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-21615

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19419 by Fiona Hyslop on 5 July 2023, whether any more local authorities have submitted assessments to identify any roads that are appropriate for the adoption of 20mph speed limits.

Question reference: S6O-02591

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-02561

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recommendations regarding taxation policy in Oxfam GB's analysis, Payment Overdue: Fair ways to make polluters across the UK pay for climate justice.

Question reference: S6W-21092

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy.

We have today published a consultation on our Biodiversity Framework. The Framework will accelerate the pace and scale of our efforts to halt the loss of biodiversity, creating a nature positive Scotland and supporting people and communities to take the opportunities presented by restoring and protecting our natural environment. It includes an updated version of our Biodiversity Strategy, which takes into account the outcomes of CoP15 and the new Global Biodiversity Framework, as well as the first underpinning Delivery Plan, where we set out a range of ambitious and wide reaching actions to tackle the nature crisis. The Consultation also includes draft frameworks which set out the Vision and Principles that will underpin delivery of our commitment to protect 30% of Scotland’s land for nature by 2030, and to create nature networks across Scotland. Elements of the proposed Natural Environment Bill are also being consulted upon, including our proposal to create statutory nature restoration targets, and enhancements to National Parks legislation to reflect the important role our Parks already play in tackling the biodiversity and climate crisis. The consultation and associated documents are available at https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781835212769 .

Question reference: S6W-20448

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19420 by Fiona Hyslop on 3 July 2023, whether it will provide an update on the delivery of an online reporting system for dangerous driving following its meeting with Police Scotland.

As referenced in my previous correspondence, officials received a scoping paper from Police Scotland that outlines their programme for delivery, particularly on what they are looking to deliver and a detailed timescale. My officials met with Police Scotland on 13 July and during the meeting they discussed the development of the business case. The business case will look at the service design, delivery, organisation policy and life time management of the National Dashcam Safety Portal.

My officials remain in discussion with Police Scotland on this matter and will meet with them again later in August as we look to progress this important road safety initiative.

Question reference: S6W-20438

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 29 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a progress update on the National Speed Management Review.

As part of Scotland’s Road Safety Framework to 2030 , we are undertaking a National Speed Management Review. The review covers comprehensive analysis of all types of speed management policies and initiatives in Scotland as well as a review of what has been introduced in other countries throughout the world.

We are about to finalise the milestone 2 report, which will contain a number of recommendations and later this year will conduct stakeholder and public consultation to consider their views of whether any changes to speed limit policies and speed management measures should be introduced as part of our speed management plan.

Question reference: S6W-19944

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 it will provide an update on the inclusion of noise monitoring in Transport Scotland's remote sensing programme for vehicle emissions.

The Transport Scotland remote sensing study is assessing real-world vehicle emissions in four main cities in Scotland (Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh, and Glasgow).

The first of three emission testing campaigns, scheduled for 2021 to 2023, took place during October 2021, and the campaign collected over 225,000 air quality measurements from 95,000 unique vehicles using contact-less remote sensing technology.

During 2022, as part of preparing to include noise emissions in the study, Transport Scotland evaluated worldwide progress on roadside vehicle noise monitoring techniques, conducted motorcycle noise assessment work, and compared noise and air quality emissions at one of the remote sensing sites in Edinburgh.

A final round of air quality monitoring began on 29 June 2023 and will continue until 1 August, with detailed noise monitoring planned for inclusion in this work.

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-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-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) .