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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-04512

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many successful applications to the Young Farmers Start-Up Grant Scheme there were from women in each year for which the scheme was open for applications.

Question reference: S6W-04310

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 2 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting schools to recycle waste, including plastic, aluminium, and food waste, and what steps it is taking to ensure that pupils and staff can access recycling bins on the school premises.

The Waste (Scotland) Regulations require all schools in Scotland to take all practicable steps to recycle as much of its waste as possible. Provision of recycling facilities within state schools is the responsibility of Scotland’s local authorities. The regulations require waste producers, including schools, to separate and present for collection the key dry recyclables (glass, metal, plastic, paper and card) and food at source.

To support schools, Zero Waste Scotland has produced a Resource Efficiency Guide for Schools , which includes advice on waste management and potential initiatives to reduce waste and improve recycling.

As part of the Curriculum for Excellence, under the theme of Learning for Sustainability, many schools are engaging with the Eco-Schools Scotland programme . This is a seven step curricular-relevant programme to support schools in considering and tackling environmental issues. Schools must evidence their work through a focus on litter and waste minimisation plus two other Eco-Schools topics. Those schools who successfully complete the programme are awarded a Green Flag.

On 17 November, I announced the first of our landmark investments from the £70m Recycling Improvement Fund. The Fund was launched to support local authorities improve recycling infrastructure and maximise the quality and quantity of recycling, including help with aligning recycling collections to Household Recycling Charter’s supporting Code of Practice, to help make it easier for householders to recycle the right things and encourage high levels of citizen participation in waste prevention, recycling and reuse.

Question reference: S6W-04434

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many instances of homophobia have been reported in (a) North Ayrshire, (b) Inverclyde and (c) Scotland in each of the last five years.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of reported incidents that may be homophobic in nature. Data is available on the number of police recorded hate crimes that include an aggravation for sexual orientation, the vast majority of which were found to be for prejudice towards the gay and lesbian community in 2018-19.

The Scottish Government published a study on the characteristics of police recorded Hate Crime in February 2021. The table below shows the number of sexual orientation aggravated hate crimes recorded by Police Scotland from 2014-15 to 2019-20, for (a) North Ayrshire, (b) Inverclyde and (c) Scotland. The number of hate crimes with a sexual orientation aggravation presented below is higher than the figures provided in the aforementioned study. This is because the table also includes hate crimes that have multiple aggravations (one of which is sexual orientation).

The study also looked in more detail at the prejudice shown by perpetrators. In the vast majority (94%) of sexual orientation aggravated hate crimes in 2018-19 the perpetrator showed prejudice towards the gay and lesbian community. In over two-thirds (69%) of crimes the words used or actions taken by the perpetrator showed a prejudice towards the gay community, with a further quarter (25%) showing prejudice towards the lesbian community. In 2018-19, the study showed that 39% of sexual orientation aggravated hate crimes had a Police Officer as a victim. Due to the sampling design, information at local authority level is unable to be calculated.

A second study into the characteristics of police recorded hate crime is due to be published in 2022. This will provide the same type of detailed disaggregated data and information on police recorded hate crimes for the year 2020-21.

Year	(a) North Ayrshire	(b)Inverclyde	(c)Scotland
2015-16	28	18	1,143
2016-17	42	19	1,177
2017-18	27	26	1,224
2018-19	22	26	1,338
2019-20	24	29	1,501

Question reference: S6W-04509

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 2 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether data about the literacy levels of inmates in prisons and young offenders institutions is routinely collected.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

Education in all public sector prisons is delivered through a commercial contract with Fife College. As part of Fife College’s induction processes with those in custody, a screening tool is utilised. This screening tool gives an indication of the initial literacy levels of each prospective learner and therefore informs their individual learning plan.

All individuals are also routinely asked questions on admission to capture their level of English and this is recorded on SPS’ internal system. Individuals are asked to confirm whether they can understand, write, read and speak English.

Question reference: S6W-04496

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 2 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many loans have been provided to customers through the Low Carbon Transport Loan scheme to cover the purchase of used electric vehicles in the Scottish Borders area, and what the total value is of these loans.

The Scottish Government since 2010 has provided funding to the Energy Saving Trust to deliver the Low Carbon Transport Loan. In September 2020, this interest free loan scheme was extended to support individuals and businesses across Scotland purchase used electric vehicles.

As of 23 rd November 2021, 17 loans have been provided to individuals and businesses across the Scottish Borders to support the purchase of used electric vehicles to the value of £231,109.50

Question reference: S6O-00488

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 2 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to deliver Anne’s Law and other action it is taking to reduce isolation and loneliness in care homes.

We remain absolutely committed to strengthening residents’ rights in adult care homes through the introduction of ‘Anne’s Law’. This will give people who live in adult care homes the right to see and spend time with those who are important to them. Our public consultation on Anne’s Law closed on 5 November . We have received a considerable number of responses Scottish Government officials are currently working through the responses to consider the impact this may have on how we implement Anne’s Law. It is important that we carefully consider the views from the public and stakeholders that took the time to submit a response to our consultations. We intend to publish the responses in the coming weeks and results of the consultations on Anne’s Law and the strengthening of health and social care standards in the early part of the new year.

Question reference: S6O-00489

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 2 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not published information on ministerial engagements, travel and gifts since April 2021.

Engagements and events are an essential part of official government business. Ordinarily, the Scottish Government will routinely publish this information online. However during the Covid response it has been necessary to reprioritise staff resources to support the Covid recovery and the publication schedule has been delayed.

The Scottish Government are working hard to address this and anticipate that transparency data publication will return to normal mid-December.

Question reference: S6O-00486

Asked by: Willie Coffey, MSP for Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 2 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what improvements to transport infrastructure are planned for the Kilmarnock and Irvine Valley constituency.

Future transport investment by the Scottish Government, will be set out in the second Strategic Transport Projects Review.

In February, we published of the Case for Change report for Ayrshire and Arran, which included transport options being appraised as part of the Review. Under consideration are options for active travel; bus priority; getting more freight onto rail; improving the safety and resilience of the transport network and the decarbonisation of the transport system.

We intend to publish the STPR2 recommendations in the new year, however, until then I am not able to share further details.

Question reference: S6O-00514

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its NHS Recovery Plan.

Question reference: S6O-00519

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve the support that is available for people who are affected by strokes.

Scheme Year	Applications successful from women
2016	25
2017	10
2018	26
2019	1