edinburgh. It has also made a number of temporary measures, such as bus lanes, permanent in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

Question reference: S6O-03507

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to update any guidance that it provides regarding the application of single-sex exemptions under the Equality Act 2010 in public buildings in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-26169

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to reshape the Self-Build Loan Fund to better tailor it to the areas and people utilising it most, and to extend it beyond its current completion date.

The Self Build Loan Fund (“the Fund”) is a demand led and flexible fund available across all of Scotland. Recognising that self-build is an important option particularly for those in rural areas to provide a home that meets their needs, the fund offers support to self-builders who are unable to access traditional finance. The Fund was established in September 2018 following the success of a pilot in the Highland area and strong interest from outside this area.

The Fund was extended in November 2022 for up to 5 years and we will continue to monitor its implementation.

Question reference: S6W-26173

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government by when loan payments from the Self-Build Loan Fund are required to be repaid.

Question reference: S6W-26766

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to local businesses, in light of any customer behavioural changes resulting from road closures caused by renewables developments.

Road closures on the local road network are the responsibility of the local authority in that area. They have a duty under the Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 to manage and maintain local roads in their area and duties under the Road Traffic Regulation Act 1984 to secure expeditious, convenient and safe movement of traffic.

Local businesses can provide views as part of the planning application process, including comments on transport and traffic considerations and their impacts. If an application is approved, where appropriate, a condition of consent can require a finalised traffic management plan to be approved with the local planning authority and, where required, in consultation with other relevant bodies (such as Transport Scotland).

Other conditions may be imposed requiring developers to set up a community liaison group to assist with the provision of mitigation measures etc. It can be the case that the development is not permitted to commence construction until this group is established and the terms of engagement are signed off by the planning authority.

Question reference: S6W-26171

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 29 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider expanding the Self-Build Loan Fund to all applicants in rural areas, other than just those who are unable to access standard bank lending, to help increase the number of homes that are available in non-urban settings.

The Self-Build Loan Fund (“the Fund”) offers short-term loan funding of up to £175,000 to self-builders who are unable to access standard bank lending, to assist with development costs to support build completion. The Fund is not intended to replace market lending and provides short-term loan funding to borrowers who have exhausted finding alternative market options. The focus is on supporting projects with the necessary consents in place to allow work to commence quickly, and already delivers genuinely additional new homes primarily but not exclusively in rural areas.