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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-30438

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 what meetings and correspondence it has had with Heathrow Airport since signing a memorandum of understanding in 2016, and whether it will place copies of this in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe).

Question reference: S5W-30361

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 what its position is on its Local Government and Communities and Energy and Climate Change directorates working together to accelerate the transition to renewable heat, as recommended by Scottish Renewables as part of a green economic recovery to the COVID-19 crisis.

The Scottish Government’s Energy and Climate Change and Local Government and Communities Directorates already work together to deliver energy efficiency and renewable heat measures across a range of programmes and support mechanisms, for example in terms of the joint leadership of the Route Map for Energy Efficient Scotland.

This year the Scottish Government has allocated more than £198 million to its domestic and non-domestic energy efficiency programmes and has increased its support for renewable heat to secure accelerated deployment. The Heat Transition Deal will come online in phases over the coming months to support economic recovery in the energy efficiency, heat and low carbon energy sectors.

The following funding invitations were launched on 17 June:

a £1 million LCITP funding invitation to support projects to develop investment grade business cases and;
a £4.5 million CARES funding invitation for local energy and community projects, administered on our behalf by Local Energy Scotland.

Further capital funding invitations will be launched in the coming months.

This is in addition to the support already available, including grants, interest free and low cost loans for renewable technologies and energy efficiency measures, accessible via Home Energy Scotland and the Energy Efficiency Business Support service.

Later this year the Scottish Government will publish a Heat Decarbonisation Policy Statement and an updated Energy Efficient Scotland Route Map setting out a clear vision and pathway for deploying renewable and low carbon heat and reducing emissions from heating our buildings, in line with the climate change targets. As the member will be aware, earlier this year we introduced the Heat Networks (Scotland) Bill to Parliament which, we aim, will help support renewable heat investment.

Question reference: S5W-30434

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-03817 by Nicola Sturgeon on 9 January 2020, (Official Report, c.18), when it will conclude the review of its position on the proposed expansion of Heathrow Airport; whether it will place a copy of its conclusions and all supporting documents in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (SPICe), and whether there is a requirement for the result of the review to be announced in the updated climate change plan.

Question reference: S5W-30442

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-00381 by Nicola Sturgeon on 27 October 2016 (Official Report, c 16), in light of the First Minister's comment regarding then proposed expansion to Heathrow Airport n that "the UK Government will have to answer questions [about climate change and emissions] and satisfy people with its answers to those questions" what analysis it has carried out of whether the UK ministers achieved this.

Question reference: S5W-30445

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, in light of the information provided in FOI/19/02661 on 10 January 2020, which suggested that an expansion of Heathrow Airport could lead to an additional 75,000 flights to Scotland's airports over 15 years that would produce 600,000 additional tonnes in emissions, whether it considers that its position on any expansion is compatible with its declaration of a climate emergency.

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-30360

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 15 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Scottish Renewables' call for it to use its trade, export and investment powers to boost skills exports to nations seeking to undertake green recoveries to the COVID-19 crisis.

Scotland is already an experienced exporter of energy and related skills and services with many international companies already benefiting from our long-standing expertise and experience in renewables and other energy related sectors. This government and its trade and investment agency, Scottish Development International, actively seek to promote a business environment which encourages growth through partnership, co-investment, and sharing of experience with other countries. We make it easy for companies to access our experts and talent and know this will stand Scottish companies in good stead internationally, with those countries seeking to make a green recovery to the global COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-30363

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 10 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how the declaration of a climate emergency and the need to achieve net-zero targets (a) is currently, and (b) will in future be taken into account by the planning system, and whether this will be a material consideration in applications made in (i) advance of, and (ii) after the National planning Framework 4 comes into force.

Scottish Planning Policy and National Planning Framework 3 were published in 2014. Given when it was published, the current policy does not expressly refer to the Global Climate Emergency, but does aim to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and includes a vision for Scotland to be a low carbon place.

Since then, the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 sets out six outcomes to which a future National Planning Framework (NPF) should work towards, one of which is meeting greenhouse gas emission reduction targets. We are developing proposals for radical change to our national planning policies and spatial strategy to support a transition to net zero by 2045 and economic recovery, as well as adaptation to the long term impacts of climate change.

The Scottish Government’s Chief Planner and I published a letter on 29 May (available from the Scottish Government’s website: https://www.gov.scot/collections/chief-planner-letters/ ) which set out that the draft NPF4 is anticipated to be laid before the Parliament in autumn 2021. That draft will set out the proposed approach, for discussion and public consultation.

In the meantime we will update stakeholders by publishing a NPF4 Position Statement this autumn. This will highlight potential policy changes and reflect on what planning can do to help societal and economic recovery as well as addressing the climate emergency.

In all cases, it is for decision-makers to identify relevant material planning considerations on a case-by-case basis, and what weight to attach to each material consideration in determining the application.

Question reference: S5F-04244

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 June 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S5O-04448

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to secure the progress made on homelessness during the COVID-19 outbreak.

Question reference: S5F-04220

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 15 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 June 2020

Question to be taken in Chamber.