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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-15111

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have (a) received legal aid and (b) had an application for legal aid declined in each year since 1999.

Financial Year	Number of applications to SLAB	Grants of applications to SLAB	Total not granted*	Number of other** grants of legal aid
1999-2000	88,000	74,000	14,000	361,000
2000-2001	90,000	76,000	14,000	370,000
2001-2002	97,000	82,000	15,000	371,000
2002-2003	99,000	87,000	12,000	362,000
2003-2004	101,000	88,000	13,000	353,000
2004-2005	103,000	90,000	13,000	339,000
2005-2006	103,000	90,000	13,000	322,000
2006-2007	106,000	93,000	13,000	316,000
2007-2008	99,000	86,000	13,000	275,000
2008-2009	82,000	71,000	11,000	242,000
2009-2010	83,000	71,000	12,000	221,000
2010-2011	80,000	64,000	17,000	208,000
2011-2012	91,000	79,000	12,000	183,000
2012-2013	85,000	71,000	14,000	175,000
2013-2014	92,000	78,000	14,000	168,000
2014-2015	90,000	74,000	16,000	156,000
2015-2016	89,000	72,000	17,000	150,000
2016-2017	83,000	71,000	11,000	147,000
2017-2018	77,000	67,000	11,000	147,000
2018-2019	73,000	64,000	9,000	138,000
2019-2020	75,000	67,000	8,000	135,000
2020-2021	65,000	59,000	6,000	104,000
2021-2022	72,000	63,000	9,000	103,000

Notes

Figures provided by Scottish Legal Aid Board. SLAB is unable to say how many individuals have been granted legal aid as it is possible for a person to have more than one grant of legal aid.

All figures are rounded to the nearest 1000 cases.

Due to rounding, some totals may not correspond with the subtraction of the separate figures.

*Not granted figures include cases refused and those where the application process was not completed.

**Other grants includes grants of legal assistance by solicitors and by the courts.

Question reference: S6W-14778

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the potential delays to the delivery of the Winter Heating Payment, and when the payments will reach those in need.

There has been no delay to making Winter Heating Payments. Payments started in February and will continue to be made automatically during March to support 400,000 eligible people.

While it was not possible to make payments earlier this year since the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) were unable to provide the data required prior to 31 January, the Scottish Government is working with the DWP to review the feasibility of bringing forward payments in future years.

Question reference: S6W-15236

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many public libraries are currently at risk of closure.

Responsibility for public libraries sits with the relevant local authorities, and as such, this information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. However, Scottish Government officials work closely with the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC) and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) to ensure that Ministers are kept aware of relevant local issues as they arise. Information provided by the Scottish Libraries and Information Council showed that no Scottish Libraries have permanently closed in the last three reporting years.

Question reference: S6W-15208

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 1 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the avian flu virus, what actions are being taken to monitor (a) it, (b) how and where it is changing and (c) the population being affected, in light of reports of avian flu being detected in non-avian wild mammals.

In addition to statutory surveillance for Avian Influenza in poultry and wild birds, he Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) conducts surveillance in wild mammals at risk of being infected with the avian virus on behalf of the Scottish Government. In the event of a positive result, genetic analysis is performed by the APHA and the UK Health Security Agency.

In February 2023 genetic analysis carried out on historical samples from two positive Scottish seals, collected in 2021 and 2022, identified a genetic mutation associated with increased risk to mammals. As a single mutation, this does not indicate that this virus is becoming fully adapted to a mammalian host, nor will trigger mammal to mammal transmission.

Question reference: S6W-14535

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current estimated total cost, including design, contract management, construction, legal, and administrative costs, is for the upgrading of the ferry terminal at Uig to allow its use by Hull 802, and what percentage of the total cost will be funded by (a) it and (b) other bodies.

The works at each of the ports as part of the Skye Triangle Infrastructure Programme (Tarbert, Lochmaddy & Uig) are aimed at replacing life expired infrastructure, improving resilience and increasing the range of vessels that can use the ports. The Uig project is estimated to cost £64million. Our response to the Freedom of Information request: 2022/00297832 published in July 2022 outlined that we have offered a capital funding contribution of up to £38million with the remaining contribution to be met by the Highland Council as statutory harbour authority.

Question reference: S6W-14538

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, before an order was placed for Hull 802, whether an alternative option of ordering two smaller vessels to serve on the Uig to Lochmaddy and Uig to Tarbert ferry routes was considered, and, if it was the case, for what reason any such alternative option was rejected, and, if it was not the case, for what reason such an alternative option was not considered.

The proposal for the procurement of what became vessels 801 and 802 was set out in the Vessel Replacement and Deployment Plan (VRDP) Annual Report 2014 vrdp-annual-report-2014.pdf (transport.gov.scot)

The recently published Ferries Plan 2013-2022 had concluded that the level of services then in place on the Uig-Tarbert/Lochmaddy routes met identified community needs. Vessel 802 was earmarked for initial deployment to those services, to bring additional vehicle deck capacity; noting that the deployment plan would be reviewed prior to delivery.

Question reference: S6W-14536

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current estimated total cost, including design, contract management, construction, legal, and administrative costs, is for the upgrading of the ferry terminal at Tarbert to allow its use by Hull 802, and what percentage of the total cost will be funded by (a) it and (b) other bodies.

The works at each of the ports as part of the Skye Triangle Infrastructure programme (Tarbert, Lochmaddy & Uig) are aimed at replacing life expired infrastructure, improving resilience and increasing the range of vessels that can use the ports. The Tarbert (Harris) project is estimated to cost £23million. Our response to the Freedom of Information Request 2022-00297832 published in July 2022 outlined that we have offered a capital funding contribution of up to £19.599million with the remaining contribution to be met by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) as statutory harbour authority.

Question reference: S6W-14537

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current estimated total cost, including design, contract management, construction, legal, and administrative costs, is for the upgrading of the ferry terminal at Lochmaddy to allow its use by Hull 802, and what percentage of the total cost will be funded by (a) it and (b) other bodies.

The works at each of the ports as part of the Skye Triangle Infrastructure programme (Tarbert, Lochmaddy & Uig) are aimed at replacing life expired infrastructure, improving resilience and increasing the range of vessels that can use the ports. The Lochmaddy project is estimated to cost £21million. Our response to the Freedom of Information Request 2022-00297832 published in July 2022 outlined that we have offered a capital funding contribution of up to £15,747million with the remaining contribution to be met by the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (CNES) as statutory harbour authority.

Question reference: S6W-14547

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities have expressed interest in the Community Bus Fund.

Question reference: S6W-14902

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 300 additional interim care home beds, identified in January 2023, have since been used, broken down by NHS board.