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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-26646

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the oral evidence by the Chair of the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) to the Economy and Fair Work Committee on 21 June 2023, in which he referred to SNIB's "notes" on its engagement with the UK Government on the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020, whether it will publish any information that it has on these "notes", and whether it will publish any correspondence that it has had with the Scottish National Investment Bank on the Act.

Question reference: S6W-26644

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it stating that the UK Government is responsible for the Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland not proceeding, which will reportedly result in an estimated loss of £9 million of public funding, whether, following the completion of the liquidation of Circularity Scotland, it will attempt to recover any such losses from the UK Government.

Question reference: S6W-26641

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 29 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the most recent estimate of the sum available to be distributed to creditors of Circularity Scotland from the liquidators, from the assets held at the time of the liquidation, which were reported to be £2.1 million, and what information it has received on the total level of fees and outlays (a) paid to date and (b) still to be paid to the liquidators.

Question reference: S6W-26677

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the (a) names and (b) occupations or roles of the members of the Zero Emission Social Housing Taskforce.

Question reference: S6W-26748

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much the "hate monster" public information campaign has cost.

The ‘Hate Monster’ is a Police Scotland campaign which ran for 6 weeks in Spring last year. The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

I will assume you are referring to the Scottish Government’s ‘Hate Hurts’ campaign which ran in March. The campaign showed the impact that hate crime has on those affected to help people recognise their experiences, highlighted the forms that hate crime can take and encouraged those who are witnesses to, or victims of hate crime to report it.

The campaign sends a message of reassurance to all communities in Scotland that hate crime will not be tolerated. c£390k was invested in the ‘Hate Hurts’ national campaign which included a broadcast and print.

Question reference: S6W-26487

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the proposals for minimum energy efficiency standards and deadlines to be imposed from 2028 under the forthcoming Heat in Buildings Bill, what its response is to reports that the proposals could have the effect of forcing existing landlords to withdraw properties from the private rental market, and whether it has carried out any study or research into whether the proposals could have the potential impact of reducing the number of properties available for private let.

We are aware of the important role privately rented homes play as part of Scotland’s housing stock, and the wider pressures on this sector. We will continue to engage with the sector on our proposals, taking account of the wider environment in which it operates.

The recent consultation on a Heat in Buildings Bill included a proposal that a minimum energy efficiency standard could be met by installing a straightforward list of energy efficiency measures. Any homeowner who had installed these measures – or as many of them as are feasible for the type of home they live in – would be considered to meet the new standard. This final list of measures will be developed to prioritise those that have most impact for homes with the lowest amount of cost and disruption. This will provide a simple approach for landlords and other homeowners to follow, and to comply with the standard.

The Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the private rental market. As part of this project, researchers are conducting interviews with stakeholders from the property market, including from the rental sector. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.

Question reference: S6W-26485

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the proposals included in the forthcoming Heat in Buildings Bill, whether it has received any representations regarding whether (a) they could adversely impact upon the mortgage market, (b) mortgage valuation assessments could have to be changed for Scotland as a result of the proposals requiring homebuyers to commit to upgrading to clean energy systems, (c) they could lead to higher interest rates for mortgage holders in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK, and (d) they could create a reported "material shock to the Scottish housing market that could have a detrimental impact on consumers and the wider economy".

The Scottish Government recently consulted on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, this consultation closed on 8 March 2024. We are currently analysing all responses received. This analysis will inform the further design of policy provisions together with any feedback gathered during wider consultation engagement events and workshops. All responses will be published in full, in accordance with Scottish Government guidance.

Ahead of the launch of the consultation and in preparing the proposals, I met with several retail banks to discuss their role in supporting consumers in meeting the costs of the proposed standards. In addition, I attended a Scottish Financial Enterprise hosted roundtable to discuss lenders' role and the potential impacts that the proposals may have on the housing market. As we finalise our proposals we will take this feedback into account.

In addition, the Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the mortgage market. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.

Question reference: S6W-26486

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission independent advice regarding whether the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill could adversely impact upon the mortgage market.

The Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the mortgage market. As part of this research, researchers are conducting interviews with stakeholders from the property market, including the finance sector. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.

Question reference: S6W-26188

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 15 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill, which aims to exonerate people who were wrongfully convicted as a result of the reported issues with the Post Office accounting system, Horizon, not applying to Scotland, what action it will take to ensure that the exoneration of anyone wrongly convicted in Scotland will not be delayed and will not take longer to be effected than in England and Wales.

The Scottish Government has repeatedly made it clear to the UK Government that the best way to ensure that there is a quick, fair and equal solution for all affected sub-postmasters is for a UK-wide Bill. It is not too late for the UK Government to change their position, and we will continue to press for a UK-wide solution as the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill progresses through the Westminster Parliament.

If the scope of the UK Bill is not extended we will do everything in our power to work as quickly as possible to introduce Scottish legislation that delivers justice for all those affected. Any such legislation can however only be passed after the UK Bill has been passed, to allow account to be taken of any amendments made during passage at Westminster. This is required to ensure full compatibility with UK legislation and the UK compensation scheme, in which the Scottish Government has no locus.

Question reference: S6O-03284

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reconsider its decision to pause capital funding for NHS Highland in respect of completion of the refurbishment of Grantown Health Centre, in light of reports that these works were nearly completed and that the pause of the contract may lead to additional costs in excess of the notional sum saved.