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-17683

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what specific date it set out the scope and rationale to the UK Government regarding the proposed exclusion from the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 for the Deposit Return Scheme.

I refer the member to Scottish Government’s publication on 28 February 2023 of the timeline and process for securing an Internal Market Act exclusion for the Deposit Return Scheme: https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/correspondence/2023/02/internal-market-act-correspondence/documents/timeline-and-process-for-securing-an-internal-market-act-exclusion-for-drs/timeline-and-process-for-securing-an-internal-market-act-exclusion-for-drs/govscot%3Adocument/DRS%2BTimeline%2Band%2BProcess.pdf

Question reference: S6W-17567

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statement by the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity on 20 April 2023, whether it will publish a breakdown of the £300 million of investment into the Deposit Return Scheme.

Hundreds of millions of pounds of investment to prepare for the launch of the Deposit Return Scheme across a range of businesses and the value of this is now at risk unless an Internal Market Act exclusion is put in place urgently to enable the final preparations for a launch on 1 March 2024.

The exact figures on investment are held by industry themselves but various published estimates suggest that retailers will invest up to £200m, and producers have invested around £100m for the scheme. Alongside this contractors to Circularity Scotland, such as Biffa, will have invested significant funds with some estimating this at around £80m.

Question reference: S6W-17569

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the statement by the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity on 20 April 2023, how many of the 200 new green jobs are located in (a) Aberdeen and (b) Motherwell.

Circularity Scotland is developing and constructing the logistical network that will support the effective operation of the scheme when it launches on 1 March 2024. It has secured a number of sites across Scotland to deliver the scheme and Circularity Scotland’s website provides details of approximately how many jobs will be located at both the Aberdeen and Motherwell sites.

Circularity Scotland website information:

Figures	Location	Article
140 jobs	Motherwell	6 March 2023 available at: 140 jobs created in multi-million pound Deposit Return Scheme project in Motherwell \| Circularity Scotland Ltd
60 jobs	Aberdeen	6 February 2023 available at: 60 jobs created in £7.7m Deposit Return Scheme in Aberdeen \| Circularity Scotland Ltd

Question reference: S6W-17785

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when a Scottish Minister will next meet with the UK Minister for Nuclear and Networks, and what will be discussed.

There are currently no meetings scheduled between Scottish Ministers and the UK Minister for Nuclear and Networks. However, Ms Martin MSP, Minister for Energy, did meet with the UK Minister for Nuclear and Networks on 27 April 2023 to discuss the UK Government's Energy Bill and the track process for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) projects. We anticipate there will be further engagement on the Energy Bill, for which the UK Minister for Nuclear and Networks is lead. The Bill will enable regulation across a raft of energy policy areas critical for net zero, and we are seeking amendments to ensure the Bill fully meets the needs and interests of Scottish consumers and industry.

Question reference: S6O-02272

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns of Edinburgh City Council that it could still be two years away from having the powers to implement a Transient Visitor Levy.

Question reference: S6W-17586

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has informed the Scottish Funding Council of funding allocations for mental health counsellors in colleges and universities, as it committed to in the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group meeting on 15 November 2022, and, if so, what the allocations are.

I have written to the Scottish Funding Council, copied to Colleges Scotland and Universities Scotland confirming an additional allocation of £2.205 million (for the period April to July 2023), on top of our allocation of £2.025 million announced last year (for the period August 2022 to March 2023). This makes a total 2022-23 AY allocation of £4.23 million.

This means that the total AY 2022-23 award would for Colleges is £2.424 million and Universities is £1.806 million. This is in line with last year’s award of £4.229 million and sector allocations. The Scottish Funding Council will prepare guidance on the additional allocation together with details of institutional awards.

Question reference: S6W-17894

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether patients should be required to pay a deposit to register with an NHS dentist.

Question reference: S6W-17587

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting the mental health of students.

In secondary schools, we continue to support local authorities to ensure that every school has access to counselling services, which are now in place across Scotland. School counselling is just one of a range of services that schools have in place to support pupil’s wellbeing.

In colleges and universities, we have made significant investment to introduce more than 80 extra counsellors across institutions and will release funding to maintain support through to the end of the academic year.

Question reference: S6W-17570

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many businesses have indicated directly to the Scottish Government that they have not joined the Deposit Return Scheme due to the UK Government's position on the scheme.

Question reference: S6W-17545

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 15 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15907 by Lorna Slater on 24 March 2023, in light of the delay to the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme, whether it will provide an update on what impact this will have on the proposed Circular Economy Bill.