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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: S5W-28141

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to reducing speed limits during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Scottish Government is committed to achieving safer road travel in Scotland for all. We note that traffic flows have greatly reduced since non-essential travel was prohibited during the COVID-19 outbreak and therefore the Scottish Government has not considered reducing speed limits at the current time. However, it is vitally important that motorists continue to take care while making any journeys that are absolutely necessary for essential reasons.

Question reference: S5W-28022

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the COVID-19 outbreak is having on Scotland's preparedness for COP26.

Preparations for COP26 are well underway, but significant adaptation to how we engage with partners and stakeholders has been made to reflect the public health emergency that we now find ourselves in the midst of. The situation is having serious implications both for the health of the nation and our economy. In this changed landscape, governments, globally are taking stringent measures to halt the spread of the virus. The current position remains that the summit is due to take place in Glasgow, November 2020.

We will continue to work with partners and will be guided by scientific advice in the run-up to the event but our immediate concern, as would be expected, is in dealing with immediate impact of the virus.

Question reference: S5W-28002

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 31 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with universities about ensuring best practice and consistency across institutions in relation to exams and awards in light of COVID-19 restrictions.

As autonomous institutions, universities do not have to follow the same pattern for exams. However, we know there is considerable engagement across the sector at this time, as institutions try to work together to deal with the range of issues arising from the impact of COVID-19.

The Scottish Funding Council is engaging with institutions on COVID-19 related issues on a daily basis and my officials are also speaking regularly with sector representatives at this time.

Question reference: S5O-04334

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether a right to food will be incorporated into its Good Food Nation Bill.

Question reference: S5W-27810

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 09 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 18 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what support it can offer to a parliamentary delegation from Malawi seeking to attend COP26.

The Scottish Government looks forward to welcoming the world to Glasgow for COP26 – a critical moment in the global fight against climate change. It is important that COP26 is inclusive and has representatives from the Global South, who play a key role in tackling the global climate emergency and meeting the sustainable development goals.

The Scottish Government will seek to develop a programme of opportunities where all voices can be heard in a respectful and collaborative way. We will also encourage the UK Government to provide assistance and ensure the process of securing visas is as easy as possible, and so that delegates from around the world are able to attend COP 26.

Question reference: S5W-27707

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 17 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the evidence given by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee on 29 October 2019 (Official Report, c. 19), whether it will provide an update on the status of the six live Scottish environment cases that the cabinet secretary said were before the European Commission, and what arrangements are being made to continue to investigate these following the end of the EU transition period.

Following the end of the EU implementation period, any ongoing infringement cases will remain within the jurisdiction of the EU. Infringement proceedings can be brought against the UK with respect to actions before the end of the transition period, for up to 4 years, under the terms of the Withdrawal Agreement. The number of cases indicated by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment Climate Change and Land Reform are subject to change and can be searched for on the following database of EU infringements: https://ec.europa.eu/atwork/applying-eu-law/infringements-proceedings/infringement_decisions/ .

Question reference: S5W-27713

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 17 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many (a) farmed salmon and (b) cleaner fish have been killed because of the use of (i) thermolicers, (ii) optilicers and (iii) hydrolicers in each year since 2016.

The figures recorded as involving thermal treatments in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 are shown in the following table.

	2016	2017	2018	2019
Hydrolicer	89,466	115,445	7,516	57,247
Thermolicer	47,982	52,798	35,841	40,980
Optilicer	-	-	15,610	59,817

There is no record of mortality kept for cleaner fish.

Please find a link to the published mortality information submitted to Marine Scotland.

https://www2.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Fish-Shellfish/FHI/CaseInformation/Mortalityinformation

The published mortality information relates to voluntary mortality reporting arrangements agreed between Scottish Government and industry stakeholders. The data is comprised of industry reporting and Fish Health Inspectorate (FHI) surveillance and is used to support wider aquatic animal health surveillance and investigations as required. The information presented is not a comprehensive record of fish farm mortality. The published reasons for mortality are those supplied by the industry.

Marine Scotland does not hold information on why there is a particular rate of deaths in relation to each of the husbandry operations. The reasons for mortality are complex and may be related to the health of individual animals within the population, the husbandry methods employed or the environmental conditions encountered prior to, during or after the husbandry operation.

Question reference: S5W-27711

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 17 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what funding streams it makes available for refugee support organisations, and what the timescale is for (a) applying for funding from these and (b) their delivery.

Question reference: S5W-27712

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 16 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of thermolicers on salmon farms and, in light of recent scientific evidence, including from the Director of Bioveterinary Science at the University of Liverpool, which suggests that welfare problems can arise from their operation, whether it will consider banning these devices.

The Scottish Government takes animal welfare very seriously, including that of farmed salmon. We are supporting a research project to explore the impact of the use of thermal treatments for sea lice which is being undertaken by the Scottish Aquaculture Innovation Centre. Once we have the findings from that research, we will consider what more, if anything, should be done in relation to thermal treatments to ensure the welfare of farmed salmon.

Question reference: S5W-27708

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment to remain aligned to EU environmental regulations at the end of the EU transition period, whether it plans to continue to play a role in the Natura 2000 network for protected areas.

The question of continued alignment with the Natura 2000 network (and any other European Union policy mechanisms) has yet to be determined, pending the outcome of negotiations between the EU and the UK Government. The Scottish Government’s position remains that we would prefer to stay as closely aligned with EU environmental policy as possible.

Whilst EU exit was not Scotland’s choice, the Scottish Government has committed to maintain or exceed EU environmental standards and to carry forward the EU environmental principles.

We have taken steps to ensure that the current level of legal protection afforded to Scotland’s Natura sites will be maintained as part of a UK site network even if, in legal terms, these sites can no longer be considered a part of the EU-wide Natura 2000 network.