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-04527

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what review it has carried out of the (a) new and (b) existing actions in the Ending Homelessness Together updated plan that are (i) ranked red and (ii) planned for 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-04398

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) action it is taking and (b) funding it is providing to reverse the reported historic deforestation of native woodland ecosystems.

Scottish Government a) will increase the annual native woodland creation target from 3000 to 4000 hectares and commit to setting evidence-based targets for both native woodlands and natural regeneration as part of the 2022 Biodiversity Strategy.

Scottish Government are supporting this action through provision of SRDP grant for both planting of new woodland, and management of herbivores to encourage natural woodland expansion.

Question reference: S6W-04584

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will create a support mechanism for the wave and tidal energy industry to work alongside the UK Government’s revenue stabilisation mechanism, as recommended in the Scottish Renewables publication, Beyond COP26: Next steps for Scotland’s clean energy revolution.

Question reference: S6W-04551

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed changes to the assessment process for adult disability payment (ADP), how many people in receipt of personal independence payment (PIP) it expects will request the rate of the mobility support that they receive to be reviewed following transfer to ADP, and what modelling and analysis it has used to determine this.

Forecasts relating to future requests for award reviews and reassessments are set out by the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC). The most recently published forecast of 26 August 2021 stated that 8,700 additional people could request that their award be reviewed due to their circumstances changing over the course of case transfer.

On the assumption that around 72% of these individuals could request their mobility award is reviewed, based on the current share of PIP award types, such requests could therefore be around 6,300 people following transfer to ADP from PIP.

Question reference: S6W-04580

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish an energy skills and services export target, as recommended in the Scottish Renewables publication, Beyond COP26: Next steps for Scotland’s clean energy revolution.

Question reference: S6W-04344

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-03267 by Michael Matheson on 11 October 2021, while decarbonisation projects of any size can progress through the Marine Scotland Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) decarbonisation plan, whether innovation projects in Scotland that are not part of the oil and gas decarbonisation programme are subject to a 100MW cap; if so, what its position is on whether this curtails such projects in Scottish waters; what specific consideration it will give to raising the cap for these Scottish innovation projects through INTOG from 100MW to 300MW, to enable such projects in Scottish waters to compete with any similar pre-commercial projects in the English and Welsh waters of the Celtic Sea that are up to 300MW in size, and what its position is on whether this would provide an opportunity for innovative Scottish stepping-stone projects to be brought forward.

As per the previous answer to question S6W-03267 highlighted, a consultation has taken place on the Planning Specification and Context Report for the Sectoral Marine Plan for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas Decarbonisation (INTOG). That consultation closed on 20 October 2021 and the Scottish Government is aiming to publish the results of that consultation alongside the Initial Plan Framework, which sets out all parameters and spatial components, shortly. This document will include definitions for both Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas components. It is, of course, the intention to ensure that projects delivered under INTOG are competitive.

Question reference: S6W-04565

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will ensure that recognised trade unions in the ferry industry are fully consulted over the design of ferries that Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) will procure in line with the Infrastructure Investment Plan.

Transport Scotland and CMAL fully understand the importance and significance of engaging with the relevant trade unions on ferry services and future vessel contracts. Regular meetings were held with unions by Transport Scotland, CMAL and CalMac, from the outset of the Islay vessels project. Similarly, these bodies have provided unions with progress updates, whilst listening and taking action on their views when appropriate. Transport Scotland will ensure a similar approach will be taken with all future projects.

Question reference: S6W-04481

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what role it will have in deciding how the £2 million of funding that it has committed to addressing climate-related loss and damage will be allocated.

The £2 million committed to Loss and Damage will be financed through Scottish Government’s Climate Justice Fund. £1 million has been allocated to a grant partnership with the Climate Justice Resilience Fund to help some of the world’s most vulnerable communities adapt to climate change, tackle structural inequalities and recover from climate-induced loss and damage. In this and in programming the remaining £1 million, the Scottish Government will work collaboratively with partners to identify and address the needs of communities suffering the acutest impacts, to establish learning and best practice on Loss and Damage programming and finance, and to create further momentum on loss and damage.

Question reference: S6W-04308

Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that local authorities adhere to the Funding Follows the Child guidance, which states that local authorities should give appropriate consideration to the potential impact of their recruitment activity on the sustainability of funded providers.

Local authorities have worked with local partners to undertake a significant workforce expansion to support delivery of the 1140 commitment and we have seen an increase in the availability of funded early learning and childcare (ELC) places across the local authority, private, third and childminding sectors.

The underpinning policy framework for the ELC expansion, Funding Follows the Child, was developed jointly between the Scottish Government and COSLA. Local authorities are responsible for adhering to the guidance and ensuring they undertake appropriate impact assessments to support their policy and investment decisions, as they do routinely.

Implementation of Funding Follows the Child is overseen by the ELC Joint Delivery Board which is chaired by the Minister for Children and Young People and the COSLA Spokesperson for Children and Young People. The Joint Delivery Board regularly reviews the risks and impacts of the ELC expansion programme, including any issues with adherence to the Funding Follows the Child and National Standard guidance.

Question reference: S6W-04314

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish data on waiting times for return appointments for chronic pain patients on a similar basis to data published for new treatment referrals; whether the 18-week Referral to Treatment Standard applies to (a) new treatment referrals for chronic patients and (b) return appointments for chronic pain patients, and what consideration it has given to ending the practice of no maximum time limit on waits for return appointments for chronic pain patients.

Chronic Pain services in Scotland are currently unable to gather electronic data on return appointments in a consistent manner and one that could support routine national data collection by Public Health Scotland (PHS).

The 18 Weeks Referral To Treatment (RTT) standard applies to the entire patient journey from the initial referral to the start of treatment and so repeat appointments after the start of treatment would not be included in this metric. Achieving the target depends on waiting times for diagnostic tests, new outpatient appointments, inpatient and day case treatment.