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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-00040

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support the arts and cultural sector in Glasgow, in light of the continued impact of COVID-19 restrictions.

Question reference: S6O-00038

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans for National Towns of Culture.

Question reference: S6O-00039

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support and assistance it is offering to the organisers of this summer's Edinburgh festivals.

Question reference: S6O-00044

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve support for victims of crime.

Question reference: S6W-00357

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 9 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the impact of the Ferries Plan 2013-22 on the resilience of publicly subsidised ferry services.

The Ferries Plan (2013-2022) published in 2012, following a 4-year review, set out the Scottish Government’s strategic approach for the provision and support of ferry services to 2022. It has led to increased frequencies and capacities on numerous routes, reduced fares and introduced new services. The Scottish Government has not specifically assessed the impact of these measures on resilience and intends to produce a progress report on the implementation and outcomes of the Ferries Plan as part of its work on the Islands Connectivity Plan.

Question reference: S6W-00337

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 9 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, whether it will provide reassurance that all responses to the most recent public consultation on gender reform recognition have been (a) read and (b) taken into account as part of the contract to analyse this data.

We advised in our consultation on the draft Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill that all responses would be analysed, an analysis report published and the responses considered along with other evidence available to help progress our commitment to reforming the Gender Recognition Act 2004.

Work on the draft Bill, including the consultation analysis, was paused in April 2020 as a result of the pandemic. In November 2020, we announced that we were taking forward work so that the consultation responses would be analysed independently of Scottish Government.

Analysts commissioned by the Scottish Government to review consultation responses are required, under the procurement arrangements, to carry out a transparent, robust and systematic analysis of all responses. As a condition of the contract, they are also required to produce a balanced and impartial report for publication, ensuring that the full range and nature of views are presented.

We will publish the analysis report and the responses from organisations and groups, where we have permission to do so, in due course.

Question reference: S6W-00306

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when updated guidance on live music under COVID-19 protection levels will be published.

As live music takes place in a variety of settings, different guidance is applicable for different scenarios. The guidance for the performing arts and venues sector was most recently updated on 1 June 2021 and that for the events sector on 26 May 2021.

Performing arts venues can reopen in areas in protection levels 0 to 2, and both indoor and outdoor events can take place in levels 0 to 2. Such activity must follow the measures, mitigations and capacity limits as detailed in the performing arts guidance ( Coronavirus (COVID-19): guidance for the performing arts and venues sector - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ) and the events guidance ( Coronavirus (COVID-19): events sector guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ).

Separate guidance is also available for calculating capacities - Coronavirus (COVID-19): calculating physical distancing capacity in public settings - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) and for applying for approval for to exceed the capacity limits in the published protection levels -

Coronavirus (COVID-19) stadia and live events guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Live background music in hospitality settings is permitted at levels 0 – 2. Any such activity must be done in accordance with the tourism and hospitality guidance, updated on 26 May ( Coronavirus (COVID-19): tourism and hospitality sector guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ).

The Scottish Government continues to work with the live music sector to inform guidance and advise on its application.

Question reference: S6W-00273

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out regarding whether NHS dentistry patients have been placed at a disadvantage compared with those receiving private treatment because of the COVID-19 lockdown.

The Scottish Government has worked closely with NHS Boards and dental practices to ensure that patients receive the best possible NHS care subject to the constraints placed upon the sector during the period of the Covid pandemic.

At the start of the pandemic a comprehensive network of urgent dental care centres was established to ensure continuity of emergency dental care services. A carefully managed and evidence based process of gradually reintroducing routine dental care culminated in the availability of the full range of NHS dental services from 1 st November 2020. Private dental services are required to mirror these arrangements.

Question reference: S6W-00272

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason NHS dental practices have a limit of 10 appointments each day.

Dental practices are allowed to see as many patients as they safely can whilst ensuring that they adhere to current Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) guidance. The number of patients that a dental practice will see each day is based upon a risk assessment which takes account of factors such as the local environment, the type of procedure being undertaken and the urgency of the procedure.

NHS dental practice have not been set a limit of seeing 10 patients per day. PPE is being provided to dental practices on the PPE based upon providing care to 10 NHS patients per day per operational treatment room. The number of treatment rooms varies significantly across dental practices with an average of three treatment rooms per dental practice nationally. This PPE is funded by Scottish Government, and at no cost to the dental practice.

Question reference: S6W-00552

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 June 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Graeme Dey on 9 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether COVID-19 funding for bus operators will be extended beyond 27 June 2021.

Today I am announcing up to £35.4 million in further funding to support bus operators maintain services between 28 June and 3 October. This is in addition to up to £61.4 million that the Scottish Government has already made available in 2021-22, and up to £191.3 million that was available in 2020-21. This funding is subject to regular reconciliation to ensure we are not over or under paying operators and actual spend in 2020-21 is forecast at £119.5 million. Funding only covers the gap between additional Covid-19 operational costs and lost fare revenue due to physical distancing.