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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-00494

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how its policies across government will support island communities to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-00496

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how its policies across government will support families on low incomes to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-00501

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to people in the Motherwell and Wishaw constituency who are in fuel poverty.

Question reference: S6O-00498

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, A Vision for Scotland's Railways, produced for Scotland's rail unions.

Question reference: S6W-04371

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has the power to exempt military compensation as normal income from benefits that are primarily “passported” from reserved benefits.

Question reference: S6W-04370

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to applications to Social Security Scotland for means-tested devolved benefits, whether military compensation is exempt from being categorised as income, and if this is not the case, under what circumstances could military compensation be categorised as income.

Question reference: S6W-04459

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reopen the Dumfries-Stranraer railway line.

The reopening of the Dumfries-Stranraer railway line is being considered within the second Strategic Transport Projects Review.

This option is one of a number investments in the rail network across Scotland, that are being appraised as part of the Review.

The interventions which are recommended in STPR2, when it is published this Winter, will seek to contribute to our vision of a sustainable, inclusive, safe and accessible transport system helping deliver a healthier, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for communities, businesses and visitors.

Therefore, we need to consider the social and economic benefits and to determine the overall Value for Money. This also takes into account risks, uncertainties and other factors such as affordability, deliverability and the wider acceptability of options. This will be an important consideration given pressures on current and future public finances.

Also underpinning STPR2 is the Sustainable Investment Hierarchy published in the National Transport Strategy, where we will aim first to reduce the need to travel unsustainably, then to make better use of and enhance existing infrastructure, before investing in new capacity. This hierarchy is also central to the Infrastructure Investment Plan.

Until the appraisal process is completed, it is not possible to make individual decisions on the reopening of lines such as the Dumfries-Stranraer line. The publication of the recommendations for investment will be followed by an appropriate statutory consultation period.

Question reference: S6W-04453

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to replace vessels on CalMac services, in light of reports that the average age of each is 23.6 years old, compared with 13 years old in 1974.

The Scottish Government has announced £580 million investment in vessels and harbours over the next five years, in addition to the completion of vessels 801 and 802. These plans are set out in the Scottish Government’s Infrastructure Investment Plan published 4 February 2021 (link for convenience- Scottish Government's Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-2025-26 ) which includes replacement vessel projects for:

Islay, 2 vessel procurement announced 14 June 2021
Gourock-Dunoon-Kilcreggan passenger services
Up to 7 small vessels for the Clyde & Hebrides network
Craignure-Oban
Mallaig-Lochboisdale
Northern Isles freight services

In addition to these projects the Scottish Government has recently funded the purchase by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd of the MV Utne to bring additional resilience and capacity to the fleet and provide a year round island-based service to the Isle of Mull from Oban.

Question reference: S6W-04466

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many breast cancer oncologists are employed by each NHS board, broken down by (a) full-time equivalent (FTE) and (b) headcount figure.

This government has seen a 87.7% increase in the consultant oncologist workforce (from 69.5 WTE in September 2006 to 130.6 WTE in June 2021).

While information on numbers of oncologists according to specialist cancer fields is not centrally held, the numbers of Clinical and Medical Oncology Consultants currently employed in each NHS Board, by Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) and headcount can be found in the medical and Dental dashboard on the NES website available here: Medical and Dental | Turas Data Intelligence (nhs.scot)

Question reference: S6W-04454

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the age is of each CalMac ferry.