Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-31093

Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 15 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether funding for the 2025-26 round of the Place Based Investment Programme (PBIP) will take place as planned.

Question reference: S6W-31114

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 15 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings showing the lowest levels of confidence in the UK continental shelf (UKCS) since the Energy Transition survey series began, as set out in Aberdeen and Grampian Chamber of Commerce's Energy Transition 40th Survey report.

The Scottish Government is committed to working in partnership with business and industry to deliver a just transition for Scotland’s valued oil and gas sector, which recognises the declining nature of the North Sea basin and is in line with our climate change commitments.

We recognise that the oil and gas sector has an important and valued continuing role to play in our economy and energy; and that retention of both a strong workforce and energy supply chain, will be crucial for the success of the transition to net zero and renewables.

Offshore oil and gas licensing and consenting, as well as the associated fiscal regime, are currently reserved to the UK Government. We continue to call on UK Government to listen carefully to the concerns being expressed by businesses around risks to jobs and investment in the transition.

Question reference: S6W-31108

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 15 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether reducing tax costs for businesses through rates reliefs would support (a) enterprise in and (b) the local economy of the Mid Scotland and Fife region, and what action it is taking to do so.

The 2024-25 Scottish Budget delivers a competitive non-domestic rates regime including the lowest poundage in the UK for the sixth year in a row, and a package of reliefs worth an estimated £685 million. As at 1 June 2024, over 20,000 properties in the Clackmannanshire, Fife, Perth and Kinross, and Stirling council areas benefited from one or more non-domestic rates reliefs, worth almost £84 million.

The Scottish Government is acutely aware of the enormous pressures facing businesses across Scotland and considers carefully how best to target support for businesses within the limited finances available, noting the important role non-domestic rates play in public finances.

Decisions on non-domestic rates for next year will be considered in the context of the Scottish Budget 2025-26.

The Scottish Government has further committed £45.1 million to the Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal, which aims to support economic growth throughout the city region. The Deal supports projects across the region, in sectors including innovation, skills, culture heritage and tourism, and active travel.

In addition, through the Forth Green Freeport, the Scottish Government and UK Government are working together to provide targeted tax incentives at strategic port sites within the Forth estuary. In designated Green Freeport tax site areas in Rosyth and Burntisland, businesses will have access to a range of reserved and devolved tax incentives (including Non-Domestic Rates and Land and Buildings Transaction Tax reliefs). These incentives aim to help drive investment and high-quality job creation in key sectors for the region including offshore wind, shipbuilding, and advanced manufacturing.

Question reference: S6W-30778

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 21 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 15 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the increase in ferry fares for 2025-26 is being implemented several months earlier on Northern Isles routes than on Clyde and Hebrides services.

Question reference: S6W-30764

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the the undertaking given by the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) and accepted by Ofqual on 16 August 2024, what actions the SQA took to address the impact on learners who were awarded qualifications for the resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification, which were subsequently withdrawn, whether the SQA put any compensatory measures in place, and how learners were informed of the situation.

Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. Its findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.

SQA is an executive Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB), established under the Education (Scotland) Act 1996. As a NDPB, SQA is responsible for making its own operational decisions. I have asked the SQA to write to Mr Rennie setting out the measures taken and communications with stakeholders related to the undertaking.

Question reference: S6W-31099

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 15 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to NHS Grampian to reduce the waiting list for elective surgery at Woodend Hospital, in light of reports that this is estimated to be around 3,000 people.

Question reference: S6W-30759

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 18 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when ministers became aware of the Ofqual review of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) investigations, which resulted in the SQA's undertaking to Ofqual was accepted in August 2024, into the resit assessments for the 2024 SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification.

Ofqual regulates qualifications, examinations and assessments in England. Its findings relate to the SQA Level 1 Health and Safety in a Construction Environment qualification delivered in England which was withdrawn by SQA in April 2019.

SQA made the Scottish Government aware of the issue through its regular governance channels when it first arose in 2019 and have regularly updated the Scottish Government on developments throughout the process.

SQA formally notified the Scottish Government of the final and published version of the Undertaking given by the SQA to Ofqual on 11 October 2024.

Question reference: S6W-30927

Asked by: Roz McCall, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 15 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30466 by Natalie Don-Innes on 17 October 2024, whether it will provide a precise timetable for the introduction of the proposed The Promise Bill.

The Government’s future legislative programmes will be announced in the relevant Programme for Government in the normal way.

The Scottish Government is committed to keep The Promise by 2030 and has recently set out further detail on activity underway in our Promise Implementation Plan Update 2024: Keeping The Promise to our children, young people and families: progress update 2024 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot). This includes a continued commitment to introduce a Promise Bill by the end of this parliamentary session, dependent on wider pressures on the Parliamentary legislative calendar.

We are currently conducting a number of consultations which will inform the next steps on key areas and, where appropriate to inform The Promise Bill.

This includes the next stages of reform of the children’s hearing system; the future of foster care; the definition of care experience; and the support available to those moving on from care.

Question reference: S6W-31212

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with (a) NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde and (b) its Health and Social Care Partnerships (HSCPs) regarding home ear syringing, and how it is supporting HSCPs to make this service available to patients who need it.

Question reference: S6W-31235

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 November 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many buildings have had flammable cladding removed to date (a) in total and (b) with the assistance of government funding.

Chamber and committees