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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6O-02371

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding any impact that its fiscal policy platform will have on Scottish businesses, including tourism and hospitality businesses.

Question reference: S6O-02379

Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it will make available for community-led initiatives in the Coatbridge and Chryston constituency that promote environmental quality and protection.

Question reference: S6O-02372

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the recent Accounts Commission report, Local government in Scotland: Overview 2023.

Question reference: S6W-18101

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a timeline for its proposed Scottish Languages Bill, including an estimated date for its introduction to Parliament.

The Scottish Government carried out a consultation on the Future of Gaelic and Scots from August to December 2022 and these responses will help shape any future legislation. The responses have been independently analysed and it is hope that these will be published by the Scottish Government on 7 June.

A decision on the timing of the Bill’s introduction to Parliament will be taken by Cabinet in the context of setting the content of future legislative programmes.

Question reference: S6W-17062

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any potential impact on decisions to support business development with multinational companies in Scotland, what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government in relation to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) regarding the environmental impact of palm oil production.

As with the development of all new trade arrangements, the Scottish Government has sought to engage with the UK Government at Ministerial and official level throughout the negotiations for accession to the CPTPP to ensure that Scottish interests are identified and taken into account.

As part of this process the Scottish Government has raised the issue of increased palm oil production. In my recent letter to the UK Government Minister of State for International Trade, Nigel Huddleston MP, I reiterated our concerns and specifically asked to see the UK’s assessment of the impact of lowering tariffs through accession to CPTPP. I raised the matter again on 1 June when we last met.

Question reference: S6W-18233

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the policy is for people employed by the Scottish Ambulance Service who have had their C1 licence temporarily revoked due to medical issues.

Question reference: S6W-18258

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17750 by Lorna Slater on 19 May 2023, how many beaver carcasses have been submitted to NatureScot for an independent post-mortem, since it became a legal requirement.

The beaver kit dependency period is between 1 April and 16 August and no licences to control beavers have been issued in this period. As such, there has been no legal requirement for carcasses to be submitted to NatureScot for an independent post-mortem.

The legal requirement for licence holders to submit carcasses for independent post- mortem to NatureScot will take effect when new licences granted by NatureScot commence on 17 August 2023 and thereafter.

Question reference: S6W-18401

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of any impact that the delay to the launch date of the Deposit Return Scheme, from August 2023 to March 2024, has had on local authority (a) budgets, (b) public procurement contracts and (c) waste management services.

A set of impact assessments including an Equalities Impact Assessment, Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment, Fairer Scotland Duty Assessment and Island Communities Impact Assessment were published alongside the original DRS Regulations in 2020. These have been updated to reflect previous amendments and we will shortly publish revisions to these in light of the amendments laid in May.

Scottish Government has regular engagements with local government and other key stakeholders. Local government is represented on our Ministerial Strategic Advisory Group, and our Hospitality Sector Group. They will have a role to play in the governance of the scheme which will look at strategic and operational issues.

Question reference: S6W-18325

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has a target date to achieve 100% gigabit-capable broadband coverage across the whole of Scotland.

The Scottish Government has not set a 100% gigabit-capable broadband coverage target for Scotland.

Given the reserved nature of telecoms legislation, the UK Government’s Project Gigabit programme has set an 85% UK-wide coverage target to be met by 2025, and aims to achieve ‘nationwide’ coverage by 2030.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with the UK Government on Project Gigabit activity in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-18382

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the (a) Welsh Government and (b) Northern Ireland Executive to discuss the Deposit Return Scheme.