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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-14567

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) colleges and (b) training providers offer PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 training courses in Scotland, and what information it has on how this compares with the UK as a whole.

Question reference: S6W-14598

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether its industrial relations with teaching unions will take account of data published by the Office of National Statistics on 27 January 2023, which found that 31% of working adults with children in school would have to work fewer hours due to school closures caused by industrial action, and 28% would not be able to work.

This Government is clear that industrial action in our schools is in no one’s interest, least of all for pupils, parents and carers who have already faced significant disruption over the past three years.

As indicated by the Office of National Statistics, it is concerning that this industrial action is putting parents and carers are at further financial loss.

We are absolutely committed to reaching teachers’ pay deal and are working closely with the teaching unions and local government partners to reach a resolution as soon as possible. We also continue to urge the teaching unions to suspend industrial action while these talks are ongoing.

Question reference: S6W-14659

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints of patients’ property being (a) stolen and (b) lost have been received in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-15184

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much demand it estimates there is for new Changing Places toilets, as referenced in its Changing Places Toilets: Planning guide.

The Scottish Government published the Changing Places Toilets: Planning Guide and an accompanying easy read in November 2022. This guide details practical considerations when considering installing a Changing Places Toilet in both existing and new buildings.

The Scottish Government works closely with Promoting a More Inclusive Society (PAMIS) who are co-chairs and co-founders of the Changing Places Consortium and offer expert advice on Changing Places Toilets to a range of organisations in Scotland. From this work, and drawing on the lived experience that PAMIS brings, we know that there is significant demand for increased provision of Changing Places Toilets across the country.

Question reference: S6W-14574

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities have received funding in the last six months to provide free (a) bus passes and (b) rail cards to people seeking asylum.

The Scottish Government has not provided funding to local authorities in the last six months to provide free bus passes or rail cards to people seeking asylum and does not hold information on whether local authorities have received funding from elsewhere.

However, Refugee Survival Trust and partners have been provided with funding from the Paths for All Smarter Choices Smarter Places Open Fund. This has enabled them to begin a pilot scheme to provide free bus travel to people seeking asylum living in Glasgow through the provision of three month bus passes, along with information and digital support to access and use the pass.

The Pilot will run until summer 2023 and will help inform options on how to deliver our Programme for Government commitment to consider how best to provide free bus travel to people seeking asylum across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-14611

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will fully enact the remaining regulations in the Health (Tobacco, Nicotine etc. and Care) (Scotland) Act 2016 relating to vaping products by restricting in-store displays, billboard and similar advertising, free and nominally priced samples, sponsorship and brand sharing.

On 28 September 2022 the Scottish Government published the report from our consultation on proposals to make regulations under sections 17 to 19 of the 2016 Act, which would introduce restrictions on the following:

advertising
brand-sharing in products and services
free distribution and nominal pricing
sponsorship of an activity, event or person

The responses, together with the analysis report will inform and shape the final vaping restrictions which we aim to bring forward in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-14419

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of in-hospital patients, who have an episode of hypoglycaemia, have a timely resolution of this.

Question reference: S6W-14610

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its planned timeline is for ensuring that all NHS boards are providing abortion services locally up to 24 weeks, as set out in Action 17 of the progress report on the Women's Health Plan.

The Women’s Health Plan aims to ensure that women can access abortions up to 24 weeks’ within Scotland regardless of the reason for the termination.

The Scottish Government is pleased to see progress being made on this issue, with all mainland Health Boards now providing abortion services up to at least 20 weeks’ gestation. However further progress is needed to allow women to access services between 20 – 24 weeks’ gestation as locally as possible.

The Scottish Government is working closely with Health Boards, and has commissioned NHS National Services Scotland (NSS) to draft a specification for a national or regional service. This will ensure the service created takes into account the complexities involved with offering abortions at a later stage, and addresses the needs of women in Scotland. NSS will then invite one or more Health Boards to agree to deliver the service in line with the specification.

Question reference: S6W-14621

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether specific funding has been allocated to SEPA to allow it to prosecute any retailers in breach of Deposit Return Scheme regulations.

Question reference: S6W-14626

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported concerns that guidance on what would be considered a GS1 compliant barcode within the Deposit Return Scheme has not yet been published; what discussions it has had with (a) Circularity Scotland and (b) SEPA regarding this, and when it expects this guidance to be published.

Circularity Scotland set out the requirement to use a GS1 compliant barcode in 2021 and this has not changed – it is an international standard. The ability to use a UK-wide EAN barcode within Scotland’s DRS was confirmed by SEPA in summer 2022. Guidance on the use of barcode stickers, to support smaller producers who don’t currently use them on their products, will be published shortly by the Scheme Administrator.