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: S5W-22492

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with setting up low emission zones in (a) Aberdeen, (b) Dundee and (c) Edinburgh.

We are working in partnership with Aberdeen, Dundee and Edinburgh city councils to deliver our commitment to introduce low emission zones in these cities by the end of 2020. Aberdeen is in the early stages of developing their plans and will be collecting new traffic data to help inform their LEZ scenario testing. Dundee is developing options and objectives for their low emission zone with elected members due to be updated by the end of April. It is expected Edinburgh will publish their detailed LEZ plans in May.

Question reference: S5W-22542

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 17 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many acres of land are and (b) what percentage of (i) land and property titles and (ii) land mass coverage is registered in the Land Register.

Question reference: S5O-02994

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the European Union (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill (not EU Withdrawal (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill).

Question reference: S5W-21758

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 5 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21286 by Clare Haughey on 18 February 2019, what outputs will be published at each stage of the public consultation, and by what date these will be released.

The independent review of Learning Disability and Autism in the Mental Health Act is due to report to Ministers by the end of this year. However, interim documents will be published at the end of each public engagement phase and can be accessed on the review’s website: https://www.irmha.scot The full timeline for the review is as follows.

Stage 1 (Discover) was about understanding people’s experiences of the Mental Health Act. Evidence from stage 1 has influenced the review’s outcomes framework for mental health law for autistic people and people with learning disability. The outcomes framework will be available on the review’s website after 8 March 2019. The review team expect to publish an interim report based on the evidence gathered in stage 1 by 31 May 2019.

In stage 2 (Develop), the review is inviting a broad range of organisations and individual experts to help us explore the range of options for the law. The findings from stage 2 will be reflected in the consultation documents for stage 3. Those documents should be available by 30 August 2019.

In stage 3 (Consult), the review will run an open consultation where they ask people and organisations for their views on what they've found. The findings from stage 3 will be reflected in the final report, which will be published by the end of 2019.

As this is a review of the law, the review’s outputs will not include a review of any individual or institution. All of the review’s outputs must protect the identities of individuals.

Question reference: S5W-21464

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 5 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5T-01462 by Aileen Campbell on 29 January 2019 (Official Report, c. 3), what due diligence of Our Power was carried out, and whether Audit Scotland plans to review this.

The Scottish Government made commercial decisions about its support for Our Power based upon due diligence. These decisions were made alongside other lenders as part of a Securities Trust. The due diligence undertaken included obtaining independent expert advice about the commerciality, value for money and financial risk associated with the investment. The Scottish Government also took independent legal advice from solicitors specialising in commercial practice.

The Auditor General for Scotland is responsible for the annual audit for the Scottish Government and the wider work programme delivered by Audit Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-21514

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 26 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-02764 by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 January 2019, how communities will be provided with sufficient funds to protect themselves from flooding, and what its response is to reports that, although the number of houses in potentially vulnerable areas has doubled, the flood prevention budget is set to decrease in real terms.

No country can entirely remove the risk of flooding. Our approach has been to ensure that investment is targeted to where it can have the most impact. Flood Risk Management Strategies and Local Plans have been developed to reduce the devastating and costly impact of flooding in Scotland. They coordinate the efforts of all organisations that tackle flooding. The Strategies and Plans concentrate the work of these organisations to where the risk of flooding and benefits of investment are greatest.

In 2016, agreement was reached between Scottish Minister and COSLA on a new strategic funding plan for flood protection schemes. The agreement guarantees that, for the next 10 years, the level of flooding capital grant within the local government settlement is set at a minimum of £42m per annum. This agreement will give local authorities the certainty they need to deliver the actions set out in their Local Plans to help protect individuals, business and communities from the danger of flooding.

Question reference: S5W-21513

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 February 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 26 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-02764 by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 January 2019, what its response is to concerns that people living in newly-appointed potentially vulnerable areas have reportedly stated that they have been given insufficient opportunity by SEPA to comment and that the maps used have been inaccurate regarding the areas at risk.

SEPA carried out a three month public consultation on the identification of Potentially Vulnerable Areas (PVAs) commencing on 1 May 2018 and this was promoted in a number of publications and through social media. There was also a radio campaign broadcasting throughout Scotland over this 3-month period. To ensure the outputs of the assessment were a fair reflection of flood risk within their areas, SEPA invited all 32 local authorities and other Responsible Authorities to attend one to one workshops prior to the consultation. In Aberdeenshire, SEPA supported the Council to notify community councils of the consultation and SEPA directly contacted a number of communities/individuals who had previously expressed an interest in the consultation.

The identification of PVAs by SEPA is based on the National Flood Risk Assessment 2018. This uses SEPA's flood maps, which have been supplemented with information given by local authorities and Scottish Water to identify what is at risk of river, coastal and surface water flooding. Having defined PVAs the next stage is for SEPA and local authorities to further develop their understanding of the nature of flood risk in those areas and identify what actions should be taken to reduce it. The results will then be presented for further public consultation before being reviewed and finalised. The information will then be published in the next Flood Risk Management Strategy in December 2021.

Question reference: S5O-02932

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working with stakeholders to improve its autism strategy.

Question reference: S5W-21286

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 January 2019
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 18 February 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the terms will be of the inquiry into the detainment of patients with learning difficulties at the State Hospital; when the inquiry will begin, and how long it will take.

The Scottish Government has made clear that the independent review of Learning Disability and Autism in the Mental Health Act, which began in January 2018, is investigating the wider issue of whether the current legislation needs to change for people with learning disability and autism. It is not an investigation into individual patient cases.

It is for the independent review to determine what issues or cases it will consider in order to inform its work. The review will consist of 3 public engagement phases, the 1st stage finished in November 2018 and focussed on understanding current experience of the legislation and how that affects people’s human rights. The responses are currently being analysed and preparation is underway for stage 2 which will run between March and May 2019. The focus for stage 2 will be developing ideas on how to improve legislation, if needed.

I expect the independent review to report to me by the end of the year.

Question reference: S5O-02822

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 January 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions ministers have had with civil servants regarding the EU Withdrawal (Legal Continuity) (Scotland) Bill since the Supreme Court’s judgement on it.