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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: S4W-27588

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the impact of the early ending of the Renewables Obligation scheme on its targets for growing renewable energy and the ability of generators in Scotland to access markets throughout the UK for their output (a) now and (b) after March 2017.

Recent provisional figures published by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (24 September 2015) show Scotland has generated a record 49.6% of Scotland’s gross electricity consumption in 2014, well on course to meet our interim target of 50% by 2015.

Our ability to meet our targets relies on a mix of renewable energy, not simply onshore wind, but recent changes to support for other technologies will see our ability to meet our targets a much larger challenge than we had anticipated. We have called on the UK government to provide clarity to enable the necessary investment to be made.

Question reference: S4W-27587

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the potential lost (a) jobs and (b) investment in onshore wind energy in Scotland arising from the proposed early ending of the Renewables Obligation scheme and what it can do to protect projects adversely affected.

Figures published by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills estimate that in 2013, the onshore wind sector in Scotland supported approximately 5,400 jobs.

Scotland has 8.2 GW of renewable generation projects consented, with a further 4.3 GW in planning. While a number of these projects will meet the grace period criteria or have contract for difference (CfD) contracts, many more have no clear route to market due to the changes to the Renewable Obligation and the continuing uncertainty surrounding future CfD allocation rounds.

The Scottish Government will continue to engage with industry to see how we can support them over the coming months.

Question reference: S4W-27586

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to protect investment in Scottish onshore wind projects already in the planning pipeline in the event that the Renewables Obligation scheme is ended a year early.

Since the UK Government’s announcement, the Scottish Government hosted a summit to hear industry concerns, and followed this up with a letter to Amber Rudd, Secretary of State, seeking a flexible approach to the Renewables Obligation (RO) grace period criteria. This issue was also raised during a face to face meeting over the summer. We asked that those projects in the planning system who have not yet had planning approval or those with approval after 18 June 2015 should fall within the grace period as these had already invested heavily in anticipation they would receive the RO.

Question reference: S4W-27590

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the cost of using its existing powers through the maintenance of a Scottish Renewables Obligation (RO) in the event that UK Government ends the RO early.

Question reference: S4W-27644

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 1 October 2015

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) raise awareness of the dangers of skin cancer and (b) discourage tanning, especially among young people.

The Scottish Government publishes advice for the public on sun safety and the use of sunbeds on the NHS Inform website. The advice stresses that over-exposure to ultraviolet radiation from the sun or sunbeds increases the risks of malignant melanoma and notes that this is the sixth most common cancer in Scotland. The advice also highlights the advice of the British Association of Dermatologists that people should not use sunbeds or sunlamps.

We also work with various organisations and charities to raise awareness on the risks of unsafe tanning, focussing on helping to protect those who are most vulnerable, the young and impressionable, and leaving others in no doubt as to the health risks involved.

Question reference: S4W-27600

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 29 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 17 September 2015, Independent review for planning in Scotland, when the panel will first meet; whether it will take written and oral evidence from the public and stakeholders; by what date it will publish its report, and how much (a) financial and (b) administrative support it will be given.

The independent panel will first meet on 13 October 2015. At that point the panel will finalise the review procedure, including appropriate opportunities for taking written and oral evidence from stakeholders. The review webpage will carry up to date information on the review and process leading to recommendations from the panel in late spring 2016 – see http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Built-Environment/planning/Review-of-Planning for further information.

Panel members will be paid a daily rate in accordance with the daily fee framework contained in the Public Sector Pay Policy for Senior Appointments and appropriate travel and associated costs. Secretariat support will be provided by a team within the Planning and Architecture Division of the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S4O-04614

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 September 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is experiencing difficulties in recruiting for the four-year GP training programme.

Question reference: S4W-27393

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 September 2015
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 14 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether the working group on charging for residential accommodation discussed the use of contractual care routes, in particular the variations in the use of route 3, at its meeting in July 2015, and what recommendations it made to help address the reported variations in the use of contractual care routes.

The Charging for Residential Accommodation Guidance working group met on 30 July 2015 and discussed the route three contractual route for residential care. It was agreed by the working group that greater clarity is needed in the guidance to local authorities on a self-funder requesting assistance in the contracting of a care home place. The group agreed that Scottish Government officials should draft proposals for amendments to guidance and bring these back to the group for discussion at its next meeting.

Question reference: S4O-04554

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 September 2015
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Constitution and Economy will provide an update on what the cost will be of the recent ruling by the Office for National Statistics regarding the use of private finance for public projects.

Question reference: S4W-26903

Asked by: Ken Macintosh, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 July 2015
Current Status: Answered by Alex Neil on 21 August 2015

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the Charities and Benevolent Fundraising (Scotland) Regulations 2009.