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-25717

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 8 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many interest-free loans were granted through Home Energy Scotland in 2023.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme, launched in December 2022, offers homeowners and self-builders in Scotland a grant, interest free loan or a combination of both to support the installation of clean heating systems and energy efficiency measures.

In 2023, the Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan Scheme made 6,618 funding commitments to homeowners.

The figure provided represents all funding agreements, including both loan and grant offers.

Question reference: S6W-25718

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 8 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many expressions of interest were received during 2023 for interest-free loans through Home Energy Scotland.

The Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme does not collate expressions of interest from potential applicants.

Homeowners who wish to apply for HES Grant and Loan, or another of Scottish Government’s fuel poverty and energy efficiency schemes, contact HES Advice Service first to receive in-depth support on low and zero emissions heating technologies, other domestic renewables, and more complex energy efficiency improvements. This is an essential service to ensure that homeowners receive the best possible guidance in choosing the correct measures and a suitable installer. The service is bespoke and each homeowner’s case is assessed individually.

In 2023 7,512 applications for HES Grant and Loan Scheme were received.

Question reference: S6W-25714

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 23 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 8 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it expects any new minimum standard for energy efficiency to be introduced through its Heat in Buildings Bill to be equivalent to the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) C standard.

A good level of energy efficiency is defined in the Heat in Buildings Strategy as equivalent to EPC C (based on current Energy Efficiency Rating on an EPC).However, the current Energy Efficiency Rating is not an appropriate basis on which to set an energy efficiency standard because it is based on the modelled cost to run a property, not energy efficiency.

In 2022, in response to feedback from the Climate Change Committee and other stakeholders, the Scottish Government commissioned the Building Research Establishment(BRE) to evaluate options for a new fabric energy efficiency metric to be used on EPCs in Scotland. As part of this work BRE analysed the energy efficiency of the Scottish housing stock’s building fabric. BRE’s report showed that the average house at the entry-point to EPC band C had a heating and cooling demand of approximately 120kWh/m2/year (not including energy needed to provide hot water).

The consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill includes the option of meeting a Fabric Energy Efficiency standard based on this heating and cooling demand, as an alternative to the ‘List of Measures’ approach. Research carried out by the BRE shows that when installing the measures suggested in the list, a clear majority (around 66%) of Scottish homes could achieve this good level of energy efficiency.

Question reference: S6W-25474

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 12 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the potential impact of the reduction to the Just Transition Fund contained in its draft Budget 2024-25 will be on job creation in Scotland.

Existing Just Transition Fund projects will continue to be funded in 2024-25, supporting projects and communities across the North East and Moray to create jobs, support innovation, and secure the highly skilled workforce of the future.

Scotland already outpaces the rest of the UK in creating green jobs, and our forthcoming Just Transition Plans will set out how the Scottish Government will continue to work with businesses and key partners across the economy to ensure we continue to build on this success, attracting investment into Scotland, and supporting our new and existing workforce to access the reskilling and upskilling they need to take on the green jobs of the future, while helping ensure employers and businesses are supported in attracting the talent and investment they need to continue driving green growth. Publishing a Green Industrial Strategy will also set out how we will help businesses and investors realise the opportunities of the global transition to net zero.

Question reference: S6O-03197

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide further details of the progress that it is making towards fulfilling its 2017 commitment to increase the number of GPs by 800 within a decade.

Question reference: S6W-25686

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish its Green Industrial Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-25687

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 28 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it will publish its Energy and Just Transition Strategy.

Question reference: S6O-03145

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that critical transport infrastructure is resilient against extreme weather events.

Question reference: S6W-24929

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 29 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24884 by Lorna Slater on 29 January 2024, whether it plans to use the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill as the mechanism to ban single-use disposable vapes.

Officials are moving at pace, with the rest of the UK to bring forward the correct mechanisms to ban Single Use Vapes. As this is an area of devolved competence, decisions on whether to act in this area rest with the respective Governments in each part of the UK.

I wrote to the NZET committee on the 26th of January informing them that the Scottish Government intend to bring forward Scottish regulations under the Environmental Protection Act 1990 to enact a ban on the sale and supply of single-use vapes in Scotland. In doing so, we will conduct a full impact assessment which, depending on its outcome in relation to the impact on different groups or communities, may require consideration of limited exemptions to a ban.

We will continue to work with UK Government and other Devolved Governments as we develop this legislation and will engage with Parliament as appropriate and necessary during this process.

Question reference: S6W-24585

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much capital funding to NHS boards (a) has been provided in the financial year 2023-24 and (b) will be made available in the financial year 2024-25.

The 22 National and Territorial NHS Boards have received a total of £148.8 million of Capital Formula in the year 2023-24. In addition to formula capital, NHS Boards are anticipating further funding of £283.9 million which will allow all major projects in construction to be completed - Baird and ANCHOR in Aberdeen, Parkhead Health and Social Care Centre in Glasgow, National Treatment Centres in Forth Valley and the Golden Jubilee, continued support for the national replacement programmes for Ambulances and Radiotherapy equipment and other small scale investments. The final outturn has yet to be finalised, but it is currently forecast to be £432.7 million in total in 2023-24.

As set out in our draft budget the capital funding position is extremely challenging, with a UK Government cut of some 10% in our capital budget over the next five years. Nonetheless, this settlement allows formula capital to be maintained at 2023-24 levels in the year 2024-25. Additional in-year capital allocations will also be provided, but these have not been finalised at this point.