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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: S6F-00067

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will consider issuing a formal apology to the historic victims of forced adoption.

Question reference: S6F-00059

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to a recent survey stating that 29% of police officers are experiencing moderate burnout, and a further 16% are enduring high levels.

Question reference: S6F-00058

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government is taking to ensure there are sufficient resources in place to prevent schools exceeding its maximum class size limits during the next academic year, in light of reports that a number of schools are currently exceeding these limits.

Question reference: S6F-00048

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had with the UK Government regarding the extension of the deadline for application to the EU Settlement Scheme.

Question reference: S6F-00041

Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00039

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00040

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 June 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-00131

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its plan to offer the COVIID-19 vaccination to people aged 18 to 39 in some areas of Glasgow, whether it will reconsider the request from the offshore oil and gas sector to be given priority access to phase 2 of the COVID-19 vaccination programme.

Concerns raised over the rising number of Covid-19 cases in South Glasgow over the past several days and its links to the more infectious Indian variant of COVID-19 B.1.617.2.

The JCVI highlighted the need to accelerate and promote vaccine uptake for everyone within priority groups 1-9 who have yet to be vaccinated, and bring forward the dose schedule from 12 to 8 weeks in areas where the 02 variant is of the highest threat.

The JCVI’s advice is that an age-based approach is the best way to quickly protect those who haven’t yet had the vaccine.

Question reference: S6W-00050

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is for a CAMHS autism assessment, and what steps are being taken to address any backlog due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The information requested is not held centrally. Aggregate CAMHS waiting times statistics are published by Public Health Scotland every quarter and report on waiting times from referral to first treatment appointment. Health Boards have just been allocated £4.25 million for 2021-22 from the £120m Recovery and Renewal Fund to clear CAMHS backlogs. Those Boards with the longest waits are also receiving enhanced improvement support to deliver local recovery plans by mid- June.

Question reference: S6W-00038

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 1 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the COVID-19 pandemic has had on entry requirements for universities.

University entry requirements vary among universities and between subject, and also vary over time as demand for particular subjects and courses increases or decreases. As autonomous bodies universities are responsible for their own policies and procedures, including setting entry requirements for each course they offer.

Following exam changes in 2020, the Scottish Government asked the Scottish Funding Council to fund additional places in Scotland’s universities in AY 2020-21. These places will continue to be funded in AY 2021-22 along with further additional places for affected 2020 students starting their studies in AY 2021-22.

With the exception of the controlled subjects (i.e. medicine, pre-registration nursing and midwifery education, dentistry and initial teacher education), the Scottish Government does not direct individual institutions on the number of funded places to make available for eligible students.

Minimum entry requirements (access thresholds) for SIMD20 students have been set by all Scottish universities and were published for the very first time in 2019 (for AY 2020-21 entrants).

All of Scotland’s higher education institutions (excluding The Open University in Scotland as it has a different admissions system) have committed to guaranteeing an offer of an undergraduate place at university to care-experienced applicants who meet minimum entry requirements. This was effective from autumn 2019 for learners entering university in autumn 2020.

We remain absolutely committed to the principle that access to education should be based on the ability to learn and not the ability to pay. Every child growing up in Scotland, regardless of their background, should have an equal chance of attending university and participating in higher education.