Questions and answers

Chamber and committees

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 ��˿�� 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: S6T-01004

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to tackle cancer inequalities.

Question reference: S6W-11981

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last communicated with the UK Government regarding the roll-out of autumn or winter 2022 COVID-19 vaccinations, and what was discussed.

As in all previous phases of the pandemic, Scottish Government officials continue to meet with and communicate with their UK Government and other Four Nations counterparts almost daily, on a range of different areas of work related to COVID-19 vaccination.

Regular topics of discussions include security and supply, communications and marketing approaches, data collection and analysis, COVID-19 policy and planning, the progress of our respective winter COVID-19 vaccination programmes across the Four Nations and to share learning and best practice.

Question reference: S6W-11979

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is assessing the success of its winter 2022-23 COVID-19 vaccination roll-out, compared with the rest of the UK.

Scotland is making excellent progress in the winter vaccination programme, when compared to the other UK nations. The latest published figures show that, as at 6 th November, Scotland has provided 87.8% of older adult care home residents and 55.7% of those aged 50 and over with a winter COVID-19 vaccine.

While differences in the way statistics are collected means that the figures are not always directly comparable, England has reported an uptake of 58.0% among older adult care home residents, and 53.5% among those aged 50 and over as at 6 th November.

Scotland’s winter vaccination programme also compares favourably to that of Wales, where, according to the latest data, 80.4% of older adult care home residents and 53.0% of those aged 50 and over have taken up the offer of a winter COVID-19 vaccination.

Question reference: S6W-12144

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11720 by Jenny Gilruth on 8 November 2022, which (a) ferries and (b) routes in the west of Scotland were used by CMAL and the University of Strathclyde in the UK Government-funded feasibility study for Scottish Enterprise of the technical and commercial possibilities of using hydrogen in zero-emission ferries, and whether the findings of this study have been published.

Question reference: S6O-01586

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance ministers have had with ministerial colleagues regarding any plans to investigate the feasibility of a land value tax.

Question reference: S6W-11980

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 16 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is reviewing whether to incorporate provision for “low-noise” or “silent” fireworks into the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 via regulation.

During the development of the Fireworks and Pyrotechnic Articles (Scotland) Act 2022 (“the Act”) the possibility of exempting “silent” or “low noise” fireworks from the provisions which aim to address the noise and disturbance associated with fireworks was considered. However engagement with a range of stakeholders, including industry experts, has confirmed that at present there is no recognised standard or specification for identifying, and therefore distinguishing, such fireworks. It is therefore not possible to exempt “low noise” fireworks from provisions within the Act at this time.

The Act does, however, include a regulation making power to enable this to be amended in future should such standards or specifications make this possible. We are continuing to engage with the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regarding the results of noise level testing undertaken on common firework products. This will improve our understanding of whether any common firework products can be considered as low noise fireworks, as well as the scope to move towards such recognised standards or specifications.

Question reference: S6W-11295

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 14 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care to the Member of 7 July 2022, whether it has taken forward discussions with Healthcare Improvement Scotland (HIS) officials to ascertain whether there are any concerns in relation to the regulation of private first aid companies which provide medical cover at events across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-11719

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 14 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has set a decarbonisation target for the (a) passenger ferry and (b) maritime freight sector.

The Scottish Government is committed to the decarbonisation of the transport sector in a sustainable way to deliver a just transition. Our Climate Change Plan includes a commitment that by 2032, 30 per cent of Scottish Government owned ferries will be low emission.

With regards to the wider shipping and maritime sectors, we are committed to working with the UK Government and other governments to support decarbonisation proposals at a UK level and those globally significant proposals originating from the International Maritime Organisation such as the potential to introduce a global levy on marine fuel to fund research into cleaner technologies and fuels.

Question reference: S6W-11723

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it had made of (a) crew safety, (b) crew accommodation, (c) crewing levels, (d) catering provision and (e) freight volumes when it reportedly decided against the acquisition of catamaran vessels in the past year for the purposes of public ferry crossings.

The Scottish Government has not undertaken an assessment of catamaran vessels in the past year. Any such assessments have been undertaken by Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) supported by independent naval architectural consultancy.

As was widely reported at the time, CMAL gave detailed consideration to the opportunity to purchase a catamaran already under construction. This was not pursued primarily due to concerns that the vessel would not meet regulatory requirements for service on the Clyde and Hebrides services, a decision endorsed by the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-11716

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 9 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions regarding (a) wages and (b) terms and conditions it has had with any (i) owners and (ii) representatives of Hinduja Global Solutions since 2007.

South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE), the Scottish Government’s dedicated economic agency for the South of Scotland, has had the most recent discussions with Hinduja Global Solutions about its fair work practices, including wages and terms and conditions. These discussions formed part of the work to secure a SOSE grant to support the creation of up to 250 jobs.

SOSE advised in discussions with Hinduja Global Solutions that organisations supported through grant funding would be committing to adopting Fair Work First in the delivery of projects which are funded by SOSE. The terms of grant award included such reference of committing to working on becoming a Fair Work employer, plus working towards achieving the Fair Work First criteria including:

appropriate channels for effective voice, such as trade union recognition.
investment in workforce development.
no inappropriate use of zero hours contracts.
action to tackle the gender pay gap and create a more diverse and inclusive workplace.
payment of the real Living Wage.
offering flexible and family friendly working practices for all workers from day one of their employment; and
opposing the use of fire and rehire practices.

Hinduja Global Solutions is also required to work with SOSE, Skills Development Scotland, education and training organisations and/or institutions to recruit “disadvantaged workers” and long-term youth unemployed, and from areas of multiple deprivation.

Prior to the formation of SOSE, Scottish Enterprise (SE) worked with Hinduja Global Solutions to support new inward investment opportunities, and as with all companies it works with, SE encouraged progressive working practices in its discussions with the company.