Miles Briggs

10 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with airport operators regarding ending airport drop-off fees for blue badge holders.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has not had any recent discussions with airport operators in relation to drop-off fees for blue badge holders.Aberdeen, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Prestwick, and Inverness Airports already offer free access to allow drop-off and pick-up for B…

10 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupil support assistants have been trained to carry out invasive medical procedures in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The information you have requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.

10 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns of the operators that will be required to apply the City of Edinburgh Council’s visitor levy to advance bookings from 1 October 2025, that they have not been provided with practical guidance on how to do so, and whether it has engaged w…

Answer · Ivan McKee: The City of Edinburgh Council has published detailed information on the implementation of its visitor levy scheme, including the treatment of advance bookings. The Council has committed to providing further practical guidance and support to accommodation prov…

10 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38195 by Fiona Hyslop on 13 June 2025, what its position is on the introduction of a potential traffic congestion charge by the City of Edinburgh Council.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government’s position on the introduction of a potential traffic congestion charge by the City of Edinburgh Council remains the same as the one referenced in my response to S6W-38195. Local authorities have existing discretionary powers to …

10 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the framework legislation on the matter, how it will enforce Sections 13 and 19 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 to ensure that funds raised by a local authority through such a levy are reinvested in tourist infrastructure only.

Answer · Ivan McKee: Sections 13 and 19 of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 set out requirements for local authorities to consult prior to introducing a visitor levy scheme, and to use the net proceeds of any scheme to support facilities and services substantially for or used…

10 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many pupils attending independent schools have been charged for in-hospital educational support in each year since 1999, broken down by local authority area.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: This information is not held centrally by the Scottish Government. Decisions about the fees for hospital education services are a matter for local authorities and NHS boards to consider as appropriate.

10 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-38180 by Ivan McKee on 9 June 2025 regarding the current model of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024, whether it will (a) provide an update on the progress of the discussions with the tourism sector regarding the model, including any proposed alte…

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government has engaged extensively with the tourism sector throughout the development of the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024, including through a national consultation and the establishment of an Expert Group chaired by VisitScotland.Ministers a…

10 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of people residing in Scotland being liable for such payments, whether it will hold a public information campaign highlighting who might be asked to pay a visitor levy as a consequence of the discretionary powers made available through the Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of clear public communication and is working with VisitScotland and other partners to develop guidance and support materials. It is primarily for local authorities to make visitors aware of any levy in operati…

4 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the costs associatedwith the production and publication of the paper, Your Right to Decide.

Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government has consistently proactively published information on costs for independence papers, once all costs have been incurred.Costs associated with the publication of the Your Right To Decide paper will be available in due course.

3 Sep 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government at what stage the current funding application is for the Edinburgh Biomes project at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

2 Sep 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish, for each year since 2020, school-level data showing the (a) number and (b) percentage of pupils attaining (i) SQA National Qualifications at SCQF Level 6 (Highers and equivalent) and (ii) other SCQF Level 6 awards, such as Foundation Apprenticeships and National …

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government has published school-level information in the Schools Information Dashboard covering the percentage of pupils attaining qualifications at each SCQF level. This covers all SCQF qualifications including National Qualifications and vocati…

25 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports in The Herald on 16 August 2025 and analysis carried out by STL Solutions Ltd into the determination of short-term let (STL) planning applications by the City of Edinburgh Council, what its position is on whether (a) the reported refusal by the City of Edinburgh Coun…

Answer · Ivan McKee: All applications for planning permission are decided on their own merits and, by law, must be determined in accordance with the development plan, unless material considerations indicate otherwise. The development plan consists of both National Planning Framew…

25 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how much has been spent on removing chewing gum in each local authority area in each year since 1999.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Local authorities are responsible for setting budgets for street cleansing within their council area.As chewing gum is a problematic form of litter that is difficult to remove, a UK-wide Chewin…

25 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours NHS staff spent on clinical trials and research as part of protected development working time in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board. 

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government does not hold this data.

25 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many clinical trials have taken place in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board. 

