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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: S4W-26500

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 28 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how the implementation of the pelagic discard ban has affected the pelagic fleet and what evaluation it has undertaken of the success of the ban.

The pelagic landing obligation came into force on 1 January 2015. Those fisheries affected by its introduction are traditionally ‘clean’ fisheries, meaning that historic levels of discarding are recorded as negligible. Although no formal evaluation of the pelagic discard ban has yet taken place, Scottish Government officials engage regularly with the pelagic fishing industry and the impact on the fleet is considered low.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with the fishing industry and the regional groups of member states to understand the impact of the pelagic discard ban and to learn lessons which can be applied ahead of the introduction of the demersal landing obligation, starting on 1 January 2016.

Question reference: S4W-26497

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 21 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government how its announcement on 9 June 2015 that energy efficiency will be designated as a national infrastructure project (Official Report, c. 60) will change its approach to delivering improvements to energy efficiency.

We will set out further details of the national infrastructure priority designation later this year when we publish our refreshed infrastructure investment plan.

We will use the powers recommended by The Smith Commission to build on our successful Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland: Area Based Schemes and existing programmes for business and the public sector to help design and develop fuel poverty and energy efficiency schemes that better suit Scotland’s unique characteristics in the domestic and non-domestic sectors. The programme will also for the first time provide multi-year funding for local authority partners to give them the certainty to develop more ambitious projects on the ground.

Question reference: S4W-26496

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 21 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Minister for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform’s statement on 9 June 2015 (Official Report c. 58), how it plans to “work together with energy experts, businesses and communities to develop a more holistic approach to these issues over the next year.”

The Scottish Government has a strong track record of working with energy experts, businesses and communities to develop energy efficiency programmes to help meet Scottish needs. We will work closely with relevant stakeholders over the coming months on how we can best involve interests from across Scotland to shape Scotland’s energy efficiency programme and to begin to pilot initial approaches.

Question reference: S4W-26498

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 21 July 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its announcement on 9 June 2015 that energy efficiency would be designated as a national infrastructure project (Official Report, c. 60), whether the new scheme under the Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland will set specific targets for improving the energy efficiency of domestic properties.

The detail and design of Scotland’s energy efficiency programme which will lie at the heart of the national infrastructure priority will be developed in close co-operation with stakeholders across Scotland. We need an approach that can take account of the diversity of the housing stock and households across Scotland, therefore before we set out further detail we will work with stakeholders to undertake further modelling and analysis to understand what is possible before setting out specific targets for the programme.

In the shorter term we plan to consult on proposed minimum standards for energy efficiency in private homes later this year. These standards, like our existing standards for social housing, will help to make Scotland’s least energy efficient homes more affordable to run, more comfortable to live in, and help reduce their emissions.

Question reference: S4O-04470

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish an updated infrastructure investment plan.

Question reference: S4W-25569

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to deal with contaminated recyclate.

The Scottish Government has taken a number of actions that will improve the quality of recyclate in Scotland by reducing contamination, as follows:

The Code of Practice on Sampling and Reporting at Material Recovery Facilities, published in March 2015, requires operators to sample the quality of recyclate as it arrives and leaves facilities, record the next and end destinations of each load that leaves the facility, and report results to Scottish Environment Protection Agency. This is intended to improve transparency and drive up demand for clean, consistent, high quality streams of recyclate. Compliance with the code becomes a condition of operating licences from 1 October 2015;

The Zero Waste Taskforce established by Scottish Ministers and COSLA, which is developing a ‘charter’ or common approach to recycling collection systems. Improving consistency of practice will help to improve recyclate quality; and

The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012, which require separate collections of recyclable material.

Question reference: S4W-25570

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 2 June 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has carried out on developing more effective systems of waste collection to maximise opportunities for recycling and the reuse of materials and what specific advice it has offered local authorities regarding procurement.

The Scottish Government has funded Zero Waste Scotland research and guidance on effective systems for waste collection to maximise reuse and recycling. This can be found on the Zero Waste Scotland and WRAP websites and includes:

Kerbside Recycling Indicative Costs and Performance (WRAP, 2008)

Local Authority Kerbside Good Practice Guide (ZWS, 2012)

Re-use of WEEE from Household Waste Recycling Centres (ZWS, 2014)

The Scottish Government and COSLA’s Zero Waste Taskforce is currently developing a ‘charter’ to improve consistency in recycling collection systems which will help improve recycling rates and quality. On procurement our Scottish Materials Brokerage Service, being developed in partnership with Zero Waste Scotland and local authorities, will develop collaborative contracts which incentivise quality recycling and achieve the scale and duration needed to stimulate investment in reprocessing infrastructure and while providing a better deal for councils. This service is supported by experts in collaborative procurement from across the Scottish public sector.

Question reference: S4W-25633

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 29 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to address each of the recommendations of the Committee on Climate Change in Reducing emissions in Scotland: 2015 progress report.

As made clear in the Scottish Government’s response to the Committee on Climate Change 2015 progress report laid before parliament on 15 May 2015 (laying number: SG/2015/59), although we are making substantial progress, the Scottish Government recognises that more can be done in tackling climate change and is looking at a range of measures across ministerial portfolios which could strengthen the package of emissions reductions measures already in place. The committee’s recommendations on strengthening policies for low-carbon heat, energy efficiency, the public sector, transport, and agriculture and land use will be considered as part of this process.

Question reference: S4O-04377

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 May 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with stakeholders regarding boosting the economy of Edinburgh and the south east of Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-25433

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 01 May 2015
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 May 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the proportion of gadget waste that is recycled.

Statistics on waste recycling are collected and reported by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, available at:

http://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/waste/waste-data/

The most recent household waste figures show 31,000 tonnes of ‘Discarded equipment (excluding discarded vehicles, batteries and accumulators wastes)’ reported by local authorities for 2013 – all of which was directed to reuse or recycling.

The Scottish Government is acting in a number of ways to nurture a more circular economy where we keep products and components in high value use as long as possible, including actions on design, reuse, remanufacturing and collection.