Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-07868

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 25 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether COVID-19 spot checks on businesses will continue once restrictions relating to the pandemic have been fully lifted on 18 April 2022.

The remaining Covid-19 specific legal requirements have been removed, but regulators will continue to engage to support businesses in managing their risks and applying any relevant guidance. While Covid-19 specific spot checks may no longer be carried out, pre-existing regulations are still in place, for example on fresh air/ ventilation and cleanliness. Regulators will be conducting inspections as they would have before the pandemic. As part of these visits, Covid-19 risks and adaptations may be discussed.

Question reference: S6W-07870

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 22 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the financial public cost has been of cyber attacks on public bodies in Scotland over the last three years.

The Scottish Government is not a reporting agency for cyber attacks in Scotland. When notified of a cyber incident under the Scottish Public Sector Notifiable Cyber Incident Procedure and Policy, the Scottish Government together with other relevant partners supports organisations with immediate cyber incident management and response, rather than their long-term recovery.

Public sector bodies generally manage their recovery processes themselves, dependant on their own circumstances. The Scottish Government does not collate information on the costs to the Scottish public bodies incurred as a result of cyber attacks.

Question reference: S6W-07872

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of its Blue Economy Vision for Scotland, when it plans to publish the blue economy action plan.

Question reference: S6W-07867

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking with (a) Food Standards Scotland and (b) local authorities to ensure that bakery businesses established during the COVID-19 pandemic and run from domestic premises fully comply with health and safety regulations, and what action it can take to ensure that registered and approved bakery businesses with formal premises do not experience any detriment, compared with similar businesses run from homes, for complying with all rules and regulations relating to the preparation and sale of food.

All food businesses are required to comply with the relevant requirements of food law. This includes the requirement to register as a food business with their Local Authority Environmental Health team, to comply with food safety and compositional requirements as well as food labelling requirements where applicable. This applies to food businesses that are operated out of commercial premises as well as those operated from domestic premises. A range of enforcement options are available to officers to ensure compliance.

In response to the pandemic and the resulting impact on the inspection regime, FSS & LA’s have worked in partnership to create a Recovery Plan. This adopts a risk based approach to inspections and prioritises the inspection of high risk businesses and unrated new businesses.

FSS has published a new online resource to support new and prospective businesses. The tool is designed to aid food businesses owners understand their responsibilities, including to first and foremost register with their authority.

Anyone with concerns that a business is operating in breach of the requirements is encouraged to report the matter to their Local Authority Environmental Health team.

Question reference: S6O-00952

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met representatives of the aviation industry to discuss the sector’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S6W-06113

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the onshore infrastructure in north east Scotland to support the growing offshore wind sector, and what funding it has made available to date to facilitate any necessary upgrades.

The Scottish Government is wholly committed to a just transition to net zero and using the energy transition to build a better and more equal society.

Our ten-year £500m Just Transition Fund will accelerate the energy transition of the North East and Moray regions, and will also support the role of Aberdeen and the wider north east as one of Scotland’s centres of excellence for the transition to a net zero economy as we grow Scotland’s offshore wind sector and supply chain – which Scottish Ministers have called on the UK Government multiple times to match.

We have invested £26.3m to support the creation of the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) in Aberdeen. The ETZ will be a place to attract and develop green energy related R&D, innovation, manufacturing, testing, and demonstration, and will help to position Aberdeen as a global hub for offshore wind and other innovative renewables technologies such as the development of green hydrogen projects.

On Monday 28 th February 2022, the First Minister announced that ETZ Ltd have the National Floating Wind Innovation Centre as their anchor tenant. The £9 million centre will be located within the Altens Industrial Estate of the Energy Transition Zone and is being developed to ensure that the North East of Scotland and wider UK capitalise on the massive opportunity created by the Scottish seabed leasing round, Scotwind, which will drive the development and demand for floating offshore wind. ETZ Ltd is providing £4m for the capital costs of the innovation centre and ORE Catapult are contributing £5m to operationally run it. Through the Energy Transition Fund we are providing the full £4m that ETZ are investing. It is due to go out in Financial Year 2022-23.

In addition, the Scottish Government’s £75m Energy Just Transition Fund (ETF) will not only support our energy sector and the North East but will also benefit the wider Scottish energy sector and offshore wind supply chain, working with local businesses to maximise the economic benefits, create and support sustainable jobs and contribute to inclusive economic growth across the country.

Furthermore the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) has been identified by both industry and the Scottish Government as a key vehicle for taking forward the strategic supply chain opportunities that emerge from ScotWind. A key role for SOWEC is the implementation of the recommendations in the Strategic Investment Assessment (SIA), which was commissioned by SOWEC and led by Professor Sir Jim McDonald of Strathclyde University. The primary recommendation focusses on bringing the manufacturing of floating offshore wind platforms to Scotland through creation of a Scottish Floating Offshore Wind Port Cluster, with ports acting in partnership to provide the required infrastructure area and capability needed to attract manufacturers to use Scottish ports and invest in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-06106

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the amount of respiratory medication for conditions such as asthma that is wasted because of incorrect inhaler technique.

The information requested is not held centrally. We expect all NHS Boards to follow all relevant guidelines in order to avoid unnecessary wastage in medication.

The Scottish Government recognises that inappropriate inhaler technique can lead to medicine wastage and impaired control of a person’s asthma. Review of inhaler technique should form part of a medication review between the individual and their medical professional. This is an important recommendation in the current Scottish Government Quality Prescribing for Respiratory guide and the planned update to this guidance will continue to reinforce this message. As part of the medication review, the appropriateness of the inhalers should be reviewed, which has been shown to reduce wastage and improved treatment.

Question reference: S6W-06105

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the number of asthma annual review appointments offered to patients since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Details of the number of asthma annual review appointments is not collected centrally. However, the Scottish Government recognises that annual asthma reviews are an important element in enabling people with asthma to self-manage their condition. That is why asthma reviews form an important priority in our Respiratory Care Action Plan for Scotland and are already a key recommendation in national clinical guidelines.

Since the start of the pandemic, the NHS in Scotland has been dealing with the unprecedented impact of COVID-19 which meant that some procedures and appointments were postponed to ensure the safety of patients and staff. This has resulted in many appointments being delivered differently or being delayed due to the additional challenges in delivering services.

However, we fully expect that patients be treated in line with their clinical priority and in these circumstances, we expect GP Practices to schedule appointments or advise of alternative arrangements as soon as clinically appropriate.

We advise anyone who has any concerns regarding their asthma to contact their GP practice. They will be best placed to provide specific advice and support based on individual circumstances.

Question reference: S6W-06111

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Just Transition Fund will be available to eligible companies to support (a) capital and (b) operational expenditure.

Question reference: S6W-06109

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide details of the most up-to-date vacancy rates for (a) retail and (b) hospitality units in (i) Aberdeen and (ii) Dundee city centre.