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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-28445

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it will improve access to elective professional learning within the teaching sector.

Question reference: S6W-28447

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that teachers are not required to work beyond a 35-hour working week.

Question reference: S6W-28449

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether 7.5 hours per week, out of the required 35 hours, is sufficient time for teachers to carry out their preparation and correction duties.

Question reference: S6W-28453

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is planning to take to streamline the lesson planning process for teachers.

Question reference: S6W-28446

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to the 35-hour working week for teachers.

Question reference: S6W-28454

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with teaching organisations to ensure that teachers are not required to work beyond their contracted hours at the weekend.

Question reference: S6W-28466

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 July 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 30 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason HMP Barlinnie’s target operating capacity is reportedly over 300 prisoners more than its design capacity.

Question reference: S6W-28351

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with local authorities regarding the procedure for dealing with objections to proposals for redetermination orders, in light of reported concerns regarding the requirement for local authorities to refer a matter to the Scottish Ministers for confirmation of proposals where there is an objection to such an order.

The procedures surrounding Redetermination Orders are contained within the relevant legislation (The Stopping Up of Roads and Private Accesses and the Redetermination of Public Rights of Passage (Procedure)(Scotland) Regulations 1986.

Transport Scotland undertook a review of the Traffic Regulation Orders (TRO) process, which included Redetermination Orders, in 2021. Stakeholders consulted during this review included local authorities. As part of the findings of this review Transport Scotland has highlighted that Redetermination Orders are not needed in all circumstances.

For example, if a local authority has made a TRO which effectively determines the means by which the public can exercise their right of passage over the road then it may not be necessary to also have a Redetermination Order to give effect to the restrictions on traffic. However, the decision on whether a Redetermination Order is required for a project ultimately remains with the relevant Roads Authority.

Since 2020 Transport Scotland has received 7 Redetermination Orders for determination where objections have been maintained. 6 of these have received a Ministerial Decision within an average of 4 months without referral to a Public Local Inquiry. One other is under active consideration having been received on the 4 th June 2024.

Question reference: S6W-28226

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether a crew fatigue management plan was in place on the MV Alfred when it was time chartered from Pentland Ferries in April 2023.

Question reference: S6W-28301

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 2 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spent almost £750,000 on a fleet of state-of-the-art vehicles designed to tackle wildfires that reportedly remain in storage a year after delivery due to technical issues, what due diligence was carried out before this money was spent on vehicles that are reportedly not fit for purpose.

Prior to the development of the technical specification for the overall wildfire project, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) set up a User Intelligence Group (UIG) comprising uniformed wildfire subject matter experts, with relevant union and health and safety representation. The UIG was guided by procurement and fleet technical experts. In line with European procurement law the technical specification was put to the European market further to final amendments made to it by the UIG.

The tender returns were evaluated by the UIG and awarded on the technical aspects of the end user specification and support packages. It should be noted that two representative bodies, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the Fire and Rescue Services Association (FRSA) were part of the UIG for the wildfire vehicles. SFRS has been made aware of concerns raised by the FRSA regarding the all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and has engaged extensively with that group. The FBU, SFRS and wildfire experts do not share the views of the FRSA.

The ATVs are general purpose vehicles and SFRS currently has four in operation. The Service’s newest Angloco models were purchased as part of its wildfire strategy and will be introduced in conjunction with a fleet of other 4x4 vehicles, which arrived earlier this year. The 4x4 vehicles are for transportation of ATVs and once on scene will be used to convey personnel around an incident ground. Firefighter safety is paramount and all new vehicles and equipment will only be rolled out once staff are trained to operate them within safe parameters.