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-00204

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 4 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the current status of low-emission zones.

Regulations to support the delivery of Low Emission Zones came into effect on 31 May 2021. These are the Low Emission Zones (Emission Standards, Exemptions and Enforcement) (Scotland) Regulations 2021, and the Low Emission Zones (Scotland) Regulations 2021.

Although the timescale for Low Emission Zones (LEZ) implementation has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, we remain committed to the introduction of LEZs within Scotland’s four largest cities in 2022. We are continuing to support the local authorities with their implementation plans, including the provision of grant funding contributions for the enforcement systems. Work to deliver the LEZs is now at an advanced stage, with the relevant local authorities expected to launch public consultations on their proposed schemes later this year.

The Scottish Government is also providing funding through the LEZ Support Fund to assist small businesses and individuals with the cost of complying with the LEZ requirements.

In addition we are continuing to support the bus industry through a range of measures to provide cleaner, less polluting LEZ compliant buses.

Question reference: S6W-00201

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much transport emissions have been reduced by in each year since 2017-18.

Question reference: S6W-00200

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether any feasibility studies have been carried out regarding plans to move ScotRail to public ownership and, if so, whether it will publish these.

Following detailed analysis and consideration of all available options against the current UK rail legislation, the Scottish Ministers took the decision that it was not appropriate to award a franchise agreement to any party at the expiry of the current ScotRail franchise. In such circumstances, the Scottish Ministers have a statutory duty to provide, or secure the provision of, rail services. This will be done through a wholly owned company of the Scottish Government in a similar manner to the UK Government’s current direct control of the Northern and LNER train operating companies.

The analysis of options that was undertaken included consideration of a range of commercially sensitive matters. Therefore it is not Transport Scotland’s intention to publish the analysis.

Question reference: S6W-00202

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 May 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much the Bus Emissions Abatement Retrofit Programme (BEAR) has given to bus companies in each year since 2017-18.

Question reference: S6O-00010

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its announcement regarding a potential Cooperation Agreement, what discussions the rural affairs secretary has had with the land reform minister regarding an assessment of the Scottish Green Party's manifesto commitments on land reform.

Question reference: S5W-36026

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 24 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider allowing people to exercise outdoors within a travel radius from their homes that is not restricted by local authority boundaries, given the geography and wide variation of population distribution in many local authority areas.

People are currently permitted to travel in their own local authority area and up to 5 miles into the neighbouring local authority area for essential outdoor exercise. On 16 March, the First Minister set out a firmer timetable for the easing of restrictions and highlighted a revised Strategic Framework document will be published in coming days.

On 10 March the First Minister outlined in her statement that from 12 March a travel exemption has been put in place for young people. This exemption means that children are not prevented from taking part in sport, if for example they belong to a club which is a bit outside their local authority area. The legislation allows travel out of /into a level 4 area to participate in or facilitate organised activity, sport or exercise which is for persons under 18 years of age. The exemption applies to those under 18 and those transporting under 18s. The same exemption is in place for travel to/from a level 3 area.

Question reference: S5W-36028

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-35328 by Humza Yousaf on 1 March 2021, what the qualifying criteria was for the asymptomatic tests that Scottish Prison Service staff were able to access from their NHS boards, and how many asymptomatic tests that were offered under the criteria were used by Scottish Prison Service staff.

Where an outbreak is identified the Local Health Board may form an Incident Management Team (IMT) to work with the prison and relevant stakeholders to identify the most appropriate courses of action to manage and reduce transmission. This may include a decision to carry out asymptomatic testing of Scottish Prison Service staff. The NHS led IMTs are best place to agree the most appropriate approach to testing in that instance.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on the qualifying criteria or the numbers of tests that were offered to staff.

Question reference: S5W-36061

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position on the draft proposed Whole Life Custody (Scotland) Bill.

Existing criminal law operates so that when a court is setting a punishment part of a life sentence, the court can decide to set a punishment part that extends beyond the rest of an offender's life. The Scottish Government supports courts having these powers for courts to decide how to use in the most serious cases.

The Scottish Government is not aware that the text of a draft proposed Whole Life Custody (Scotland) Bill has been made available, but would consider carefully the detailed text of a proposed Bill as and when it is available to understand if it would improve the current extensive powers courts have in dealing with the most serious offenders.

Question reference: S5W-36059

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-35373 by Humza Yousaf on 2 March 2021, what information it has regarding how much (a) Victim Support Scotland and (b) Rape Crisis Scotland spent on work in the locations referred to.

In answer to part (a) we do not hold this information. Victim Support Scotland have the flexibility to decide how to allocate their grant funding in order to meet their agreed objectives.

In answer to part (b) in 2020-21, we have provided grant funding to Rape Crisis Scotland to support the National Advocacy Project. This included funding for a projected spend of £40,000 in Aberdeen and £72,000 in Dundee Rape Crisis Centres, to ensure appropriate provision of advocacy workers in these areas. We do not hold information on actual expenditure in these areas.

Question reference: S5W-36060

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what its position is on the ending of automatic early release of prisoners.

	Year	Amount
Phase 1	2018-19	£1.6 million
Phase 2	2019-20	£1.577 million
Phase 3	2020-21	£9.75 million