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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: 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-00784

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available to ensure that more fish caught by Scottish vessels is landed and processed at Scottish ports.

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.

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-00782

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to encourage dentists to continue treating NHS patients.

Question reference: S6O-00785

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South 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 what action it is taking to reduce any adverse effects of food waste on climate change.