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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-14197

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what actions are being taken to promote skilled heritage jobs, including stonemasonry.

Traditional skills are promoted in a number of ways by non-departmental public bodies such as Skills Development Scotland and Historic Environment Scotland. These include apprenticeships, which are a key way for employers to invest in their workforce and provide skills that the economy needs now and in the future, as underlined by our commitment to a skilled workforce set out in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

As part of the Scottish Government’s Youth Employment Strategy, Developing the Young Workforce, we have worked with employers and sector bodies to develop a programme called “Build Your Future” that promotes careers in construction and heritage skills, including stonemasonry, to young people through construction skills tasters.

A short life working group is currently being led by Historic Environment Scotland to identify how sustainable models of stonemasonry training can be developed in Scotland. Historic Environment Scotland also directly supports and works with organisations across Scotland to promote skilled heritage jobs through provision of advice, support and mentoring. Through its grants programmes, Historic Environment Scotland also directly supports the employment of skilled craftspeople on third party projects, as well as requiring grant recipients to engage in education, training and outreach to promote skilled heritage jobs.

Question reference: S6W-14183

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the use of vaping products by under-16s.

Question reference: S6W-14173

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which routes will not see peak fare rail prices removed as part of the trial from April 2023.

Question reference: S6W-14193

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent improvements to road safety have been undertaken at the Hillend junction on the A702/A703.

Improvements to the A702/A703 junction were made in early 2012 to simplify the layout to reduce the number of southbound lanes on the A702 on the approach to the junction with Old Pentland Road. In addition, footway build-outs were formed to improve sightlines for drivers joining the A702 from the side roads. These measures were carried alongside high friction surfacing and road marking enhancements being introduced at the junction.

Design work to install traffic signals at the junction is ongoing, with a preferred option being agreed by both Transport Scotland and Midlothian Council in 2022. A detailed design is programmed to begin in the coming financial year, which will take into account the numerous site constraints at this location .

Question reference: S6W-14184

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that 1,300 charities are facing closure within the next 12 months due to the cost of living crisis, and whether it will provide details of any support it plans to offer such charities.

The Scottish Government values the important role of Scotland’s third sector in working across communities to tackle tough social issues at source.

We recognise the impact of rising operating costs across society, including on charities and voluntary organisations in the third sector. We continue to invest widely in the third sector and have committed to increasing multiyear funding wherever possible.

Under Fairer Funding principles, multiyear arrangements for third sector organisations are preferred where appropriate, and we are committed to multiyear grants being the default position. This will allow us to work in partnership to design and deliver the kind of transformation our communities need to be fit for the future, whilst ensuring public services are sustainable.

We know from the longitudinal survey we support through the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations that 92% of those surveyed are confident that they will still be operating in 12 months’ time.

Question reference: S6W-14181

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out on young people's use of vapes.

The Scottish Government has undertaken the following analysis on young people’s use of vapes:

The Scottish Government is currently funding a longitudinal study carried out by ScotCen Social Research called Growing Up in Scotland (GUS). Two reports have been published that include vaping data on children aged 12 and 14 ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/life-age-12-initial-findings-growing-up-scotland-study/pages/6/ and 6. Risky behaviours - Life at age 14: initial findings from the Growing Up in Scotland study - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) )

The Scottish Government also commissioned collection and analysis of vaping data via the Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) which ran between 2002 and 2018 ( Scottish Schools Adolescent Lifestyle and Substance Use Survey (SALSUS) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ).

Question reference: S6W-14349

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have been built through the Rural Housing Fund in each year since 2016-17.

Question reference: S6W-14114

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Digital Health and Care Strategy, whether it has published a framework for the development and implementation of digital services.

Question reference: S6T-01146

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to a recent study conducted by the Scottish Retail Consortium, which found that one in six shops are lying empty in Scotland.

Question reference: S6T-01149

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported announcement that Unite the Union has withdrawn from the co-design process of the National Care Service.