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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-00560

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how the remit of the Council of Economic Advisers will be impacted by the Council for Economic Transformation.

Arrangements are being put in place to establish the new Council for Economic Transformation, which will shape and drive our 10 year National Strategy for Economic Transformation. We have already publicly committed to do this within the our first 100 days and we will update with regard to progress, including how it interacts with other advisory groups such as the Council for Economic Advisers, shortly.

Question reference: S6W-00551

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S5W-35465 by Michael Matheson on 9 March 2021, whether it will provide an update on the electrification projects on the (a) East Kilbride and (b) Barrhead railway lines.

Network Rails Contractor, SPL, is undertaking on-site activities between Muirhouse South Junction and Busby Junction as part of the East Kilbride / Barrhead Enhancements project. This includes piling and the construction of steelwork foundations to support future electrification.

This demonstrates that positive progress is being made with early construction activities whilst the necessary development work for the complete project is progressed.

Future updates can be sourced via the dedicated project pages in the Scotland’s Railway website:-

https://scotlandsrailway.com/projects/east-kilbride-enhancements

Question reference: S6W-00524

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33536 by John Swinney on 10 December 2020, whether the summary of the returns and analysis has been published and, if so, where.

Question reference: S6W-00721

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-00274

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what charges will be removed from dental services, and when they will be removed.

The removal of all dental charges for NHS dental treatment is a Scottish Government manifesto commitment and will take place in the lifetime of this parliament.

As part of the 100 Days Commitment the Scottish Government, young people with care experience are to be exempted from NHS dental charges. This commitment has now been widened to include all young people between 18 and 25 years of age (inclusive).

Question reference: S6W-00359

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB) on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it has considered making COVID-19 lateral flow tests mandatory for all parliament staff and Members.

The SPCB has agreed to write to all passholders encouraging them to use lateral flow testing as part of a range of measures that will help keep those attending Holyrood and local offices to undertake parliamentary work as safely as possible and help prevent community transmission.

This will be voluntary. Anyone who attends Holyrood who has a positive lateral flow test should follow public health advice and also contact the Parliament for any specific advice in relation to their recent visits to the building. Lateral flow test packs can be obtained at testing centres and by requesting a pack via NHS Inform. More information can be found here.

Question reference: S6W-00463

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost for ministerial travel, including car fleet purchasing and maintenance, is for 2021-22, and how this compares with actual spend on this in each of the last five years.

Estimated costs for the Government Car Service (GCS), including purchasing and maintenance, for 2021-22 and actual spend for each of the last 5 years, are provided in the following table.

Year	Total cost (1)
16-17	£ 1,125,173
17-18	£ 1,248,912
18-19	£ 1,556,863
19-20	£ 1,685,164
20-21	£ 1,369,852
21-22 (2)	£ 1,375,695

1. Costs include fuel, maintenance, private hire, staff, travel and subsistence and vehicle procurement.

2. Estimated costs – budgets not formally agreed.

Question reference: S6W-00317

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Education or (b) Minister for Higher Education and Further Education, Youth Employment and Training has (i) met or (ii) exchanged correspondence with the (A) management and (B) lecturers’ union at Forth Valley College, with regards to ongoing industrial action.

The previous Minister for Further Education, Higher Education and Science was in regular contact with both the Employers’ Association and EIS-FELA in relation to the national dispute regarding instructor/assessor roles in the college sector, which has now been resolved.

The Scottish Government has been clear throughout this dispute that both the employers and trade unions must continue with negotiations in an attempt to resolve this situation, which is absolutely not in the best interests of our learners. EIS-FELA have suspended local industrial action at Forth Valley College to allow the matter to be referred to the National Joint Secretaries for review and I urge both sides to resolve this dispute without the need for further industrial action.

The Scottish Government remains firmly of the view that it is for the college unions and the employers to negotiate pay and terms and conditions voluntarily in the spirit of collaboration and co-operation. We do however continue to work with the Scottish Funding Council (SFC), who work closely with the sector, to ensure any actions taken are compliant with the Scottish Public Finance Manual, the SFC Financial Memorandum and are in line with Fair Work principles.

Question reference: S6W-00437

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for a nationally co-ordinated solution, either electronic-based or physical, which will enable members of the public to demonstrate that they have received one or more COVID-19 vaccinations, to assist in scenarios where such evidence will be required to allow access to travel, services, entry or participation in a variety of day-to-day activities.

Question reference: S6W-00472

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been (a) charged and (b) convicted of altering images or producing deepfake pornographic material in each year since 2017.

This information is not held centrally. Altering images or producing deepfake pornographic material is not a specific offence, therefore:

(a) the Crown Office & Procurator Fiscal service are unable to separately identify such offences from their database and provide number of charges and

(b) The Scottish Government is also unable to separately identify convictions from their database for the same reason.

Altering images or producing deepfake pornographic material is not a specific offence and the production of such material in itself, would probably not amount to a criminal offence. However, the distribution, publication or sale etc. of such material, where it appears to depict a person who has not consented to such a depiction may amount to a criminal offence. Depending on the facts and circumstances, this may be capable of being charged under offences including section 2 of the Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act 2016 (non-consensual sharing of intimate images), section 38 of the Criminal Justice and Licensing (Scotland) Act 2010 (threatening or abusive behaviour) or section 127 of the Communications Act 2003 (misuse of a public electronic communications network). However, the Scottish Government’s and COPFS data only details numbers of convictions and charges under these acts, and not detailed information on the specific conduct which resulted in the charge or conviction.