Portfolio Questions

Deputy First Minister Responsibilities, Economy and Gaelic Foysol Choudhury S6O-04866 1. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with business leaders regarding work to maximise the economic impact of Edinburgh's festivals. Stephanie Callaghan S6O-04867 2. [Withdrawn] Daniel Johnson S6O-04868 3. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken on digital exclusion to address the "weakened" national leadership referred to by Audit Scotland in its report Tackling Digital Exclusion, which was published 12 months ago. Elena Whitham S6O-04869 4. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the recently published NatWest Group and Beauhurst’s New Startup Index, indicating that Scotland has one of the fastest growing startup economies in the UK. Jamie Halcro Johnston S6O-04870 5. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the economic impact of any increased taxation by UK, Scottish and local governments on people and businesses across the Highlands and Islands. Tim Eagle S6O-04871 6. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how growth deals are growing the economy of the Highlands and Islands region. Willie Rennie S6O-04872 7. To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its discussions with GFG Alliance, Liberty Steel and Alvance British Aluminium regarding the companies’ operations in Scotland. Michelle Thomson S6O-04873 8. To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the economy secretary has had with UK Government ministers regarding the potential impact on the Scottish economy of recent developments with the Grangemouth cluster. Finance and Local Government Kenneth Gibson S6O-04874 1. To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on the public finances of working age economic inactivity. Patrick Harvie S6O-04875 2. To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support local authorities and other public bodies to apply ethical criteria when deciding whether to divest from sectors such as fossil fuels, arms companies and businesses complicit in occupation or war crimes. Ash Regan S6O-04876 3. To ask the Scottish Government what role the finance secretary has in authorising any continued expenditure of public bodies that incur substantial legal costs, including those covered by the Clinical Negligence and Other Risks Indemnity Scheme. David Torrance S6O-04877 4. To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with local authorities to deliver transformation programmes and accelerate any reforms needed to achieve financial sustainability and ensure that local services are fit for the future. Maggie Chapman (S6O-04878) To ask the Scottish Government what support it can provide to local authorities to help ensure that all residents across the north east can access local council services, including help when things go wrong, in person as well as online. Rona Mackay S6O-04879 To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to East Dunbartonshire Council to help meet any additional costs of providing social care services for an ageing population. Alex Rowley S6O-04880 To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage and support local authorities to empower and enable people and communities to have a greater say over the delivery of local public services. Alexander Stewart S6O-04881 To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it is reportedly spending over £1 million every week on agency staff, in light of it having announced plans to reduce corporate costs.