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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-33730

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the criteria that the new owner of Glasgow Prestwick Airport must maximise the employment potential of the airport means that there would be no immediate redundancies, should the airport be sold.

I wrote to the Economy and Fair Work Committee on 25 June 2024 to confirm that a market testing exercise for Glasgow Prestwick Airport was underway. Scottish Ministers’ longstanding position is that the airport should be returned to the private sector at the appropriate time and opportunity. This must be to an organisation with the commitment and capability to operate businesses directly relevant to GPA.

Any decision to sell GPA must represent value for money for taxpayers and be informed by what is right for the long-term success of the business and its contribution to the local and Scottish economy.

The process is ongoing and I will update Parliament when a significant development has been made.

Question reference: S6W-33740

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting local authorities and communities to develop storm and wildfire resilience plans, and what progress has been made in their implementation.

The Scottish Government works closely with categorised responders, who are responsible under the Civil Contingencies Act 2004 for assessing the risk of an emergency occurring, maintaining plans to ensure they can continue to perform their functions in case of an emergency, and considering whether an assessment makes it necessary or expedient to add or modify plans. Scottish Government are not however responsible for, or the owners of, any of these plans.

To support categorised responders with their duties, the Scottish Government contributes to the UK’s National Security Risk Assessment and produces the Scottish Risk Assessment to supplement this with Scotland specific analysis. These national level risk assessments consider the most serious emergencies that the UK and Scotland may face in the near future, and contain specific risk assessments for both severe storms and wildfires.

Question reference: S6W-33933

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were prosecuted on the suspicion of committing an offence listed in the Salmon (Fish Passes and Screens) (Scotland) Regulations 1994 in each year since 2021.

The Salmon (Fish Passes and Screens) (Scotland) Regulations 1994 were revoked in 2013. Therefore, there have been no prosecutions for offences under these regulations since 2021.

The Salmon (Fish Passes and Screens) (Scotland) Regulations 1994 were revoked in 2013 and regulation of activities affecting the water environment, including barriers to salmon migration, is now done under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. This framework allows for a broader suite of enforcement options compared with the Salmon (Fish Passes and Screens) (Scotland) Regulations 1994, which only allowed prosecutions.

Enforcement Actions by Type	Number of enforcement actions for offences under Regulation 44 of The Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011
Enforcement Actions by Type	2024	2023	2022	2021	TOTAL
Final Warning Letter	6	6	6	5	23
Statutory Notice	1	0	1	0	2
Variable Monetary Penalty	6	7	4	1	18
Fixed Monetary Penalty	2	0	0	0	2
TOTAL	15	13	11	6	45

Question reference: S6W-33957

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of the Spanish Tax Lease system, which is applied to finance agreements for the purchase of ships, making it possible for shipping companies to purchase ships built by Spanish shipyards at a 20% to 30% discount, and whether it (a) can and (b) will develop a similar system in Scotland.

The Scottish Government is aware of the Spanish Tax Lease system.

The Spanish tax lease system refers to a Corporation Tax depreciation process.

Corporation Tax is entirely reserved to the UK Parliament, and so it would be beyond the devolved competency of the Scottish Government to introduce a similar system in Scotland.

It is the position of the Scottish Government that all tax powers, including those over Corporation Tax, be devolved to the Scottish Parliament so that the tax system can be redesigned to better suit the people and business who live and operate in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-33946

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on strengthening (a) planning law and (b) national guidance to improve the provision of accessible parking spaces.

Accessible parking space provision is influenced by many regimes including planning, building standards and roads policy. It is for the local authority to decide on the suitable parking requirements in each locale, taking a place based approach. Planning law does not govern car parking provision, rather, it is for the local authority to manage existing parking in public car parks and on the road network and requirements for new developments (set out in building standards guidance).

Scottish Government funding for electric vehicle charge points now requires operators to take steps to ensure a reasonable proportion of accessible spaces.

Question reference: S6W-33941

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many times since being appointed to the post the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands and (b) Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity has met the Coastal Communities Network Scotland where the fishing industry was part of discussions.

Question reference: S6W-33942

Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many times since being appointed to the post the (a) Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands and (b) Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity has met the Scottish Wildlife Trust, where the fishing industry was part of discussions.

Question reference: S6W-33992

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there is reportedly no specific fire safety guidance for battery energy storage systems in Scotland, in light of there being such guidance in England and Wales.

Guidance is covered under The National Fire Chief Council's (NFCC) Grid Scale Planning Guidance for Fire and Rescue Services which covers the UK. These guidelines detail, amongst other things, minimum standards with fire safety systems and design features, water requirements for firefighting and access requirements.

The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) will also aim to review planning documents if appropriate for firefighting and fire safety operations (e.g. water access, proximity requirements) and will continually review and develop its operational response to any new and emerging technology to keep communities safe and ensure the highest level of preparedness.

Question reference: S6W-33989

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has met with the Scotch Whisky Association in the last 12 months.

Question reference: S6W-33455

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 January 2025
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 3 February 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Embrace Autism report, An Evaluation of Autistic-Led and Designed Pre- and Post-Diagnostic Support for Autistic Adults, including what action it is taking in response to the recommendation that (a) pre- and post-diagnostic support programmes are designed and delivered by autistic professionals and (b) professional autistic-led and designed pre- and post-diagnostic support is made more widely accessible across the country.

The Scottish Government welcomes the Embrace Autism report and work of the Embrace Autism programme, funded through the Scottish Government’s Autistic Adult Support Fund (AASF).

Through our AASF, the Scottish Government will continue to support organisations to deliver pre- and post-diagnostic support programmes designed and delivered by autistic people.

We have committed to multi-year funding of the AASF, which will avoid gaps in the provision of support programmes and will allow for funded organisations to better plan and deliver for the future. We will provide funding of £1 million per year.

Within the design of the AASF we prioritised the voice of lived experience, as the criteria we set out ensured organisations meaningfully involved autistic people in the development, design and delivery of their programmes.

The Autistic Adult Support Fund includes a range of national and local organisations providing different types of support. This includes in-person and virtual peer support groups, drop in sessions, one to one support and short term counselling.