Meeting of the Parliament

Portfolio Questions Covid-19 Recovery and Parliamentary Business Claire Baker S6O-02063 1. To ask the Scottish Government how it is progressing its Covid Recovery Strategy commitments to improve financial security for low-income households. Audrey Nicoll S6O-02064 2. To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates that the increase in inflation to 10.4% will have on the delivery of the priority outcomes set out in the Covid Recovery Strategy. Clare Adamson S6O-02065 3. To ask the Scottish Government how its cross-government coordination of Covid Recovery policies is addressing the needs of those affected by long Covid. Evelyn Tweed S6O-02066 4. To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its cross-government coordination of Covid Recovery policies, what steps it is taking to ensure that the public has confidence in Scotland’s response to any future pandemic. Paul McLennan 5. [Not Lodged] Alexander Stewart S6O-02068 6. To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the Covid Recovery and Parliamentary Business portfolio. Colin Beattie S6O-02069 7. To ask the Scottish Government what impact the UK Government's Spring Budget will have on implementing the Covid Recovery Strategy. Emma Harper S6O-02070 8. To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to propose the scheduling of time for a ministerial statement on the Green Jobs Workforce Academy. Finance and the Economy Stephen Kerr S6O-02071 1. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure value for money in government projects. Collette Stevenson S6O-02072 2. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government following the announcement of the UK Spring Budget. Michael Marra S6O-02073 3. To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to any potential tax implications of pay awards currently being administered by local authorities. Willie Coffey S6O-02074 4. To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Scotland’s digital economy will benefit from the UK Government’s revised digital strategy. Katy Clark S6O-02075 5. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to carrying out a review of the use of public private partnerships for public infrastructure projects. Willie Rennie S6O-02076 6. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to deliver superfast broadband to 100% of premises by 2021. Sarah Boyack S6O-02077 7. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential reduction in taxation revenue from the Land and Buildings Transaction Tax - Green Freeports Relief proposals, which were published for consultation on 17 March 2023. Daniel Johnson S6O-02078 8. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address the reported second year of consecutive contraction in the number of businesses that are based in Scotland. Net Zero, Energy and Transport Siobhian Brown S6O-02079 1. To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that public transport is accessible. Oliver Mundell S6O-02080 2. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the re-opening of railway stations in Dumfriesshire. Ash Regan S6O-02081 3. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider procuring a lower specification of standardised ferries. Ruth Maguire S6O-02082 4. To ask the Scottish Government what community benefit citizens should expect from energy-related developments in their local area. Richard Leonard S6O-02083 5. To ask the Scottish Government what measures it has put in place to support island communities in advance of Hulls 801 and 802, and other ferries, coming into service. Martin Whitfield S6O-02084 6. To ask the Scottish Government when it last met EDF and the Nuclear Industry Association regarding the future of Torness nuclear power station. Karen Adam S6O-02085 7. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding funding for carbon capture projects in Scotland. Foysol Choudhury S6O-02086 8. To ask the Scottish Government when it next plans to meet with all parties involved in the proposed Winchburgh train station development. followed by Members' Business — S6M-07327 Liam Kerr: Scotland’s Courts Maintenance Backlog That the Parliament notes reports that there is a £7.3 million maintenance backlog across Scotland’s courts, including courts in the north east, such as in Forfar and Peterhead; recognises that repairs to Scotland’s courts often require closures, which can add to the already large number of outstanding criminal trials, which, it understands, currently stands at 30,588 trials; acknowledges that the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service had its capital budget frozen in 2022-23; believes that this hindered its ability to tackle the backlog; welcomes the budget increase planned for the financial year 2023-24, and notes the calls on the Scottish Government to work with the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service to outline how much of the current maintenance backlog will be tackled with the budget outlined for 2023-24, and how much will remain.