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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: S6W-08362

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08000 by Kate Forbes on 25 April 2022, how many candidates with agricultural experience applied for the recently advertised vacancies.

South of Scotland Enterprise advertised for four new Board members in Autumn 2021. Applicants were asked to demonstrate evidence of their skills, knowledge and experience in one of three areas: land based industries; governance/strategic management; or digital transformation.

The Scottish Government received 47 completed applications for the advertised vacancies. Of these, over a third (16 applicants) set out evidence under the ‘land-based industry’ criterion. However, it is possible that other applicants, who chose to set out evidence against one of the other criteria instead, may also have experience in land based industries.

Question reference: S6W-08344

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economics of processing Scotland’s scrap steel domestically.

Question reference: S6W-08331

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with the British Standards Institute regarding the timeline for establishing the proposed Scottish Technical Group, to help ensure that PAS regulations can be tailored for rural and coastal housing stock, climate and geography.

We are continuing to work with the BSI to finalise the membership and terms of reference for a new Scottish technical group to help achieve this. The membership of the group will include a representative who can highlight the needs and concerns of remote rural and island communities in Scotland. We expect the new group to identify and establish good practice for retrofitting traditional properties in more exposed locations, such as coastal and island communities.

The process of reaching out to potential members of the new group has been started and we expect the first meeting of the new group to take place during the Summer.

Question reference: S6W-08345

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the economics of electric arc furnaces in Scotland.

As noted in the reply to question S6W-08344, we commissioned independent research into the steel sector in Scotland: this included consideration of the scope for electric arc furnaces in Scotland. We would encourage any company interested in developing an electric arc furnace to seek advice and support from their local Enterprise Agency. These are large-scale ambitions that need large-scale solutions and will require significant private sector investment.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-08290

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to provide access for patients with long COVID to laboratory-based long COVID studies.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Scientist Office (CSO) supports research grant schemes providing funding opportunities for applied research projects across the range of NHS, health and care challenges in Scotland. These are open to applications for research projects on long-COVID involving long-COVID patients that could include laboratory-based analyses. Applications to these schemes undergo independent expert peer-review with funding recommendations made by independent expert committees. CSO funded NHS Research Scotland infrastructure also provides support for research in this area including to recruit patients to the UK-wide Post-hospitalisation COVID-19 study to understand and improve long-term health outcomes for patients who have been in hospital with COVID-19.

Question reference: S6F-01094

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will convene an emergency summit on abortion healthcare in response to anti-abortion rights action in Scotland and around the world.

Question reference: S6F-01081

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the report published last Friday, Owning the Future: A framework of regulations for decarbonising owner-occupied homes in Scotland, commissioned by the Existing Homes Alliance.

Question reference: S6F-01082

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022

To ask the First Minister what meetings the Scottish Government has had with the private and voluntary nursery sector regarding the delivery of its early learning and childcare strategy.

Question reference: S6F-01083

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.

Question reference: S6F-01075

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 May 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.