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: S6W-29280

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27776 by Tom Arthur on 7 June 2024, how Scotland has performed relative to other UK nations and regions on inward investment, both from UK located firms and foreign firms, in each of the last five years.

The latest EY Attractiveness survey, published 11 July 2024, shows that for the ninth consecutive year Scotland was the top performing part of the UK for foreign direct investment (FDI) projects outside of London. Scotland remains highly attractive as an FDI destination, with 26% of investors looking to invest or expand in Scotland in the next year. This is up from 19.2% in 2022 and ranks behind only London – as well as being well ahead of the UK’s other regions and devolved administrations.

Information on how Scotland has performed relative to other UK nations and regions are available via the EY attractiveness survey (the latest results can be found here: ) and the Department for Business and Trade Inward Investment Results (the latest results can be found here:

The Minister for Employment and Investment's answer to your question S6W-28567 on 30 July 2024 provided details on investment in Scotland for the past five years from a UK-based parent company. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-29556

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28739 by Tom Arthur on 29 August 2024, whether it will outline the scale of the limited exception applied to each receiving body, including (a) grant amount and (b) number of employees affected.

Question reference: S6W-29491

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28739 by Tom Arthur on 29 August 2024, how many public sector (a) grants and (b) contracts that have been awarded since 1 July 2023 have exempted the receiving body from complying with the "effective workers' voice" criteria, broken down by the (i) receiving body and (ii) reason for exemption.

(a) There are no exemptions to the Fair Work First conditions in public sector grants. There is provision in the Fair Work First policy for limited exceptions where a potential grant recipient cannot afford to pay the real Living Wage to all or part(s) of its workforce and so is unable to accept the standard grant conditions regarding payment of the real Living Wage. There is no provision for an exception to meeting the effective voice condition. Funders may apply flexibility to recognise the different forms of voice that are appropriate for different organisations. The Fair Work First guidance is available here: .

(b) For information on the number of contracts including Fair Work First considerations, I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-28739 on 29 August 2024 and S6W-28738 on 23 August 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at /chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

Question reference: S6W-29538

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours of civil servants' time was spent (a) preparing the Fairer Workplaces Fund to open and (b) processing applications prior to the fund being cancelled.

Question reference: S6W-29539

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 16 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses and organisations applied for funding from the Fairer Workplaces Fund prior to it being closed on 21 August 2024.

Question reference: S6W-29275

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) Economic Leadership Group was established, and how many times it has met.

Question reference: S6W-29666

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26079 by Richard Lochhead on 19 March 2024, when the innovation scorecard will be published, in line with the National Innovation Strategy.

As you are aware, the Scottish Government’s National Innovation Strategy included an action to publish an annual innovation scorecard allowing us to track our progress towards becoming a more innovative nation across multiple key metrics.

The first iteration of the scorecard, showing our baseline performance, was published alongside National Innovation Strategy last summer and the next iteration will be published this year.

Question reference: S6W-29313

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many regulations have been removed as per advice from the Regulatory Review Group since it was relaunched in autumn 2023 as recommended by the New Deal for Business Group.

Question reference: S6W-29425

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its position to issue fair work grants and, if so, by what date it will do so.

As announced on 21 August as part of emergency budget controls, the Fairer Workplaces Fund 2024 to 2025 has been cancelled.

This is just one of a number of spending plans that we have been forced to withdraw due to the extremely challenging financial position faced by the Scottish Government following the continuing effects of Brexit, the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis, alongside UK Government spending decisions. This does not in any way change our commitment to Fair Work or desire to promote Fair Work in Scotland. We continue to take forward the range of actions within the Fair Work Action Plan and to embed Fair Work throughout the delivery of the programme for government.

Question reference: S6O-03712

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the latest achievement rates for Modern Apprenticeships across all frameworks.