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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.

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Question reference: S6W-06074

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment was carried out to ascertain the suitability of digital technologies for inclusion in the deposit return scheme; which technologies were assessed; what assessment method was used, and who carried out each assessment, and when.

Decisions regarding the use of technology to operate Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) are for industry to take in line with the principle of producer responsibility.

We would anticipate that industry will make extensive use of digital technology in delivering the scheme, for example by developing an IT system to track payments made and received, adopting state-of-the-art reverse vending technology to prevent fraud, and using digital media to communicate with the public regarding DRS.

We are aware of the so-called ‘digital DRS’ as a proposed approach to delivering deposit return whereby consumers redeem deposits on scheme articles by scanning them with a smartphone before placing them in their kerbside recycling. We considered this approach during the policy-development process for DRS and the strong feedback from both industry and environmental NGOs was that the technology is not sufficiently mature for implementation on the timetable for our DRS.

We, and Circularity Scotland Ltd as scheme administrator, are monitoring developments including trials of ‘digital DRS’ in Wales. However, we are focussed on delivering a return-to-retail DRS, in line with international best practice, that will make it as easy to return a bottle or can as it was to buy it.

Question reference: S6W-06137

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to regulate non-surgical cosmetic procedures, in light of the conclusion of the public consultation on this matter on 30 June 2020.

Question reference: S6W-06131

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05688 by Maree Todd on 26 January 2022, whether the Maternity and Children’s Quality Improvement Collaborative (MCQIC) will produce a report on the improvement of the understanding of the variation in caesarean section rates in Scotland, and, if so, when this report will be published.

The Maternity and Children’s Quality Improvement Collaborative (MCQIC) is taking a quality improvement (QI) approach in its work to improve our understanding of the variation in caesarean section rates in Scotland. This work is in its early stages, with initial scoping work underway. The next phase of the QI work is due to commence early in the next quarter and will involve further engagement with NHS Boards.

MCQIC publishes resources relevant to its work on its website. Relevant outputs from this QI programme will also be shared in this way as the work progresses.

Maternity and Children Quality Improvement Collaborative (MCQIC) | Scottish Patient Safety Programme (SPSP) | ihub - Maternity and Children Quality Improvement Collaborative (MCQIC).

Question reference: S6W-06123

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05593 by Lorna Slater on 24 January 2022, whether it will confirm whether it holds details of estimated preparedness times for any individual businesses in Scotland, and, if so, whether it will provide that information.

As part of the review into the implementation date for Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) we carried out intensive scrutiny of Circularity Scotland Ltd’s (CSL) implementation programme, including through the Gateway Review and Assurance of Action Plan, as well as engagement from Scottish Ministers and officials. I am therefore confident that CSL will be prepared to deliver its obligations by 16 August 2023.

The Gateway Review interviewed a range of other stakeholders and, although it gave a preparedness estimate of 12-24 months for individual stakeholders, did not give a breakdown of preparedness estimates for individual businesses. While businesses interviewed separately by SG tended to endorse this finding, we do not hold exact preparedness times for these individual businesses.

Question reference: S6W-06081

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent correspondence (a) it and (b) Creative Scotland has had with BECTU and STUC regarding fair work practices at Horsecross Arts.

There is an ongoing issue between BECTU and Horsecross Arts around exclusive Union Recognition that Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, BECTU and Horsecross Arts have been in communication about. This has included correspondence with both the Minister for Culture, Europe & International Development and also with the Minister for Just Transition, Employment & Fair Work. BECTU have raised this issue in meetings with the Ministers. Exclusive Union Recognition is not a condition of the Fair Work Framework.

Creative Scotland continue to engage with all parties.

Question reference: S6W-06073

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05595 by Lorna Slater on 25 January 2022 and without seeking information on Circularity Scotland Ltd’s procurement decisions, whether it will confirm the date on which the minister was made aware that procurement documents indicating a 2023 launch date for the deposit return scheme had been issued.

Question reference: S6W-06078

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the £749,000 funding allocation to Horsecross Arts, whether the working practices at Horsecross Arts were assessed using the Fair Work Convention Framework.

The Scottish Government’s emergency Covid19 support to the performing arts sector during the pandemic, included an award of £749,000 to Horsecross Arts by Creative Scotland from the Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund (PAVR) which was announced on 5 August 2020. Creative Scotland assessed Horsecross Arts against the criteria for the fund which were:

Attain Financial sustainability
Allow staff to return from Furlough or avoid redundancy
where possible , Provide opportunities for Creative Freelancers.

As a non-departmental public body Creative Scotland operate at arm’s length from government for all their funding decision. This means that Scottish Ministers have no role in individual funding decisions.

Question reference: S6W-06009

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to reduce pressures on marine habitats that are already known to be important carbon sinks.

The Scottish Government launched the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum (SBCF) in 2018 to increase our understanding of Scotland’s marine stores of carbon (“blue carbon”), their role in carbon uptake and their vulnerabilities to human activities. We have committed over £650,000 to the Forum’s research programme, which has leveraged significant match funding from partner organisations. The Forum’s expertise is recognised internationally. During COP26, the SBCF joined the International Partnership for Blue Carbon as its 50 th member and brought together science and policy experts from around the world for a two day conference “Blue Carbon: Beyond the Inventory” in Edinburgh, driving forward the research and policy agenda to protect and restore these important habitats.

Research by the SBCF continues to enhance our understanding of Scotland’s blue carbon habitats and will provide an improved evidence base for future decision making.

Many of the key habitats and species that research has identified as being important for blue carbon are Priority Marine Features (PMFs) and are also safeguarded within Scotland’s Marine Protected Areas (MPAs).

With 37% of our seas already designated as MPAs, we have committed in the Programme for Government to deliver the outstanding fisheries measures required to achieve MPA conservation objectives by March 2024. We are also providing additional protection to our inshore waters by developing fisheries measures for the 11 PMFs most at risk from bottom trawling outside our MPAs, in line with the National Marine Plan. In combination these measures will help reduce pressures on marine habitats known to be important carbon sinks.

In the Programme for Government, we have also committed to designating at least 10% of Scotland's seas as Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMAs) by 2026. The policy and selection framework for HPMAs will provide for the protection of blue carbon habitats, using the growing evidence base.

Question reference: S6O-00780

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported warnings from residents, business and advocacy groups that the current quality of ferry service represents a real threat to island life.

Question reference: S6O-00783

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that islanders are not left without food supplies due to the reported lack of resilience of the ferry fleet.