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-19945

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10670 by Jenny Gilruth on 23 September 2022, whether any noise monitoring and enforcement trials have been introduced by any road authority in Scotland within the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-19916

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to encouraging the nesting of (a) swifts and (b) other birds through changing building standards.

Securing positive effects for biodiversity is one of six statutory outcomes for the National Planning Framework, as identified in section 3A(3)(c) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, as amended. National Planning Framework (NPF4) was adopted and published on 13 February 2023. Improving biodiversity is a cross-cutting theme which runs throughout NPF4. Our strategy and policies support development that helps to secure positive effects for biodiversity.

Current building regulations include a standard which promote sustainable development, including advice on how biodiversity can be well served as a topic in new school developments – this is published under Aspect 4 of our ‘statement of sustainability’, standard 7.1 in the Non-domestic Technical Handbook . We plan to revisit this topic, in the context of other ongoing activity, to understand further opportunities for building regulations to make a positive contribution to biodiversity within new developments.

National Planning Framework 4 Policy 3 (c), which relates to local developments, is underpinned by NatureScot’s Developing With Nature guidance published on 13 February 2023. This guidance includes 24 measures that development can incorporate to enhance biodiversity, one of which is Homes for Small Birds (measure 13).

The Swift Conservation website also provides guidance to the building industry on swift bricks and nest boxes Swift Conservation Homepage (swift-conservation.org) .

Question reference: S6W-19647

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 31 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what consideration it has given to introducing compulsory sale orders for vacant properties.

Question reference: S6W-19417

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has completed the review into public funding for bus operators in Scotland, and, if so, what the review has recommended.

Question reference: S6W-20194

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 July 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Lorna Slater on 26 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on extended producer responsibility for packaging reforms.

The UK Government has yesterday announced a decision taken to defer obligations under Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging payments from October 2024 to October 2025. The Extended Producer Responsibility for packaging is being progressed by the UK Government, working in partnership with the Scottish and other devolved governments.

The deferral is intended to provide stakeholders with additional time to prepare for the upcoming requirements, and to ensure a further opportunity to engage on the design of EPR policy and initiatives. This includes more open scrutiny with stakeholders on the main piece of legislation bringing forward these reforms, which will be laid as a UK Statutory Instrument and come to the Scottish Parliament for consent.

Question reference: S6W-19431

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to meet with the local community, workers, and operators of the Mossmorran complex regarding a site-specific just transition plan for the site.

The Mossmorran industrial complex plays an important role in the local economy for Fife, and I am keen to see that role, and the many well-paid jobs and skills preserved through a just transition to net-zero.

Given the novel nature of industrial just transition planning, it is appropriate that it is tested, evaluated and improvements considered, before applying it to other areas. We will conduct an evaluation of the Grangemouth Industrial Cluster Just Transition Plan once complete, considering what learnings could be adopted in future work.

Just Transition is a key aspect of the Scottish Government’s approach to net-zero, and accordingly, focused work on key major industrial sites will put the participation of – and meaningful engagement with – operators, workers and community at its core.

Industry has a lot to gain from the process of Just Transition, as such, we welcome innovation and commitment, by industry, in this area.

Once again, I welcome Mr Ruskell’s work and the recently commissioned report exploring Just Transition options for Mossmorran.

Question reference: S6W-19432

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 18 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it will be possible to achieve Scotland’s climate target of 75% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 without a site-specific just transition plan for the Mossmorran complex.

Scotland remains at the forefront of the global journey to reach net zero emissions and a climate resilient future. We are committed to a just transition to net-zero by 2045 and within this, decarbonisation of industry is ‘mission critical’.

It is clear that we cannot maintain the status quo if we want to reap the benefits that the transition to net zero holds.

The next Climate Change Plan will extend Scotland’s emissions reduction planning pathway to 2040 and include estimates of the costs and benefits of the policies to achieve this.

However, many of the key levers to bring about large-scale industrial emissions reductions are reserved to UK Government. For example, we remain bitterly disappointed that there is still no timetabled solution for when UK Government will confirm Track-2 of the Cluster Sequencing Programme, which adds further delay and impacts progress against our climate change commitments.

Ensuring a Just Transition to net-zero is equally important. As you will be aware, the Scottish Government is in the process of developing a Just Transition Plan for the Grangemouth Industrial Cluster and following its completion, we remain committed to evaluating that approach to understand what ways Just Transition planning can be adopted for other sites.

Question reference: S6W-19422

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 17 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-18387 by Mairi McAllan on 9 June 2023, whether it will provide an update on its work with ATCO and COSLA in developing the Community Bus Fund, and when it plans to launch the Community Bus Fund.

Question reference: S6W-19646

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported fatalities, what consideration has been given to providing a traffic-free cycle route alongside the A85 from Glen Ogle to Crianlarich.

Our thoughts remain with the family of the person who died in a collision with a heavy goods vehicle on the A85 between Crianlarich and Lix Toll on 23 August 2021.

Each year Transport Scotland, through its Operating Companies, undertakes a review of collisions on the trunk road network to identify cluster sites, or routes with recorded collisions that may be worthwhile of further investigation. This evidence led approach ensures that resources can be targeted at locations where the greatest potential for casualty reduction is available.

The most recent screening process did not identify the A85 between Glen Ogle and Crianlarich as a priority site for further investigation for safer active travel provision. The fatal accident referred to above was the only accident involving a pedal cyclist on this part of the A85 since 2014, which does not indicate a trend of injury accidents. Transport Scotland will continue to monitor road safety at this location.

Question reference: S6W-19427

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 23 June 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 July 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken to ensure that its forthcoming aviation strategy is compliant with Scotland’s climate change obligations.

Scotland’s climate change obligations include emissions from domestic and international aviation. ‘Scottish greenhouse gas statistics 2021’, published in June 2023, show that emissions from international aviation dropped by 23% between 2020 and 2021. Domestic aviation emissions increased by 12% in the same period, but are 59% below 1990 levels.

Work is ongoing across government to develop a Scottish Government aviation strategy. The public consultation on developing the strategy covered a range of topics including the transition to low and zero-emission aviation. This transition is also relevant to preparation of the Government’s 2023 Climate Change Plan and Just Transition Plan, and it is essential that this work be fully joined up.