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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-22006

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what issues are considered relevant when considering a claim for compensation from a landowner for the granting of a necessary wayleave, and whether such relevant issues should be detailed by the Reporter in their report to the Scottish Ministers.

Questions of compensation in respect of a necessary wayleave will not be addressed by the Reporter when making a recommendation on whether a necessary wayleave should be granted. Although, issues which relate to the impact on the use or enjoyment of the land which may subsequently be the subject of a claim for compensation may be considered by the Reporter.

The Scottish Ministers have no power under Schedule 4 to the 1989 Electricity Act to prescribe financial conditions in any necessary wayleave case or to resolve disputes on the level of compensation. Compensation will fall to be settled by agreement between the parties or, failing agreement, by the Lands Tribunal for Scotland at the request of either party.

Question reference: S6W-22038

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 20 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding short-term let licensing, what its position is on whether holiday accommodation providers that have multiple similar premises types on the same site should be required to pay a licence fee for each individual accommodation that they provide.

Question reference: S6W-21929

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 18 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that some local residents were required by Clackmannanshire Council to evacuate their homes, in a majority council-owned block of flats, and move into short-term accommodation due to reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete being found and the flats being deemed unsafe, what immediate action it can take to (a) help provide suitable long-term accommodation and (b) support any proposals for repairs of these properties.

Local authorities have a legal duty to help people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Under the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, a person should be treated as homeless, even if they have accommodation, if it would not be reasonable for them to continue to stay in it.

The Local Authority is currently undertaking further surveys in relation to the condition of the RAAC identified in the decanted blocks in Tillicoultry, which will determine the long-term action necessary.

We are currently working with the Scottish Housing Regulator and engaging with Local Authorities, including Clackmannanshire, to understand ongoing work to identify and manage the risks associated with RAAC.

Question reference: S6W-21049

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support rural hospitality businesses to locate or supply accommodation for their staff, in light of reports that a lack of staff accommodation is having an impact on the recruitment and retention of staff in this sector.

This issue affects a range of sectors, including hospitality. We recognise that delivering affordable housing in rural areas presents different challenges. We are committed to delivering 110,000 affordable homes by 2032, of which 10% will be in our remote, rural and island communities, and are making available £3.5 billion this Parliament for affordable housing across Scotland. We will publish a Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan this autumn to help retain and attract people in rural and island communities – making available up to £25 million through our Affordable Housing Supply Programme over the period 2023-2028 to deliver homes for key workers in rural communities.

Our short-term lets regulations, including control areas, give local authorities the powers to manage high numbers of short-term lets, and our consultation on second and empty homes invites views on local taxation and existing housing to inform policy development to ensure sufficient, safe and secure housing stock.

We are also working to explore solutions to staff shortages in collaboration with the sector, through our Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group.

Question reference: S6O-02522

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the 2023 Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Question reference: S6O-02517

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Fraser of Allander survey that found that only 9% of businesses felt that the Scottish Government understands the business landscape in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-19503

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress regarding the recommendations made in June 2021's National Review of Eating Disorder Services.

We published an update on our progress delivering the recommendations from the National Review of Eating Disorder Services in April 2023. This can be found here: National Review of Eating Disorder Services Implementation Group: final report - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

We have made good progress responding to the short-term recommendations made by the National Review and will shortly establish the National Eating Disorder Network which will support us to deliver on the remaining long-term recommendations.

Since the Review published in 2021, we have:

Provided funding to NHS Boards, including £5 million in 2021/22 to respond to the rise in eating disorder referrals we saw during the pandemic, and £46 million in 2022/23 via the 2022-23 Mental Health Outcomes Framework to improve the quality and delivery of mental health and psychological services, including eating disorder services.
Established the Eating Disorder Lived Experience Panel to support us to deliver the remaining recommendations from the National Review.
Initiated the development of Quality Standards for Eating Disorder Care and Treatment in Scotland (which we will be consulting on this summer).
Provided over £600,000 annually to Beat to provide a range of self-help and carer support programmes in Scotland.
Commissioned NHS Benchmarking to undertake a “deep dive” into Eating Disorders services and their data, to support us to target future funding appropriately.

Question reference: S6W-19301

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether all patients who have a stroke will now receive a standard of stroke care as described by the updated national clinical guideline for stroke.

Question reference: S6W-19302

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to assure stroke stakeholders that (a) the updated national clinical guideline for stroke is embedded into the care provided by NHS Boards and (b) those who experience a stroke are gaining optimal benefit from this new published knowledge.

Question reference: S6W-19303

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 4 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what savings have been made to date as a result of Scotland’s thrombectomy provision; how any such savings have been used, and what any additional anticipated savings are once (a) the thrombectomy hubs become fully utilised and (b) thrombectomy is available across the whole of Scotland.