Answer · Neil Gray: NHS Research Scotland holds a record of the number of clinical studies that Health Boards participate in each year. These data are held from 2014 to present and indicate a range of study numbers from 1464 to 1711 over this time period.Noting that clinical stu…

25 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many hours NHS staff have spent on trainee research as part of protected development working time in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board

Answer · Neil Gray: The specific information - the number of hours NHS staff have spent on trainee research as part of protected development working time - requested is not gathered or held centrally by Scottish Government. This is a matter for the individual Health Boards.The S…

25 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what the average waiting time for a growing space/allotment has been in each local authority area in each year since 1999. 

Answer · Jim Fairlie: Part 9 of the Community Empowerment Act (Scotland) 2015, which updated and simplified allotment legislation, placed a number of duties on local authorities in relation to allotments including a duty to prepare a Food Growing Strategy and annual allotment repo…

25 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the new Scottish Life Sciences Strategy.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: Scottish Government is working closely with industry to refresh the Life Sciences Strategy for Scotland 2025 Vision which was published in 2017. The new strategy will set out ambitions for the Life Sciences in Scotland from 2025 - 2035 and is expected to be p…

25 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many bowling greens/bowling clubs there have been in each local authority area in each year since 1999. 

Answer · Maree Todd: The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.Bowls Scotland, the Scottish Governing Body for the sport, is responsible for the development of the sport in Scotland and you may wish to contact them for the requested information.

19 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had regarding including methanol awareness in the school curriculum.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-37406 on 19 May 2025. 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/w…

11 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance is provided to NHS boards regarding charging patients for certain GP letters.

Answer · Neil Gray: The circumstances in which independent GP contractors can charge their patients for services not covered by their contracts are set out in schedule 5 of the National Health Service (General Medical Services Contracts) (Scotland) Regulations 2018 (box brackets…

6 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many children and young people have received treatment for an eating disorder in private healthcare facilities in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government does not collect or hold this data centrally.Public Health Scotland holds information on NHS patients treated in non-NHS healthcare facilities. 14 children and young people received treatment for an eating disorder in non-NHS healthcar…

6 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have received treatment for an eating disorder in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The table below contains the requested data concerning the number of children and young people who have received treatment for an eating disorder in each year from 1999-2023, broken down by NHS Board. The latest year in the time range is 2023, which is the mo…

6 Aug 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many children and young people have been placed in adult services to receive treatment for an eating disorder in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government does not collect or hold this data centrally.We expect children and young people who need inpatient mental health care to be looked after in age-appropriate specialist facilities. However, there may be occasions when it isn’t pos…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many postgraduate study places have been offered at Scottish universities in each year since 1999.

Answer · Graeme Dey: Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of postgraduate places that have been offered at Scottish universities.Information on the number of students enrolled on postgraduate courses is published by the Scottish Funding Council annually. La…

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many Scotland-domiciled students have accessed doctoralloans in each year since 1999.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government does not provide Scottish domiciled students with doctoral research loans.Scottish Government does not hold information on the number of Scottish domiciled students accessing doctoral loans for universities out with Scotland.

31 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review doctoral level funding in Scotland, in light of access to repayable doctoral loans being available to students residing in England and Wales, but not to those in Scotland.

Answer · Graeme Dey: The Scottish Government recognises that Scotland’s world class university research and its key outputs of new knowledge and insights, including the researchers who contribute to this excellence, are fundamental to Scottish society, economy and the envir…

7 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many recorded accidents there have been on the Edinburgh City Bypass in each year since 1999.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The following table provides the number of injury road collisions recorded by Police Scotland as taking place on the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass.YearNumber of injury collisions199943200043200146200241200348200452200541200662200766200851200942201043201142201261…

7 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent from Pupil Equity Funding on additional staffing in schools since its introduction, broken down by local authority.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Specific data on staffing expenditure from Pupil Equity Funding in schools, broken down by local authority, is not held centrally.Since Pupil Equity Funding’s introduction in 2017-18, over £1billion has been allocated to Scotland’s schools, …

7 Jul 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many recorded (a) closures and (b) delays there have been on the Edinburgh City Bypass in each year since 1999.

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Since August 2020 there have been 123 Critical Incidents and 1041 Disruptive Incidents on the A720 Edinburgh City Bypass section managed by Transport Scotland. This period covers approximately 1688 days. Critical Incidents cover the most significant incidents…