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-28207

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 17 June 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 15 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to expand coverage of designated renal social work support.

Question reference: S6W-27970

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scotland will be represented at the 60th Sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which is taking place in Bonn, Germany, in June 2024.

Scottish Government International Climate Change Officials are attending the 60th Sessions of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. Scottish Ministers are not in attendance.

Although Scotland is not a UN member state, the Scottish Government is resolute in our commitment to utilise our convening and influencing powers wherever possible in order to drive forward climate action internationally.

Question reference: S6W-28024

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider introducing a toxics use reduction strategy.

Toxics use reduction as a concept is already well embedded in the regulatory system on chemicals safety in Great Britain. This system includes UK REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and restriction of Chemicals) regulation, part of the post-brexit chemicals regulatory framework we inherited from the EU. It includes specific provisions to prevent the use of harmful substances, ensure mitigations are in place to reduce exposure from such chemicals where their use is essential, and reduce risks associated with chemical use more generally.

Question reference: S6W-27535

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much was paid out from the Marine Fund in the financial year 2023-24, and whether it will provide a detailed breakdown of this spend.

The Marine Fund Scotland (MFS) has paid £11.63m to applicants who were awarded total funding of £14m in 2023-24. Individual awards are published here - https://www.gov.scot/publications/marine-fund-scotland-grants-awarded/ . The Scottish Government publishes all payments over £25k here - https://www.gov.scot/collections/government-spend-over-gbp25000-monthly-reports/ .

The remaining £2.37m funding supported data collection on stocks in the North Sea and the West of Scotland. This information is combined with data from other European nations who fish in these waters and is then considered by the International Council for Exploration of the Seas (ICES).

Question reference: S6W-27949

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy on 18 April 2024, what measures will be included in its timeline for implementing demand management as part of its route map to 20% reduction in car km; whether road pricing will be included as one of these measures, and what discussions it has had with the UK (i) Government and (ii) Office of the Leader of the Opposition regarding the implementation of such measures across the UK.

The Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Net Zero and Energy confirmed to the Scottish Parliament on 18 April 2024 that we will deliver the commitment made to publish by autumn the route map for reduction in car use by 20% produced in partnership with CoSLA. It will include a timeline for implementing demand management and within the context of our commitment to a just transition.

As outlined in the draft route map, published in January 2022, the Scottish Government recognises that powers for local authorities to introduce potential road charging schemes were established in the Transport (Scotland) Act 2001 and that Local Authorities are best placed to determine whether a local road user charging scheme supports the objectives set out in their local transport strategy.

The finalised route map will also ask the UK Government to reform motoring taxes, given that they are the most direct levers on the cost of buying or running a petrol or diesel car. Fuel duty and vehicle excise duty are reserved matters. We have made a number of attempts at both ministerial and official level to engage the UK Government on these issues, without any meaningful response. The Scottish Government has not had discussions with the Office of the Leader of the Opposition on this matter.

Question reference: S6O-03599

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will proceed with its reported plans to downgrade the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at University Hospital Wishaw.

Question reference: S6W-27827

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of how its loss and damage funding assists communities in Central Africa with the preservation of endangered megafauna populations.

Scottish Government loss and damage funding is not currently assisting communities in Central Africa, with the preservation of endangered megafauna populations.

Our loss and damage funding for the rest of this Parliamentary term is focused on two multi-year Programmes: Climate Just Communities and our Non-Economic Loss and Damage Programme. Both programmes are multi-year and community-led, responding to their specific needs.

Our £24 million Climate Just Communities programme operates in our partner countries of Malawi, Rwanda and Zambia, to help build inclusive and climate resilient communities. This includes projects that addresses the impacts of climate induced loss and damage. Our £5 million Non-Economic Loss and Damage programme is delivering interventions throughout East Africa, the Pacific and Bay of Bengal, with a specific emphasis on supporting women and girls to address loss and damage.

Question reference: S6W-27971

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 10 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Water Safety Scotland finding that 39 suicide suspected fatalities at or near water occurred in 2023, which is an increase from previous years.

Every life lost to suicide is an enormous tragedy and while we welcome figures showing water related fatalities are at their lowest since 2018, we are not complacent. We are taking a whole of Government and societal approach towards suicide, focusing on addressing the social determinants, whilst ensuring we incorporate suicide prevention across our policy development and service delivery. To support this approach the Scottish Government published the Suicide Prevention Strategy in September 2022. It prioritises action on people with higher risk of suicide, and high risk settings which include locations which provide access to open water.

Question reference: S6W-27761

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider seeking to amend section 9 of the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 to require Crown Estate Scotland to take into account social and environmental wellbeing activities outside Scotland for the purposes of meeting the sustainable procurement duty.

Question reference: S6W-27759

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether any companies involved in ecologically damaging developments in other countries, or their subsidiaries, will be eligible to participate in future renewables leasing rounds, including subsequent ScotWind leasing rounds.