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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-23528

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with (a) public and (b) private sector partners to create a national inventory of historical and current sources of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS).

The Scottish Government is working with the UK and Welsh Governments through initiatives like the Cross-government PFAS working group to better understand current and legacy PFAS issues, regulatory approaches and compliance. Under SEPA’s Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory, regulated businesses in Scotland have a duty to report annually their emissions of chemicals to air and water that include a number of PFAS. SEPA make this information publicly available on their website. Under the international Stockholm Convention, SEPA must report any stockpiles of material or products above 50kg containing certain PFAS.

Question reference: S6W-22721

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the residency eligibility criteria in the UK Government's Funding guidance for young people 2022 to 2023 including holders of Hong Kong British National (Overseas) visas, whether people from Hong Kong with a British National (Overseas) visa will be eligible for “rest of UK” tuition fees in higher education in Scotland, if they have three years of residency in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

From Academic Year 2023-24 all students who meet the following criteria will be eligible for home fees status and student financial support in Further Education and Higher Education:

Ordinarily resident in the UK for three years prior to the relevant date;

Ordinarily resident in Scotland on the relevant date; and

Granted a form of leave to enter or remain in the UK, where that leave has not expired.

In the case where a student is instead ordinarily resident in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, but satisfies the remaining criteria, they would be expected to qualify for the “rest of UK” tuition fee rate of up to £9,250 per year. As the British National (Overseas) visa would be considered a form of leave to enter or remain in the UK, I would consider a student in the situation described likely to be eligible for the “rest of UK” tuition fee rate.

It is, however, the responsibility for each university and college, as autonomous bodies, to make a determination regarding a student’s fee status based on the available evidence and their interpretation of student support regulations.

Question reference: S6W-23164

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the commitment to publish the Student Mental Health Action Plan, which was included in its Programme for Government for previous years, was not included in its Programme for Government for 2023-24.

The Programme for Government 2021-22 and 2022-23 committed to a Student Mental Health Action Plan and Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy respectively.

The Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy was published in Summer 2023 and is supported by a Mental Health Workforce Plan and Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan, published in autumn 2023. The Student Mental Health Plan, which flows from these, will be published in early 2024.

There is, therefore, no ongoing requirement for these Plans to feature in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government.

Question reference: S6W-23163

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on developing and delivering the Student Mental Health Action Plan.

Following the publication of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy in summer and Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan and Mental Health Workforce Plan in autumn we will shortly consult on a draft Student Mental Health Action Plan which flows from these recent publications.

Targeted consultation with Members of the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group, on the draft Student Mental Health Action Plan will be undertaken in the coming weeks, with the aim of publishing a completed Plan in early 2024.

Question reference: S6W-23162

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 7 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group not having met since January 2023, when it will next meet.

The Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group was established to advise on the implementation of Programme for Government commitments related to student mental health, which have now been met in full. In addition, the Group was remitted to assist in the development of a Student Mental Health Action Plan and act as a consultative body for gathering evidence and feedback.

Meetings of the Group were paused in January 2023, to await publication of the Scottish Government’s Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Mental Health and Wellbeing Delivery Plan and Mental Health Workforce Plan.

Members of the Group will shortly be consulted on the draft Student Mental Health Action Plan which has been informed by the now published Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and attendant Plans.

Question reference: S6W-22628

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many households (a)(i) were eligible for and (ii) received support in each year of phase one and (b)(1) are eligible for and (2) will receive support in each year of phase two, of the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme.

Due to the nature of the eligibility criteria, the number of households eligible to apply for the scheme varies according to the number of households in receipt of the relevant social security benefits at any given time. However analysis of the eligibility criteria in December 2022 estimated that a total of 208,000 households were eligible to receive support at that time. Analysis of the current eligibility criteria for phase 2 of WHS estimates that around 433,000 households will be eligible.

The following table shows the number of households who have received support each financial year in phase 1 of Warmer Homes Scotland.

Year	15-16 (part year from Sep 2015)	16-17	17-18	18-19	19-20	20-21	21-22	22-23	23-24 (part year to Oct 2024)	Total
Received support	1,372	5,354	4,903	3,818	3,607	2,904	5,311	5,478	3,528	36,275

The scheme is demand-led, and we have not set specific targets for how many households will receive support each year through phase 2.

