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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-08071

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will commission its proposed feasibility study on rent data collection.

The level of engagement with the ‘New Deal for Tenants’ consultation has been positive, generating a large number of responses. The Scottish Government are currently considering these responses to inform the development of our approach to collection of rent data. The emerging findings from the consultation will help to define the scope of the proposed feasibility study, which we will seek to commission as soon as we have fully taken into account the analysis of responses from the consultation.

Question reference: S6W-08068

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how the £1 million funding under the Creative Digital Initiative has been spent to date.

The Scottish Government funded a £1 million Creative Digital Initiative to deliver a range of activity and support to upskill creative businesses in their digital capabilities and capacity through a public sector partnership.

Creative Scotland were allocated over £290,000 to deliver multiple projects, including a digital commissioning programme via The Space to help creative businesses grow the skills, knowledge and confidence required in key areas of their digital activity. Creative Scotland also delivered a Digital Pivot mentoring and peer support programme, and the Next Level Up programme to transform those who were already digitally engaged into digital leaders and support creative industries and to cultural sector participants to take the digital opportunity to the next level.

£40,000 of funding was allocated to the delivery of an XpoNorth web portal and nearly £30,000 was allocated to South of Scotland Enterprise to deliver digital skills webinars and short courses to support the understanding of the potential of digital.

Skills Development Scotland were allocated £60,000 to deliver a Creative Game Changers programme, providing specialist mentoring, coaching and 1-2-1 support, engaging with up to 20 creative businesses, freelancers or sole traders. Skills Development Scotland are also leading on an evaluation of the project to consider next steps for upskilling the digital capability of creatives.

£525,000 was provided to Scottish Enterprise to provide large enterprise grant support.

The CDI Steering Group will consider how best to allocate any remaining funds, using the CDI project evaluation to consider sector needs.

Question reference: S6W-08066

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made towards the SNP manifesto commitment to create a fund for public artwork, and when it anticipates that this will be in place.

This Government is committed to broadening the range of people represented in Scotland’s public places, reflecting in particular the contribution of women and ethnic minorities. A specific fund is being considered in the context of the Scottish Government’s longer term spending plans and we will discuss how such a fund might be best deployed with Creative Scotland, whose remit includes public art.

Question reference: S6W-08095

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work has been carried out to ensure that police and health services work together when drink spiking is reported.

In November last year, Police Scotland had established a Gold command on the issue of spiking. Led by an Assistant Chief Constable, this comprised of a network of health partners, victim support organisations, colleges and universities and night time economy sector to achieve the right balance of targeted and universal intervention to ensure the safety of the public.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with partners to strengthen our response to spiking, and ensure that people are supported to report, if something does happen.

This includes ongoing work with health partners to explore clinical and reporting pathways and to ensure clear and consistent messaging for anyone accessing health services where a drink is believed to have been spiked.

Question reference: S6W-08393

Asked by: Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to take forward the Griggs review of the regulatory framework for aquaculture.

I have accepted the Griggs recommendations in principle and I am pleased to announce that I have formed a Ministerial Aquaculture Strategy Forum to progress the recommendations of the review and to advise on the development of the Vision for sustainable aquaculture.

Work to produce the Vision by the end of the year will consider how to ensure the whole aquaculture sector is sustainable environmentally, economically and socially, including how best to protect the marine environment and benefit communities.

I will personally lead the Strategic Forum to deliver this Government’s aspirations for the sector and ensure that Scotland’s aquaculture sector is supported, innovative, achieves its full potential, and operates within environmental limits and with social licence, ensuring there is a thriving marine ecosystem for future generations.

The aquaculture sector in Scotland supports over 11,700 jobs and generated £885 million Gross Value Added in 2018. I have observed first-hand the important role it plays in some of our most rural and coastal communities, in addition to the many, varied and skilled roles it supports across its wider supply chain.

To support the work of the forum, I have asked my officials to form a small consenting task group to make immediate progress on streamlining the consenting system to ensure processes are more efficient while maintaining high environmental standards. This work will start with an immediate change to the marine licence validity period for shellfish and finfish farms from 6 to 25 years, bringing it in line with the sea bed lease renewal cycle.

Today I have asked the Scottish Science Advisory Council to give consideration to the science recommendations. As Scotland’s highest level and independent science advisory body, the Council will help to ensure that the changes we progress ensure the long term success of Scotland’s aquaculture sector, helping understand and tackle environmental challenges, and to maintain its spot as the UK’s number one food export and its reputation as a healthy, low-carbon and quality food source.

Question reference: S6W-08098

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to re-establish the Healthy Working Lives award programme to support the health of the working age population.

The Healthy Working Lives programme, which is delivered on our behalf by the Public Health Scotland, was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scottish Government is determining how best to take the Healthy Working Lives programme forward in light of the changing needs of the population coming out of the pandemic.

Needs arising from the pandemic, such as support for those suffering from Long Covid and mental health support, will be of particular focus as we adapt to the changed situation we find ourselves in. This will be in line with the commitments outlined in the Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan.

Question reference: S6W-08189

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 22 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to encourage farmland to be used for agriculture instead of tree planting.

Question reference: S6F-01063

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support the return of disability sport in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6F-01057

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government plans to mark Deaf Awareness Week 2022.

Question reference: S6F-01059

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2022

To ask the First Minister whether the Medication Assisted Treatment Standards have been fully embedded across Scotland.