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-15090

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a more detailed breakdown of where funding will be allocated from the budget line "Climate Action and Just Transition Fund" in the Scottish Budget 2023-24, which is set at £79.5 million.

The Scottish Government is investing £79.5 million, an increase of almost 60% from 2022-23, to deliver climate action through an updated climate change plan and Scottish adaptation programme, a public engagement strategy and community action.

The Scottish Government will provide £50 million in capital and financial transactions to support the Just Transition Fund for the North East and Moray to accelerate the development of a transformed and decarbonised economy in the region. This increase from 2022-23 is part of the Scottish Government's commitment to spend £500 million over ten years.

The Scottish Government will also continue to influence positive and progressive international climate action investing at least £6m in the Climate Justice Fund.

Question reference: S6W-14979

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details, including the dates, of any consultation that (a) has been and (b) is to be undertaken with (i) Aberdeen City Council and (ii) the oil and gas industry, broken down by the specific bodies and companies involved, regarding the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

Engagement events in summer 2022 were part of a series of engagement sprints that have informed the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP). The draft ESJTP is currently open for public consultation and we welcome views from as broad a spectrum of respondents as possible. A series of open engagement events are currently in preparation to which Aberdeen City Council will be invited.

On 9 February 2023, the Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work met representatives of Aberdeen City Council to discuss the Just Transition Fund.

I met with the oil and gas industry to discuss the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan at the following engagements:

Cabinet Secretary NZET briefed Melfort Campbell, co-chair Strategic Leadership Group on the draft ESJTP on 10 January
Cabinet Secretary NZET briefed Sir Ian Wood on the draft ESJTP on 10 January
Officials briefed Equinor on the draft ESJTP on 10 January
Cabinet Secretary NZET briefed David Whitehouse, oeuk, on the draft ESJTP on 10 January
Cabinet Secretary NZET briefed SEAB on the draft ESJTP on 31 January
Cabinet Secretary NZET due to engage with David Whitehouse, oeuk, on 8 March

In addition to the above engagements, officials are due to speak to oeuk on 6 March and further official and ministerial engagements with the industry are being planned throughout the consultation phase of the ESJTP.

Question reference: S6W-14997

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what project management techniques it has regard to in the development of policy and strategy, in particular regarding the tracking of costs and resources to ensure transparency and accountability for public funds, and whether these were employed in the development of the latest draft Biodiversity Strategy.

An approach informed by best practice methodology – Managing Successful Programmes – has been adopted to frame the development, planning and delivery of the draft Scottish Biodiversity Strategy. This includes a programme board and programme manager to support and coordinate resources drawn from NatureScot and Scottish Government to deliver the Strategy.

Costs and resources are tracked via standard Scottish Government budget management procedures. This includes annual and monthly forecasting and monitoring returns.

Question reference: S6W-14360

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light if the reported commitment made by Alex Salmond in 2006 that if he were to become Scotland's First Minister in 2007 the first decision he would make, within 100 days, would be to dual the road between Ellon and Peterhead, whether it still plans to dual this section of the A90, and, if this is not the case, when it formally decided not to proceed with this commitment in the north east.

Question reference: S6W-14915

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12081 by Mairi McAllan on 24 November 2022, whether it will provide the information requested regarding how many (a) ministers, (b) civil servants, (c) ministerial staff and (d) other Scottish Government representatives attended COP27, and what (i) travel, (ii) accommodation and (iii) other expenses were incurred for this delegation.

Question reference: S6W-14877

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to establish a local government transparency code.

There are already a wide range of statutory reporting duties and sources of information available which ensures sufficient data on local authorities is published. For example, the Improvement service publishes an annual Overview Report for the Scottish Local Government Benchmarking Framework , the Accounts Commission publishes Best Value Assurance Reports on individual councils, and all councils also must publish Annual Audit Reports. In light of the range of current measures in place there are no plans to introduce a local government transparency code.

Question reference: S6W-14981

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the First Minister last met the co-leaders of Aberdeen City Council.

Question reference: S6W-14916

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12640 by Mairi McAllan on 8 December 2022, which states that "we expect to issue the release on Scottish Government's attendance and expenses incurred at COP27 by the end of January 2023", whether the release was issued, and, if so, whether it will provide it.

Question reference: S6W-14794

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many trees have been cut down or removed in order to make way for onshore windfarm development in the last 10 years, broken down by project and year.

Question reference: S6W-14795

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 2 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many trees it estimates will need to be removed to make way for onshore windfarm developments that have secured planning permission.