Parliamentary questions
Jamie Greene
1,978 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
26 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on hospitality for events held in Bute House in each year since 2014.
Answer · George Adam: All Ministerial engagements for this time period are available here Ministerial Events (webarchive.org.uk) and Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . The following table shows the total costs for 2016 to 30-10-2023. Complet…
26 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many college places were available in STEM subjects in each of the last 10 years, also broken down by (a) headcount, (b) number of full-time equivalent places and (c) college.
Answer · Graeme Dey: We do not hold data on how many places were available in STEM subjects at College in each of the last 10 years. Funded places are not allocated to specific subjects, it is within the remit of colleges to distribute places to the set of subjects they each off…
25 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many children have been (a) placed in (i) foster and (ii) kinship care and (b) classed as homeless as a result of parental imprisonment, in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Natalie Don: Children’s Social Work Statistics data provides an annual breakdown of the number of children and young people being looked after in community and residential placement types. However, data is not currently collected on reasons for homelessness or the linkage…
25 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Govan Graving Dock was granted £2.4 million for its restoration, and whether any such grants are being considered for other dry docks in similar states of disuse.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Glasgow City Council were awarded funding from the low carbon Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP) to support its project at Govan Graving Docks in February 2023. The low carbon VDLIP is a capital programme which aims to tackle persistent va…
25 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the headcount of each of its (a) directorates and (b) agencies was in each year since 2015.
Answer · Shona Robison: The answer to this question has been lodged at the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe). The Bib reference number is 64638.
25 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many passengers boarded trains at stations in (a) Inverclyde and (b) North Ayrshire local authority areas from 1 January 2022 to 1 January 2023, broken down by (i) station and (ii) calendar month.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: This is an operational matter for ScotRail. The information requested is not held centrally by the Scottish Government.
24 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many times and (b) for how long on average the (i) A8, (ii) A78, (iii) A737, (iv) A71, (v) A77, (vi) A82 and (vii) M8 has been closed as a result of a crime scene investigation due to an accident in the last 10 years, and what factors affect the time that it takes to reopen roads…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Roads can be closed for a variety of reasons and we don’t hold specific data on the frequency or average duration of road closures for the purpose of crime scene investigation. The closure of a road in the aftermath of an accident is a matter for Police Scotl…
24 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered granting more seal control licences, in light of reported concerns from wild fisheries over the pressure on salmon populations posed by seals travelling up rivers including the Tay, Spey, and Dee.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scottish Ministers recognise that Atlantic salmon returning to Scottish rivers have been declining and that predation is a complex pressure impacting on the species. That is why the Scottish Government continues to support research into non-lethal solutions t…
24 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people in Scotland have died where malnutrition has been recorded as a principle or contributory cause of death, in each of the last 10 years.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The number of deaths where malnutrition was the underlying cause in any death over the past 10 years is as follows (Table 1): Table 1 - malnutrition (E40-E46) was the underlying cause Year 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 …
24 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people were admitted to hospital as a result of malnutrition in each of the last 10 years, broken down by (a) age and (b) NHS board.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The term ‘malnutrition’ can be used to mean a range of different conditions. The definition used here comprises a specific group of diagnoses which would be used to identify cases of protein/energy malnutrition (ICD-10 codes E40-E46 only). The number of pati…
18 Oct 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of new secondary school teachers.
11 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much NHS Scotland has spent on administration in each year since 2012, also broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. However, it is published annually by Public Health Services (PHS) in their ‘Scottish Health Service Costs’ report. The NHSScotland and Board level data from 19-20 to 21-22 can be viewed online …
11 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients with underlying health conditions have died as a result of norovirus or had norovirus listed as a contributory cause of mortality, in each year since 2015, also broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. Public Health Scotland (PHS) monitors and publishes weekly prevalence and surveillance management information data on laboratory confirmed reports of norovirus. All published reports can be fou…
11 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many dogs have been destroyed following a court of any type issuing a destruction order, in each year since 2012.
Answer · Angela Constance: This information is not held centrally and relates to operational matters that are the responsibility of the Scottish Court and Tribunals Service (SCTS) corporate body. The SCTS have provided the following table detailing how many orders of destruction were …
3 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many hospital admissions there have been as a result of deliberate self-harm by people aged (a) under 16 and (b) 16 and over, in each year since 2012.
Answer · Maree Todd: The Scottish Government will publish a dedicated self-harm strategy and action plan by the end of 2023, with the aim of ensuring people who self-harm, or who are at risk of self-harming, receive effective and compassionate support. This builds on our investme…
3 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) music, drama and art and (b) science teachers have been employed in secondary schools in each of the last 10 years, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The number of Full-time Equivalent (FTE) Secondary Teachers with Music, Drama or Art as their main subject taught, broken down by local authority, is shown in Table A. FTE teacher numbers with Science as the main subject taught are shown in Table B. Science i…
28 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) timescales and (b) processes it has in place to legislate to end so-called conversion practices in Scotland; what it anticipates such a ban will entail or encompass, and whether it considers there will be adequate time for consultation to allow for all views to be heard on the m…
Answer · Emma Roddick: The Scottish Government is committed to introducing a Bill on ending conversion practices in Scotland. A public consultation containing detailed proposals for legislative change will be published by the end of this calendar year. The consultation will allow u…
28 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what five subjects have most commonly been raised by members of the public through correspondence with the First Minister and cabinet secretaries in the last six months, and in how many instances each topic was raised.
