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 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.

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Question reference: S6W-27609

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the findings from the second phase of the local governance review.

The Scottish Government will publish the findings from the second phase of the Local Governance Review’s community engagement process, Democracy Matters, in Summer 2024. Alongside this we will provide an update on our wider work with COSLA to conclude the review including the development of place specific, single authority, governance models. We will also set out the next steps in our work to deliver reforms that can further empower communities to take a greater role in local decision-making.

Question reference: S6W-27579

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the reasons are for the reported delays to the implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020, and whether it will update the Parliament on its progress before the summer recess.

I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-26002 on 18 March 2024, which provides an update on implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020 (the 2020 Act). 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/questions-and-answers .

This answer refers to a submission to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee in relation to Petition PE1968 outlining our position on implementation of the 2020 Act and the commencement status of provisions.

The Cabinet Secretary for Justice & Home Affairs also provided the Criminal Justice Committee with an update on implementation of previously passed legislation, including the 2020 Act, in the context of the Victims, Witnesses, and Justice Reform (Scotland) Bill: Letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Justice and Home Affairs .

Question reference: S6W-27581

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to lay regulations related to child contact centres under the Children (Scotland) Act 2020.

I refer the Member to the answer to question S6W-26002 on 18 March 2024, which provides an update on implementation of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020. 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/questions-and-answers .

On child contact centres, the Scottish Government is preparing Scottish Statutory Instruments on the regulation of these services. We hope to be in a position to lay these SSIs before Parliament later this year.

Question reference: S6W-27479

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the concerns raised by the group, Children's Hearings Scotland Scandal, whether it has made any representations to the UK Government regarding including volunteer panel members of Children's Hearings Scotland under existing whistleblowing law.

The Public Interest Disclosure Act 1998 offers legal protections to workers. Workers are defined in the Act where they have a contract or other arrangement to do work or services personally for a reward; their reward is for money or a benefit in kind, for example the promise of a contract or future work; they only have a limited right to send someone else to do the work (subcontract); their employer has to have work for them to do as long as the contract or arrangement lasts; they are not doing the work as part of their own limited company in an arrangement where the ‘employer’ is a customer or client.

Panel members within Scotland’s children’s hearings system are volunteers. The inclusion of volunteers within the Act is a matter for the UK government. By virtue of Schedule 2 Children's Hearings (Scotland) Act 2011 the Panel members are appointed by the National Convener rather than Scottish Ministers.

Ministers and Scottish Government officials have clearly and comprehensively explained the Scottish Government’s position in relation to the matters raised by the group of former panel members and their representatives on numerous occasions dating back several years.

Scottish Ministers are satisfied that there are appropriate safeguards and procedures in place for any panel member to raise a concern or complaint via the Children’s Hearing Scotland (CHS) complaints procedure, with appropriate recourse to appeal to the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman. As such, Scottish Ministers do not feel it is appropriate to raise this subject with the UK Government

Question reference: S6W-27278

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to attract more airlines to establish direct routes to Scotland, and what its position is on whether its planned Air Departure Tax could be used to improve the competitiveness of Scotland's airports as hubs within Europe and the UK.

The Scottish Government has always recognised the importance of Scotland’s international connectivity. Our ambition is to make Scotland at least as well connected as peer nations. Transport Scotland, in partnership with VisitScotland and Scottish Development International, works to help Scotland’s airports secure new routes that are essential for inbound tourism, business connectivity and the economy as a whole. Recent successes include direct routes from Atlanta, Calgary and Beijing and we look forward to welcoming the arrival of a new airline for Scotland later this month, with JetBlue launching their first ever Scottish service to New York JFK.

Representatives from the cross government partnership recently took part in the route development forum Routes Europe 2024, meeting with a number of airlines to discuss future opportunities and promote Scotland as a market that can sustain more direct connectivity.

The Scottish Government recognises that tax is one factor in airlines’ decision-making on where to fly. We will review the rates and bands of Air Departure Tax prior to the implementation of the tax once a solution to the Highland & Islands exemption has been identified.

Question reference: S6W-27610

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 21 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to respond to the recommendations of the Scottish Local Authorities Remuneration Committee.

Question reference: S6W-27580

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made provision within its 2024-25 Budget for child welfare reporters, in light of the Children (Scotland) Act 2020, and when it expects any new child welfare reporters to be appointed.

Question reference: S6W-27705

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of a backlog of over 1,600 short-term let applications to the City of Edinburgh Council, and whether it can provide further support to the Council to ensure that any backlog is cleared as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6W-27706

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the announcement that Right There has ended its contract with the City of Edinburgh Council, and what assessment it has made of the potential impact on homelessness services within Edinburgh as a result of this decision.

Question reference: S6W-27382

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 17 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18553 by Emma Roddick on 14 June 2023, whether it has since received the initial findings, and whether it will publish these in due course.

The archival analysis element of the research is underway and the report is currently being drafted. We anticipate receiving the report from this work towards the end of summer 2024. The contract for the qualitative research was tendered twice but no compliant bids were received.

We intend to publish the report from the archival analysis in due course, and will work to ensure those who wish to provide feedback and share their experiences will be able to do so. We will then consider next steps thereafter.