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-05252

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether, according to the Government Expenditure and Revenue Scotland 2020-21, taxes generated are greater or less than total public expenditure.

Question reference: S6O-00585

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the total value of applications received from local authorities was, as part of the £32 million Local Bridge Maintenance Fund.

Question reference: S6W-04521

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how the £100 million funding set out in the Draft Hydrogen Action Plan will be allocated each year.

The Emerging Energy Technologies Fund (EETF) is a £180m package of funding over five years that will provide capital support to accelerate low-carbon infrastructure projects that will be essential to deliver net zero. The Fund will make £100 million available to support renewable hydrogen projects in line with our Hydrogen Policy Statement.

Policy officials are finalising the eligibility and project assessment criteria for the EETF, and have invited views on this from stakeholders by 19 January 2022.

Views can be provided at https://consult.gov.scot/energy-and-climate-change-directorate/hydrogen-action-plan/ .

Further details on the Fund and its eligibility criteria will be provided in early 2022 alongside a call for projects.

Question reference: S6W-04522

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it is allocating to the development of regional hydrogen energy hubs in each of the next five years; how many will be established; how many people will be employed at each, and by what date each will be operational.

The Scottish Government will, over the next five years, continue to create a supportive policy environment which, alongside private investment, will enable the creation of a network of renewable and low-carbon regional hydrogen production hubs near demand centres across Scotland.

The development of regional hydrogen energy hubs will be strategically supported through the Emerging Energy Technologies Fund (EETF) – a £180m package of funding over five years that will provide capital support to accelerate low-carbon infrastructure projects that will be essential to deliver net zero. The EETF will make £100 million available to support renewable hydrogen projects.

Policy officials are finalising the eligibility and project assessment criteria for the EETF, and have invited views on this from stakeholders by the 19 January 2022.

Views can be provided at https://consult.gov.scot/energy-and-climate-change-directorate/hydrogen-action-plan/ .

Further details on the Fund and its eligibility criteria will be provided in early 2022 alongside a call for projects.

Question reference: S6W-04518

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government on what dates during COP26 (a) the First Minister and (b) its officials met the former Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, and what was discussed.

Question reference: S6W-04523

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it is allocating to the Hydrogen Economy Cluster set out in the Draft Hydrogen Action Plan; how many people will work at the Hydrogen Economy Cluster, and by what date it will be operational.

The Hydrogen Economy Cluster will raise awareness of the opportunities in the hydrogen economy, support a Team Scotland approach and provide practical steps to help companies realise opportunities in hydrogen and associated low-carbon markets. The cluster will be pan-Scotland and will play a key role in helping the energy and oil and gas supply chain move into hydrogen production, distribution and/or key areas of hydrogen demand such as transport and low-carbon heat.

Hydrogen policy officials are currently working with the Enterprise Agencies on the development of the Hydrogen Economy Cluster and further details will be available in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-04520

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it will allocate to the Scottish Hydrogen Innovation Fund in each of the next five years.

The £10m Scottish Hydrogen Innovation Fund is part of the Scottish Government’s Emerging Energy Technologies Fund. It aims to support Scottish researchers and innovators to drive technological progress and advance innovation to improve the cost-competitiveness of renewable hydrogen produced in Scotland. It will support Scottish companies to benefit from and contribute to the global research and innovation network through international collaboration.

Hydrogen policy officials are currently finalising the development of the Scottish Hydrogen Innovation Fund and have invited views from stakeholders on the scope of this Fund.

Views can be provided at https://consult.gov.scot/energy-and-climate-change-directorate/hydrogen-action-plan/ .

Further details will be provided in early 2022 as part of the Emerging Energy Technologies Fund.

Question reference: S6W-04533

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the date by which the Deposit Return Scheme will be introduced.

Question reference: S6W-04534

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 1 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the cost of the Deposit Return Scheme, in light of the delay in its implementation.

The costs and benefits of delivering Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) are set out in the Full Business Case (FBC) Addendum, published on 16 March 2020, which sets out the clear economic case for DRS. It is available here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/deposit-return-scheme-scotland-full-business-case-addendum/documents/ .

We are aware that some in industry have been exploring alternative values for some of the assumptions set out in the FBC Addendum. We have not had the opportunity to assess the evidence for these alternative assumptions in detail. However, where the figures appear credible we are analysing them and will respond in due course.

In line with the principle of producer responsibility, the operating costs of DRS will be borne by the drinks producers who supply the Scottish market.

Question reference: S6W-04242

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) individuals and (b) businesses have used the Low Carbon Transport Loan Scheme to purchase electric vehicles, in each year since the scheme was introduced.

The shift to electric vehicles is an important part of responding to the climate emergency and improving air quality in our cities. To help incentivise this shift, we have, since 2011, provided loans valued over £140 million to the people and businesses of Scotland to make the transition to ultra-low emission vehicles. Last year our interest free loan scheme that supports the purchase of electric vehicles was extended to include used electric vehicles.

Since 2011 the Scottish Government through Transport Scotland has funded the Low Carbon Transport Loan (LCTL) this interest free loan has supported almost 5500 individuals and businesses in Scotland.

The breakdown between individuals and businesses receiving the LCTL is listed in the following table.

Year	Individual Loans	Business Loans
2011-2012	0	14
2012-2013	0	16
2013-2014	0	9
2014-2015	0	35
2015-2016	58	30
2016-2017	70	104
2017-2018	135	109
2018-2019	325	234
2019-2020	892	353
2020-2021	1141	289
2021-2022	1372	283
Totals	3993	1476