Question reference: S6W-22544

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 30 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many applicants in total there have been for Adult Disability Payment since it was launched; of those, how many in total have waited more than (a) eight, (b) nine and (c) 10 weeks for a decision; what the median waiting time has been for all applications, and what the longest time is that an applicant has waited for a decision.

Statistics relating to Adult Disability Payment are published quarterly – the latest releases covers the period to 31 st July 2023 and is available on the Social Security Scotland website:

Social Security Scotland - Adult Disability Payment: high level statistics to 31 July 2023

Table 1 of the publication provides statistics on the number of applicants there have been for Adult Disability Payment, and Table 8 provides statistics on processing times. We can't provide data on longest processing times as we are unable to report on individual cases.

Question reference: S6W-22487

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12674 by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2022, whether it will provide an update on which of the 42 formal flood protection schemes or engineering works are (a) under construction and (b) at the planning or other stage of development, broken down by (i) the expected completion date, including the reason for any date being beyond the 2021 timeframe, (ii) the number of properties that will be protected and (iii) the (A) initial forecast and (B) final expected cost of each.

Local authorities are responsible for the development and delivery of flood protection schemes. The 2015-2021 Flood Risk Management Strategies included 42 formal flood protection schemes. Local authorities were expected to start work on development of these schemes by 2021.

Flood protection schemes can have significant impacts on individuals, communities and the environment, and so require careful and detailed planning and consultation, it was recognised that construction work may not be completed within the 2015-2021 timeframe.

15 of the flood schemes have now been completed.

Schemes (a) under construction are as follows:

Scheme	(ii) Properties protected	(i) Completion Date	(iii A) Initial cost (£ million) (1)	( iii B) Estimated final cost (£ million) (2)
Upper Garnock	600	2023	15.5	18.5
Hawick	970	2023	37.4	78.6
Campbeltown	770	2024	9.3	15.2
Millport Coastal	657	2024	12.1	48.6
Stranraer	350	2024	0.4	1.2

Schemes (b) under development are as follows:

Scheme	Stage	(ii) Properties protected	(iii A) Initial cost (£ million) (1)	( iii B) Estimated Final Cost of Scheme (2)
Kilmacolm – Glenmosston Burn	Confirmed (3)	Not held	0.5	0.5
Comrie	Confirmed (3)	189	15.7	28.4
Quarrier’s Village	Confirmed (3)	60	0.2	0.4
Dumfries - Whitesands	Confirmed (3)	166	18.9	37.5
Water of Leith (Coltbridge, Gorgie, Saughton) Phase 3	Confirmed (3)	75	Not held	Not held
Mill Burn Millport	Confirmed (3)	124	1.1	1.7
Musselburgh	Under development	2500	8.9	97.9
Dumbarton - Gruggies Burn	Under development	370	14.5	20.0
Newton Stewart/ River Cree	Under development	270	7.5	18.5
South Kinross	Under development	Not held	3.2	3.8
Bridge of Allan	Under development	Not held	4.4	17.3
Callander	Under development	30	2.4	4.7
Haddington	Under development	320	8.5	8.5
Stirling	Under development	810	26.2	85.6
Grangemouth FPS	Under development	2980	111.5	420
St Andrews - Kinness Burn	Under development	133	3.2	3.2
South Fords	Under development	58	1.4	1.4
Scone	Under development	44	0.7	0.8

(1) Note: Initial costs as provided by local authorities in 2016-17.

(2) Note: Final Scheme costs are the latest estimates provided by local authorities. Differences between these latest estimates and initial cost estimates arise as a result of inflationary pressures and because flood protection schemes are put forward for prioritisation at various stages of their development to fit with Flood Risk Management Planning cycle set out in the FRM Act. Costs are revised over time as designs are finalised and more detailed investigations are carried out and as new information emerges.

Schemes will only be taken forward for construction if they receive the necessary statutory and regulatory approvals so the expected completion date is not yet known.

More detailed information on each of the schemes can be obtained from the relevant local authorities whose responsibility it is to develop and deliver flood protection schemes and who are best placed to answer specific questions on each of the schemes.

(3) Note: Formally confirmed under Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act (2009).

Question reference: S6O-02696

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the current average processing time is for Adult Disability Payment applications.

Question reference: S6O-02664

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration of the proposal for a railway station in Newburgh, Fife.