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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-30447

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on its greenhouse gas emissions targets, what its position is on whether the number of short-haul flights across the UK should be increased.

Scotland’s air connectivity with the rest of the UK is important to business and tourism, particularly where surface alternatives are not conducive to day trips for business such as Inverness-London or Edinburgh-Southampton. The collapse of Flybe followed by the COVID 19 pandemic has had a negative impact on our domestic connectivity. We also recognise that some domestic routes, particularly between Scotland and Heathrow serve a dual purpose of providing point to point capacity and options to connect to the rest of the world. Short haul routes are therefore an important part of our overall transport infrastructure

We believe that in the future many of these journeys will be done by low and zero-emission aircraft, and we are working to ensure that these new types of aircraft will be trialled in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-30359

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on introducing a Renewable Transition Training Fund, as recommended by Scottish Renewables, as a means to support a green economic recovery to the COVID-19 crisis and enable workers to "acquire sustainable, exportable skills and join the renewable energy industry".

On 16 th July 2020, the Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture announced a package of £100m to support in 2020-21 to help ensure that people who have lost jobs, those at risk of unemployment and young people entering the labour market can benefit from more and better job opportunities. As part of this, she committed to bring forward proposals for a new retraining offer focused on helping those in sectors where there is the greatest risk of job losses. This new offer will help people gain the skills they need to move into new jobs in key growth sectors. More details of this will be made available in the coming weeks.

Furthermore we have invested £62 million in the Energy Transition Fund to help the energy sector recover from the economic impact of coronavirus, and create and support jobs associated with the transition to renewables, hydrogen and CCUS and to support the development of the Energy Transition Zone at the new Aberdeen South Harbour.

Question reference: S5W-30439

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5F-03817 by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 January 2020, (Official Report, c 18) and S5F-03986 on 27 February 2020 (Official Report, c. 20), in light of the First Minister's comment in both responses that when the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport was last debated in the House of Commons SNP MPs "did not vote for it" and the potential impact on its greenhouse gas emissions targets of any decision reached by the UK Parliament, what discussions it had with the SNP parliamentary group ahead of that debate and what its response is to the comment made in it by the leader of the SNP group that "100 flights...it is simply not enough" and its transport spokesperson that "I have spoken in favour of expansion before. The Scottish Government have also spoken in favour of it - that is why they have signed a memorandum of understanding...we are just looking for protections and deliverability".

Question reference: S5W-30437

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-04248 by Fergus Ewing on 11 March 2020 (Official Report, c.28) for what reason the cabinet secretary did not refer to the review of its position on the proposed expansion to Heathrow Airport in his response.

Question reference: S5W-30444

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 30 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement on 5 February 2020 by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity on 5 February 2020 regarding its transport strategy (Official Report, c.19), in light of the potential impact on its greenhouse gas emissions targets of any decision reached by the UK Parliament, whether it had any discussions with the SNP group at the UK Parliament regarding an unselected Liberal Democrat amendment to a motion that was scheduled to be debated in the House of Commons that evening, which referred to "cancelling the proposed third runway at Heathrow Airport" and whether it discussed with the group how its MPs should vote in the debate.

Question reference: S5W-30440

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform on 16 June 2020 regarding the greenhouse gas emissions statistics and confirming that the 2018 emissions target was not met (Official Report, c, 17), what assessment it has made of how extra flights arising from an expansion of Heathrow Airport could impact on its ability to achieve its targets.

Routes from Scotland to global hubs like Heathrow and Amsterdam are essential for Scotland’s international connectivity, supporting economic growth in Scotland and helping us deliver our Trade and Investment Strategy. However, we recognise that more needs to be done to reduce emissions. The Scottish Government’s forthcoming update to our 2018 Climate Change Plan, recast as part of a green recovery from COVID-19, will set out a pathway to meeting Scotland’s economy-wide greenhouse emissions reduction targets over the period to 2032. This includes plans to create the world’s first zero emission aviation region and trial low and zero emission aircraft in Scotland. The actual number of flights operating between Scotland and Heathrow in the future will be determined by capacity, demand, and competition from airlines serving other global hubs.

Question reference: S5W-30433

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5F-03404 by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 May 2019, in light of the First Minister's comments regarding the Scottish Government's position about the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport and that the Scottish will " look at all our policies across all areas of [its] responsibility through that new lens of climate change" (Official Report, c.18), when this work in relation to Heathrow Airport expansion (a) began and (b) concluded, and whether it will publish the findings.

Question reference: S5W-30436

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26605 by Michael Matheson on 20 December 2019, whether it remains committed the memorandum of understanding that it signed with Heathrow Airport, and what consideration it has given to withdrawing from it.

Yes, we remain committed to the memorandum of understanding between the Scottish Government and Heathrow. We are clear that expansion of the UK’s only global hub airport should deliver benefits for all the nations of the UK. Routes between Scotland and global hubs like Heathrow and Amsterdam are essential for Scotland’s international connectivity, supporting economic growth in Scotland and helping us deliver our Trade and Investment Strategy. As these reasons remain valid we have not considered withdrawing from the memorandum of understanding.

Question reference: S5W-30364

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 27 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it will engage the renewable energy industry in developing a green economic recovery to the COVID-19 crisis, and what discussions it has had regarding this.

The renewables sector has a vital role to play in meeting our climate ambitions, as well as creating jobs and contributing to our recovery from Covid-19.

I and fellow Scottish Government ministers have been engaging with the energy industry on a regular basis throughout the pandemic, both via one-to-one meetings with an extensive range of representatives from organisations such as Scottish Renewables, Ofgem, National Grid ESO, SSE, Scottish Power, EDF, EDPR, ADE, Red Rock and with our agencies, Marine Scotland, Crown Estate Scotland, Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

The work of the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council, which I co-chair, has continued to discuss progression of renewable energy in the context of both floating and bottom-fixed offshore wind. We have continued to progress work around tackling barriers to deployment represented by military and civilian radar matters. In addition, we have discussed renewable energy opportunities through forums such as the Strategic Leadership Groups that sit as sub groups of the Scottish Energy Advisory Board (SEAB), upon which I sit, with SEAB being co-chaired by the First Minister and Professor Sir Jim MacDonald of Strathclyde University.

The most recent, virtual meeting of SEAB took place on 16 July where discussion focused on delivery of a green recovery, and steps towards publication of the Climate Change Plan and subsequent update to Scotland’s Energy Strategy. At the meeting, as the Ministerial co-chair of three of the four SLGs, I set out the work of the four Strategic Leadership Groups underpinning SEAB, i.e. those on: Renewable Energy, Networks, Oil and Gas and Energy Transition and the newly established SLG for Consumers. In particular, the Renewable Energy Strategic Leadership group provides advice and recommendations on: the key challenges and opportunities facing the sector; the options for addressing them, and how the sector may go further to support the Scottish Government’s Energy Strategy priorities.

We will continue to engage with a wide range of renewable energy stakeholders in the months ahead as we target a green and just transition of our energy system.

Question reference: S5W-30446

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 10 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 27 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of FOI/19/02661 on 10 January 2020, what the basis was for it forecasting "improvements to aircraft emissions efficiency of 0.8% per year".