Parliamentary questions

Jamie Greene

1,978 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

13 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14258 by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 7 February 2023, how many visits ministers have made to state schools over the course of the current parliamentary session, and how many invitations to visit independent schools have been received by ministers ove…

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: During this period Scottish ministers received 27 formal invitations to visit independent schools and at least two visits have taken place. Government officials have ongoing engagement with the Scottish Council of Independent Schools to discuss a range of iss…

3 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding the impact in Scotland, to the Cancer Research (a) UK report, Cancer in the UK: Overview 2023 and (b) Scotland-specific overview, Cancer in the UK: Deprivation and cancer inequalities in Scotland.

Answer · Humza Yousaf: In regards to the Scotland-specific overview, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-13419 on 23 January 2023. Furthermore, the Scottish Government recognises that while more people are being diagnosed with cancer, more people are also being cured …

3 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to mark CyberScotland Week 2023 and, if so, how.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is a founding partner of CyberScotland Week which is celebrating its fifth year. The Scottish Government has also set up the CyberScotland Partnership which now manages the Week. This year there are over 100 events taking place across…

2 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the VisitScotland publication, Scotland. Made for Cycling, published in January 2023.

Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government notes the Made for Cycling report and recognises the opportunity on offer for Scottish cycling tourism to further develop and for Scotland to establish itself as a world-class cycling destination, as identified within the publication. …

2 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to restoring 20,000 hectares of Scottish peatland annually, as set out in its Programme for Government 2020-21, and for what reason it reportedly fell 14,630 hectares short of this target in 2021-22.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: We remain committed to significantly increasing the rate of restoration as one of the transformative changes needed to meet the targets set out in the Climate Change Plan. In 2020 we set out ambitious plans to invest more than £250 million over ten years to r…

2 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of children living in temporary accommodation has risen by 31% in three years to 9,130.

Answer · Shona Robison: The number of households, and particularly those with children, in temporary accommodation in some local authorities is unacceptably high. I have written to the Housing Conveners of the councils with temporary accommodation increases, requesting an urgent mee…

2 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report, Caledonian Pinewoods: Findings from the Caledonian Pinewood Recovery Project, Trees for Life, which was published in February 2023.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Scottish Government recognise that Scotland’s Caledonian Pinewoods are an irreplaceable and iconic habitat which is a treasured part of Scotland’s natural heritage. Scottish Forestry, NatureScot and Forestry and Land Scotland were partners in this project alo…

2 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of debt collectors acting on behalf of British Gas breaking into customers’ homes, whether it is aware of any such instances having taken place in Scotland, and if this is the case, how many such instances it is aware of, and what discussions it has had with British …

Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government has been made aware of incidents of force-fitted installations of prepayment meters across different suppliers, although it does not hold information on the number or nature of those incidents. While policy on energy markets is a matte…

2 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average waiting time is between passing out of the Police College in Tulliallan and doing the Emergency Response Driver Training, broken down by division in each year for which data is available, and how many police officers are currently on a waiting list for their Emer…

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government is grateful to all officers who provide a blue light response as they attend serious incidents. The additional skills gained by officers as they undertake emergency response driver training is integral to providing an effective and saf…

2 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14257 by Elena Whitham on 30 January 2023, whether it will name the (a) 220 fire stations that were assessed as “poor or bad with regards suitability”, (b) 11 fire stations identified that do not have a water supply and (c) fire stations that do not…

Answer · Elena Whitham: I refer the member to the question S6W-14257 on 30 January 2023. Detail on the facilities in place at fire stations and their condition is a matter for the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service. Work is underway across the SFRS estate to improve facilities within …

1 Feb 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) summary and (b) solemn cases resulted in a community payback order (CPO) being issued, broken down by each year for which data is available.

Answer · Keith Brown: February 2011 saw the introduction of Community Payback Orders (CPO), making 2011-12 the first full financial year for which this disposal was available. The latest available information, by court type, is provided in the following table which is based on pe…

1 Feb 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the value of outdoor education to children and young people.

31 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many knives have been confiscated in schools in each year since 2019, broken down by the age of pupil.

Answer · Keith Brown: The Scottish Government does not hold data on the number of knives confiscated in schools, though information is available on the number of recorded crimes of having in a school an article with a blade or point. This is provided in the following table. At lea…

31 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) teachers and (b) pupils have been (i) hospitalised or (ii) required police/ambulance assistance as a result of violence in schools in each year since 2007.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: This information is not held centrally.

31 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Water uses dowsing rods and, if so, how much it has spent on these in each of the last four years.

Answer · Michael Matheson: As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked Douglas Millican, Chief Executive, to respond. His response is as follows: Scottish Water does not support or encourage the use of dowsing and provides its employees with equipment and trainin…

31 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Police Scotland recording that 30% of the people referred to its Prevent de-radicalisation programme in 2021-22 were aged under 15.

Answer · Keith Brown: National Security, which includes the Prevent strategy, is reserved to the UK Government but delivered through devolved functions in Scotland. Prevent has been a statutory duty on Policing, Healthcare, Education, Local Authorities and Prisons in the UK as a w…

26 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of Operation Close Pass, and whether Police Scotland has plans for another campaign of this nature.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: Operation Close Pass is an ongoing exercise carried out by Police Scotland and aligns with the latest version of the Highway Code introduced in January 2022 which highlights leaving at least 1.5 metres when overtaking people cycling at speeds of up to 30mph a…

26 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any disproportionate financial impacts of the Deposit Return Scheme on poorer households.

Answer · Lorna Slater: A Fairer Scotland Impact Assessment (FSIA) looked at the additional initial outlay on ONS Household groups. This was both as a percentage of a grocery shop as well as a percentage of mean net income. The results can be found in the Annex A of the FSIA at: ht…

25 Jan 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the latest reported NFU Scotland Intentions Survey results, which found that "almost two-thirds of all respondents identified future agricultural policy as the most significant threat" to their business.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: We continue to support active farming and food production with direct payments to provide certainty to the industry. We delivered 2021 Common Agriculture Policy (CAP) payments to schedule with over £564 million issued. In 2022, we brought forward the payment …

25 Jan 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support young people with speech difficulties.