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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-04397

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the financial cost of the vaccine passport scheme to the hospitality sector.

Question reference: S6W-04099

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the findings from each three-week review of the COVID-19 vaccine certification scheme.

We continually keep our COVID-19 Status Certification scheme under review and consider a range of evidence, data, and information which is already published. Information such as the “ trends in daily data ”; the weekly report on the “ state of the epidemic ”, and the anticipated pressures on our public services. Following that consideration Ministers then report to parliament, detailing the outcome of their review every 3 weeks.

Question reference: S6W-04381

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that there is a shortage of (a) COVID-19 booster and (b) seasonal flu vaccines in NHS Lothian.

Question reference: S6W-04772

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-04713

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the UK Government will support the private member's bill, the Down Syndrome Bill, that has been introduced by Dr Liam Fox MP, whether it will bring forward a similar set of measures.

The Scottish Government wants to improve opportunities, outcomes and support for people with learning disabilities including Down’s Syndrome. To this end, we have committed to introducing a Learning Disability, Autism and Neurodiversity Bill as part of the Programme for Government. This Bill will ensure that the rights of people with Down’s Syndrome, among others, are respected and protected.

To help make sure that the new legislation is championed when it is implemented, we will create a Learning Disabilities, Autism and Neurodiversity Commissioner through the new law.

Additionally, we have set out our commitment to people with a learning disability, including those with Down’s Syndrome, and their families through the Keys to Life Learning Disability strategy and the Towards Transformation Learning Disability and Autism Plan . Both strategies focus on outcomes intended to ensure people with a learning disability live healthier lives, enjoy choice and control over the services they use, and are supported to be independent and active citizens.

Question reference: S6W-04314

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish data on waiting times for return appointments for chronic pain patients on a similar basis to data published for new treatment referrals; whether the 18-week Referral to Treatment Standard applies to (a) new treatment referrals for chronic patients and (b) return appointments for chronic pain patients, and what consideration it has given to ending the practice of no maximum time limit on waits for return appointments for chronic pain patients.

Chronic Pain services in Scotland are currently unable to gather electronic data on return appointments in a consistent manner and one that could support routine national data collection by Public Health Scotland (PHS).

The 18 Weeks Referral To Treatment (RTT) standard applies to the entire patient journey from the initial referral to the start of treatment and so repeat appointments after the start of treatment would not be included in this metric. Achieving the target depends on waiting times for diagnostic tests, new outpatient appointments, inpatient and day case treatment.

Question reference: S6W-04315

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the role of the NHS Centre for Integrative Care in treating chronic pain patients, and which NHS boards do not fund referrals to the Centre.

Question reference: S6W-04478

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to engage with the organisers of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics ahead of or during the games.

The participation of competitors, including Scottish competitors, at the Olympics and Paralympics is a matter for the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association, which are required to operate independently of Government under International Olympic Committee regulations.

The Scottish Government shares the concerns which have been widely expressed in relation to China’s human rights record, including the reports of serious, widespread and systematic human rights violations being committed in Xinjiang.

Question reference: S6W-04477

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the advice it has issued to local authorities regarding the distribution of the Tenant Hardship Loan Fund.

The Tenant Hardship Loan Fund has not been administered by local authorities so I have assumed that you are referring to the £10m Tenant Grant Fund announced in June and have responded to your question on that basis.

Local authorities were issued with non-statutory guidance to support them in their administration of the Tenant Grant Fund on 17 September 2021. A copy of this guidance can be found at: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Tenant Grant Fund: guidance for local authorities - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-04399

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prioritise the (a) preservation and (b) restoration of native and ancient woodland fragments in addition to increasing tree and woodland cover.

Scottish Government takes the preservation (protection) and restoration of native and ancient woodlands seriously. Protection for all woodland is in place via felling regulations under the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018, and is also controlled by the Control of Woodland Removal Policy and The Forestry (Environmental Impact Assessment) (Scotland) Regulations 2017.

Priority for restoration is given to those woodlands that are designated sites in unfavourable condition, and to sites identified by the Native Woodland Survey of Scotland to be in unsatisfactory condition.

Under the Programme for Government we have committed to establishing a National Register of Ancient Woodlands, and will then work with owners and agencies to maintain and protect them.