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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-02039

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 02 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 26 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reports regarding Queens consent, whether it will provide details of (a) the procedure for this and (b) its impact.

Question reference: S6W-01998

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) theatres, (b) music venues, (c) dance halls and (d) cinemas have permanently closed since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Government is concerned that some cultural venues have permanently closed since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic as a result of the Covid-19 restrictions essential to helping safeguard the health and wellbeing of the country.

We are aware of the personal and professional impacts that these permanent closures continue to have on the Creative Industries and on individuals. The Scottish Government has worked with Creative Scotland throughout the pandemic to deliver essential funding to prevent insolvency and the closure of venues with funds such as the Grassroots Music Venue Stabilisation Fund.

It is deeply disappointing that, despite the efforts of the Scottish Government and its public bodies, cultural venues still faced permanent closure during the pandemic. The Scottish Government will work with Creative Scotland to explore the impact of the pandemic on venue closures nationally.

Question reference: S6W-01398

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that additional forests will take 20 years to cancel the carbon impact of cultivating them.

The majority of new woodlands created in Scotland will, over a 20 year period, sequester more carbon than is released during cultivation, and will continue to absorb carbon for the rest of their growing period. Scotland’s forests are predicted to remain a net sink through the period to 2045 and beyond.

In certain circumstances, where tree growth is expected to be moderate and where the soil is of a particular type carbon accounting can be less predictable and in those situations, greater attention is paid to the method of ground preparation as required through our new cultivation guidance. Scottish Forestry has engaged Forest Research (FR) to examine the impact of carbon release caused by forestry ground cultivation in organo-mineral soils, and is using that evidence to put in place methodologies that will ensure that growing trees will reabsorb carbon released from cultivation as quickly as possible.

Scottish Forestry will no longer approve high impact cultivation techniques, including shallow ploughing and other forms of linear cultivation on peat soils which are over 10cm in depth. Research evidence from FR demonstrates that by doing so there will be no net loss of carbon over a 20 year period, and afterwards the growing trees will continue to sequester and absorb carbon for the rest of the forest rotation.

Question reference: S6O-00089

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the impact parental smoking has on child poverty.

Question reference: S6O-00094

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its programme for mental health within the NHS Recovery Plan.

Question reference: S6O-00092

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to help protect people participating in football activities, particularly children and young people, in light of research suggesting a link between repeated heading of footballs and dementia later in life.

Question reference: S6O-00093

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to enshrining a rule in the National Planning Framework 4, where, for every new building, 1% of the cost is given to the arts.

Question reference: S6O-00091

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the antisocial use of quad bikes, trail bikes and other off-road vehicles.

Question reference: S6O-00090

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to implement the recommendations in Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy.

Question reference: S6O-00077

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has commissioned of the likely costs to homeowners and landlords of reaching net zero emissions in housing by 2045.