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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: S6O-01427

Asked by: Marie McNair, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to universal free prescriptions on the NHS.

Question reference: S6O-01417

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support the rural economy in areas impacted by long-term population decline.

Question reference: S6O-01430

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is regarding the impact on Scotland of the UK Government’s reported plans to withdraw the Bill of Rights Bill.

Question reference: S6O-01432

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the needs of mobile home residents will be incorporated in the final version of the strategy, A New Deal for Tenants.

Question reference: S6W-10947

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what powers Scottish Ministers have to require Circularity Scotland to publish the methodology used to set retailer handling fees for the Deposit Return Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-10698

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 28 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many commercial properties in each local authority area are subject to the higher property rate in 2022-23, broken down by business sector.

Table 1 presents the number of properties with a liability for the higher property rate before reliefs are awarded, broken down by local authority and property class. Table 1 has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under Bib No. 63637.

The Scottish Government does not hold property level data on industry sectors. Property class is a classification used by Scottish Assessors to describe the type of property, and does not necessarily accurately reflect the use of a property.

Question reference: S6W-10672

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 28 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to promote the Turing Scheme in Scotland.

Scottish Government officials have been working closely with officials across the Scottish Government, UK Government and stakeholders to make Turing better reflect the needs of Scotland. The Scottish Government has also engaged with national bodies of eligible sectors for funding to encourage Scottish organisations to proceed with applications in line with the application window set by the Turing scheme.

The Scottish Government’s position remains that the Turing Scheme does not match the breadth and scope of Erasmus+. This scheme offers no provision for inward mobility to the UK, no staff inward or outward mobility, or provision for Adult Learning, Youth Work or Sport, resulting in reduced opportunities for all our students, staff and young people, in particular our most disadvantaged groups.

Question reference: S6W-10965

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the establishment of the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Social Care; whether it is on track to be operational by April 2023, and where the staff for the centre will be based, in light of it reportedly being envisaged that it will be a virtual, rather than a physical, centre.

The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2021-22 included a commitment to create a centre of excellence for rural and remote medicine and social care, with scoping work starting in 2021-22.

The Scottish Government has been working closely with NHS Education Scotland (NES) over recent months to carry out extensive scoping and consultation with stakeholders. NES has submitted a business case for the Centre that could be operational in Spring 2023. The Scottish Government is evaluating the business case and considering next steps. Decisions about operational matters, including where staff for the centre would be located, will be made in due course.

Question reference: S6W-10725

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 28 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is undertaking to ensure access to and implementation of the Horizon Europe programme.

The Scottish Government continues to advocate for full association and participation in Horizon Europe.

The Scottish Government has represented this position by emphasising the significance of the Horizon Europe association to Scotland through ministerial correspondence and meetings with UK counterparts, including the correspondence I sent to the UK Minister for Science, Research and Innovation on 8 June 2022 on this matter.

Scottish Government officials are engaging closely with the UK Government on the Horizon Europe negotiations and are working with the Scottish research and innovation sector to support their access to the programme.

Scottish Ministers’ continue to emphasise the importance of collaboration through this programme with EU stakeholders at every opportunity. Officials in Scotland House Brussels are relaying Scotland’s position to the European Commission and member state counterparts.

Question reference: S6W-10680

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 28 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on private waste firms being used during periods of industrial action to collect and process waste normally managed by local authority workers.

Waste collection is the responsibility of individual local authorities and they are best placed to make decisions regarding the provision of waste and recycling services in their area.

The Scottish Government supports strong trade unions in Scotland and recognises the importance of collective bargaining in improving terms and conditions, and respects the right to strike. However, we would always encourage unions and employers to work collaboratively to resolve disputes.