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-01718

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reconsider its position on further regulating the ownership of American XL bully dogs in Scotland, in light of reports that widespread rehoming from England to Scotland is raising public safety and animal welfare concerns.

Question reference: S6W-22521

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 21 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on hospitality for events held in Bute House in each year since 2014.

Question reference: S6W-23621

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards closing the attainment gap among school pupils.

The latest 2022-23 Achievement of Curriculum for Excellence Levels (ACEL) data, published last week, show that the proportions of pupils in primary achieving expected levels of literacy and numeracy have reached record highs for children from both the most and least deprived areas, with the poverty-related attainment gap in primary literacy decreasing to its lowest on record, and the gap in primary numeracy also narrowing from 2021-22 levels. These latest figures also show improvements at secondary level compared to 2021-22, with increases in attainment across the board and the gap between those from the most and least deprived areas narrowing.

Last week’s ACEL results build on the good progress already made this year, shown in both the 2023 Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) results and the 2023 Summary Statistics for Attainment and Initial Leaver Destinations (SSAILD). The latest SQA results show the poverty-related attainment gap remains narrower than it was pre-pandemic (2019) for National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers, at grades A-C and SSAILD data shows a record low poverty-related attainment gap in positive destinations for 2021-22 school leavers 9 months after leaving school. We have also seen a record high number of students from deprived areas entering university, with 5,595 Scots getting places, up 41% since 2014-15.

A detailed breakdown of attainment and the poverty-related attainment gap can be found on the Scottish Government website - and .

All of this, as well as the ambitious stretch aims local authorities had set for 2022-23 and have now set for 2023-24 to 2025-26, gives me confidence that we are making progress; and the Scottish Attainment Challenge programme, in which we are investing £1bn this parliamentary term, is having an impact.

But while there is clear evidence of progress, there is much more to do. I recognise the need to continuously improve our Curriculum in a planned and systematic way, as recommended by the OECD. We need to do so, to ensure it remains relevant, forward looking and ultimately supports high quality teaching and learning. That is why in 2024 we will begin a regular Curriculum improvement cycle. Our programme of reform across the education and skills system will help identify where further improvements can be made and I will look to drive enhanced attainment and make further progress in closing the poverty-related attainment gap, to ensure all young people meet their full potential.

Question reference: S6F-02673

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2023

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government can promote and assist organisations that tackle loneliness, isolation and self-harm over the festive period.

Question reference: S6W-23214

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22900 by Jenni Minto on 22 November 2023, whether it will provide the current percentage of P7 children with no obvious tooth decay in each individual NHS board, also broken down by SIMD quintile, as set out in Table 5 of the National Dental Inspection Programme report for 2022.

Question reference: S6W-23279

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the British Transport Police regarding expanding its remit beyond rail travel to other public transport networks, such as trams, as is the case with the London Tramlink.

Question reference: S6T-01658

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the finance secretary’s letter to the Finance and Public Administration Committee on 21 November, whether it will provide an update on the delivery of “vessels and piers” projects, including the Small Vessels Replacement Programme and the port works at Ardrossan and Gourock harbours.

Question reference: S6W-22968

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many prisoners have (a) died from and (b) attempted suicide in each of the last 10 years, and what information it has on how many were (i) considered at risk of attempting suicide and (ii) receiving treatment for mental health problems, broken down by (A) institution and (B) gender.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

In relation to part (a) of the question, information regarding Deaths in Prison Custody (including apparent cause of death, location and gender) can be found on the SPS website here:

In relation to Parts (b) and (ii) of the question, SPS do not record this information.

In relation to part (i) of the question, of those individuals who died by apparent suicide within the last 10 years, 14 were recorded as being on SPS’s Suicide Prevention Strategy at the time of death.

Question reference: S6W-22899

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 27 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report of the National Dental Inspection Programme 2023, for what reason only 21.9% of P7 pupils received a “detailed inspection”, and whether any target was in place for the (a) number and (b) percentage of P7 pupils that should receive a “detailed inspection”, between November 2022 and June 2023.

Question reference: S6W-22900

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 22 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide current data on the percentage of P7 children with no obvious tooth decay experience broken down by (a) Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation (SIMD) quintile and (b) NHS board area, in light of the latter breakdown being included in the 2022 report of the National Dental Inspection Programme but not the 2023 report.

Year	Total Costs
2016	£4,535.94
2017	£8,915.92
2018	£22,542.65
2019	£22,389.84
2020	£5,193.30
2021	£533.00
2022	£15,878.45
2023	£5,118.73