Answer · George Adam: The Scottish Government receives correspondence on a wide variety of topics. However, our Correspondent Management System does not offer a feature in which most-common subjects can be viewed.
28 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much financial support it has given to credit unions in each year since 2015, broken down by the amount awarded to each union.
Answer · Neil Gray: Scottish Government grant making to the third sector, including credit unions, is allocated across portfolios to improve a wide range of outcomes. Some Scottish Government funding will also be issued through independent grant makers or intermediary organisati…
28 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) units have been achieved by prisoners in each year since 2018, broken down by subject.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The information requested relates to Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) data and is not held by the Scottish Government. SQA has advised that it does not collect candidate type data. However it does collect centre type data, which includes “HM Prisons” …
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to strengthen any deterrence or repercussions for making malicious calls to the emergency services, in light of reports that 219 malicious calls were made to the Scottish Ambulance Service between January and August 2023, with a year-on-year increase in such beha…
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government strongly condemns hoax calls to our emergency services. We continue to fully support the action taken by the Scottish Ambulance Service to report malicious or nuisance callers, when appropriate, to the police who will investigate and a…
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it can provide to all the relevant stakeholders to find a safe and permanent solution to the ongoing issues with the Ayr Station Hotel building, in light of repeated fire outbreaks affecting local transport, commuting and commercial activity.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government continues to provide support to South Ayrshire Council in relation to the Ayr Station Hotel building. I met with the leader of the council on October 11 on the subject of the station hotel building and remain open to further discussio…
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has concluded whether any further staff pay increases in the education sector (a) will be funded via additional money delivered to local authorities by the Scottish Government, (b) will be taken from existing wider local authority budgets or (c) can be paid for using Scottish …
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The education sector in Scotland has a wide range of different workforces with a range of different pay bargaining arrangements. Pay negotiations and agreements are at various different stages and funding arrangements across the sector vary significantly.
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors NHS Scotland and its procurement contracts and practices to ensure that they comply with all relevant laws governing corruption, bribery, fraud and theft and conform to adequate due diligence, in light of its status as a public body under the direction of the Scottish Min…
Answer · Michael Matheson: We take the threat from fraud very seriously and, through the NHS counter-fraud standards, continue to work with NHS Boards to combat fraud against our NHS to ensure that health funding is used where it is needed most – treating patients. Procurement by NHS …
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the financial profit or loss has been of the Scottish National Investment Bank in the last financial year, and what projects or investments constituted or affected these figures, broken down as far as it is publicly possible to do so.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish National Investment Bank published its Annual Accounts ( Annual Report and Accounts 2023 | Scottish National Investment Bank (thebank.scot) ) on 27 September 2023 and disclosed a loss before tax of £20.1 million. Page 128 shows the Statement o…
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on so-called buffer zones around medical facilities that offer abortion services.
Answer · Jenni Minto: The Abortion Services (Safe Access Zones) (Scotland) Bill was introduced to Parliament on 5 October 2023 by Ms Gillian Mackay MSP. The Scottish Government has been working with Ms Mackay to draft and develop the Bill for the past 12 months, and I would like t…
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates that Glasgow Prestwick Airport will be returned to private commercial operation and ownership; what work is being undertaken to market the commercial opportunity; how much has been spent in total to date on marketing the airport as…
Answer · Neil Gray: Scottish Ministers' stated objective remains to return Glasgow Prestwick Airport to private ownership when the time and circumstances are right to do so and when a sale will provide the best possible return on our investment in this strategic asset. Glasgow …
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21311 by Paul McLennan on 26 September 2023, in order to ensure there is clarity for the general public, whether it will clarify how it defines "benefits in kind" in its answer; how it clearly defines what constitutes a "home exchange"; how this def…
Answer · Paul McLennan: My previous reply to question S6W-21311 set out that home exchanges are within scope of short-term let licensing legislation. This is because the host is benefitting from exchanging their accommodation, whether this is by gaining 'points' for letting their ac…
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it plans to take to improve life expectancy (a) holistically as a nation and (b) to address any regional disparities within Scotland, in light of statistics showing that it has fallen for three consecutive periods and, on average, is around three years less than in England.
Answer · Jenni Minto: It remains an unwelcome reality that our communities experience health, quality of life and even life expectancy differently across our society. Increasing healthy life expectancy and reducing health inequalities across Scotland remains a clear ambition for t…
27 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many officials accompanied the First Minister on his trip to New York for New York Climate Week in September 2023, and what the total cost was of the trip.
Answer · George Adam: Scottish Government will be releasing information on outcomes, achievements and costs associated with this trip before the end of the year. This will include the information you have requested.