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: S5W-23285

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects to recruit specialist support to assist it in devising and implementing policies and measures to address the climate emergency declared by the First Minister.

Question reference: S5W-23279

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will invite the boards of (a) public sector bodies and (b) local authorities to consider what they can do to make a positive and progressively larger contribution to address the climate emergency declared by the First Minister and to report accordingly.

There is a global climate emergency and the IPCC’s Special Report made clear that everyone, including public bodies need to act now if our targets are to be met. Public bodies have a key role in delivering on the increased ambition through their climate change duties. The Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Reporting mechanism provides a basis for tracking public sector action on climate change and driving continuous improvement. A review of the reporting duty is already underway in conjunction with public sector representatives. We are now looking across our whole range of responsibilities to make sure we continue with the policies that are working and increase action where necessary. Over the summer we will engage the public, communities, businesses, industry, and the public sector in a discussion about what more can be done.

Question reference: S5W-23286

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its relationship will be with the Committee on Climate Change in devising and implementing policies and measures to address the climate emergency declared by the First Minister.

Independent, expert advice from the Committee on Climate Change is an important element of the Scottish Government’s evidence-based response to the global climate emergency. We have embraced the Committee’s recent report on net-zero emissions, published 2 May, and acted immediately with amendments to our Climate Change Bill to set targets in line with the Committee’s recommendations.

The form of the relationship between the Committee on Climate Change and the Scottish Government is determined by the Committee’s statutory role, under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, as independent advisers to the Government. This role includes the Committee providing regular advice to Government on setting emissions reduction targets and publishing annual reports on Scotland’s progress towards these targets.

Question reference: S5W-23281

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 17 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what role SEPA will have in policy development and supporting and monitoring actions to address the climate emergency declared by the First Minister.

The Scottish Government leads the development of climate policy. SEPA play a key role through the provision of information, evidence and support. In this way, it will support the proposed review of the Climate Change Plan announced on 2 May by First Minister and reiterated in my statement to Parliament on 14of May. Similarly, SEPA will also provide support for the “economy wide” review of policies.

SEPA regulates a wide range of industries and organisations whose activities generate emissions of greenhouse gases. It will use both regulatory powers and its advisory role to help Scotland’s businesses and organisations move to a low carbon economy.

Question reference: S5W-23134

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to increase the level of recycling of household waste in each local authority area.

In April, the Scottish Government published a Food Waste Reduction Action Plan which sets out how Scotland can work towards achieving the target and reduce the amount of food waste going to landfill. The 33% reduction target includes both avoidable and unavoidable food waste, and covers all food waste generated in Scotland. This will support the introduction of the ban on biodegradable municipal waste being sent to landfill in 2021.

Other actions to support local authorities include Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) working with them to increase recycling and reduce customer confusion by encouraging adoption of the Scottish Household Recycling Charter and its associated code of practice, which is about moving towards more consistent services across the whole country. There are now 30 out of 32 councils signed up to the Charter and ZWS will continue to work with Councils on options appraisals and funding service changes.

Zero Waste Scotland (ZWS) is working with local authorities to increase recycling and reduce customer confusion by encouraging adoption of the Scottish Household Recycling Charter and its associated code of practice, which is about moving towards more consistent services across the whole country. There are now 30 out of 32 councils signed up to the Charter and ZWS will continue to work with Councils on options appraisals and funding service changes.

We will also continue to engage with local authorities through ZWS to provide assistance and expertise in helping Scottish councils achieve our ambitious waste management and recycling targets.

Question reference: S5W-23133

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support local authorities to reduce the levels of household waste being sent to landfill.

The Scottish Government is committed to ending the practice of sending biodegradable municipal waste to landfill. Scotland has already met EU targets for reducing the amount of waste being sent to landfill and the recent Waste Markets Study demonstrates that significant progress has been made towards meeting the ban on biodegradable municipal waste (including food waste) by 2021. More than half of Scottish local authorities have long term or interim solutions in place.

In addition, a Food Waste Reduction Action Plan was published in April which sets out how Scotland can work towards achieving the target and reduce the amount of food waste going to landfill to support the ban. Household food waste alone accounts for 2,240,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent and this represents 2.9% of Scotland’s carbon footprint. Food waste sent to landfill is particularly problematic as it releases methane, a greenhouse gas many times more potent than carbon dioxide.

ZWS are also delivering the Recycle for Scotland campaign to promote recycling with councils and other partners.

Question reference: S5O-03300

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Land Commission's recent call for a "fundamental rethink" on the approach to land development.

Question reference: S5W-23047

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to be in a position to analyse and communicate the results of the Missing Salmon Project, which is tagging smolts in the Moray Firth.

The Missing Salmon Project is led by The Atlantic Salmon Trust (AST) and information is available at https://www.atlanticsalmontrust.org/themissingsalmonproject/. A Marine Scotland Science representative is a member of the Project Steering Committee. However, it is the responsibility of the AST (and its contractors) to analyse and communicate the results. Marine Scotland awaits the outcome of this interesting project with interest.

Question reference: S5W-22990

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what advice Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) has received regarding the legality of the 2019 general licences for birds, in the light of the acceptance by Natural England that a similar clause in its licences, which put the onus on operators of the licence to ensure that they were satisfied non-lethal methods of control, was unlawful, and how it would respond if a similar legal challenge was lodged against SNH.

Scottish Natural Heritage is carefully reviewing developments on licensing in England. If it is concluded that General Licences in Scotland require revision, SNH has made public its intention to work collaboratively with stakeholders to ensure there is an effective and proportionate approach in Scotland that complies fully with the law. In view of the legal challenge in England, SNH has decided to bring forward its consultation on General Licences planned for 2020 to this year.

Question reference: S5O-03252

Current Status: Withdrawn