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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-09360

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), what assessment it has made of the number of full-time equivalent (a) manufacturing, (b) seafarer and (b) port jobs that could be created in Scotland from the (i) CMAL Net Vessel Investment and (ii) Piers and Harbours Grants programmes.

The assessments undertaken to inform ferries investments focus on direct infrastructure impacts such as route capacity and connectivity. The benefit realisation process for each project will seek to identify and maximise the positive impact of our investments. As an example of this, the recent introduction of the MV Loch Frisa was enabled by modifications works, instructed by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL), undertaken at the Dales facility in Leith, and CalMac Ferries Ltd have now completed the recruitment of 38 crew for the vessel to provide the year round commutable service for Mull.

Question reference: S6W-09362

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), whether it will provide an update on what commercial discussions Transport Scotland has had with Peel Ports regarding infrastructure work at Ardrossan Harbour.

Question reference: S6W-09358

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), which was published on 15 June 2022, whether it will provide a breakdown of the increase in the cost of tenders for contracts in the Skye Triangle Infrastructure Programme, and what proportion of the budget for that programme has been spent to date.

The Skye Triangle Infrastructure Programme is estimated to cost around £108million in total for the three port projects: Tarbert (Harris) £23million, Lochmaddy (North Uist) £21million and Uig (Skye) £64million as budgeted following completion of the tender processes. This compares with a total budget of £95million at the time of publishing the Infrastructure Investment Plan in February 2021. The works are aimed at replacing life expired infrastructure, improving resilience and increasing the range of vessels that can use the ports.

Each of the projects are currently in the construction phase and we estimate total project spend to date to be in the region of £34million. It is the responsibility of the statutory harbour authorities undertaking the works to monitor costs and spend for each of the port projects namely; Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) for Tarbert, Comhairle nan Eiliean Siar (CNES) for Lochmaddy, and The Highland Council (THC) for Uig.

Question reference: S6W-09511

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to recruit and train more epilepsy specialist nurses.

Question reference: S6W-09512

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many epilepsy specialist nurses are currently working in Scotland, and how many patients are currently assigned an epilepsy specialist nurse.

Question reference: S6W-09411

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to a Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in Inverness, in light of its approval of LEZ plans for Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

The need for Low Emission Zones (LEZs) is for individual local authorities to consider based on specific air quality parameters within their respective areas. To date no LEZ proposals have been submitted for Ministerial approval by Highland Council.

Any local authority considering the introduction of a LEZ would undertake an assessment in accordance with the National Low Emission Framework (NLEF).

Highland Council carried out an NLEF assessment in 2020 and concluded that existing measures contained within their Air Quality Action Plan (AQAP), along with other local measures, would be sufficient to improve air quality within Inverness.

Question reference: S6W-09381

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people did not respond to the 2011 census and, of those, how many people received a fine for not doing so.

Decisions regarding prosecutions remain a matter for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service.

The 2011 census had a response rate of approximately 94%. Of the 6% of non-responding households, approximately 1,800 cases were put forward for non-compliance action which resulted in 900 completed questionnaires being returned. Following Crown Office advice, five cases were subsequently reported to the Procurator Fiscal and two cases resulted in prosecution.

Question reference: S6W-09361

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: Programme pipeline update (March 2022), which second-hand vessels have been considered for purchase by CMAL since 1 December 2021.

The Scottish Government continue to task Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) to search the second hand tonnage market for appropriate vessels to support and enhance connections on Scotland’s ferries network.

CMAL have investigated some 70 vessels since 1 December 2021 of which only 1 has been deemed suitable for purchase. The vessel (MV Loch Frisa) was bought, upgraded and entered service on the Craignure-Oban service in June 2022.

Question reference: S6W-09380

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the predicted cost of the Census Coverage Survey 2022 is, and what steps are being taken to ensure its success.

As the Census Coverage Survey (CCS) is ongoing, the predicted costs are based on the budget assigned to the CCS. Across the lifecycle of the Census Programme it was estimated that a budget of £3.1m would be required to deliver the CCS.

The CCS, alongside high quality administrative data and innovative statistical methods, will build on the census returns to deliver high quality Census Outputs. National Records of Scotland is continuing to take the action necessary to deliver the CCS phase of Scotland's Census Programme.

Question reference: S6W-09476

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 25 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-07576 by Humza Yousaf on 18 May 2022, how much of the £5 million that it provided for the financial year 2020-21 to support the wellbeing of people working in health, social care and social work was spent; how much it has provided for 2021-22, and how much of that has been spent.