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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: S5W-17857

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 2 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what procedure is followed in response to a request to extend the period within which an electricity generating station or overhead electricity line project must commence when it has previously been granted consent under section 36 or 37 of the Electricity Act 1989.

Question reference: S5W-17858

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 2 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it undertakes to ensure that there is publicity and a public consultation is carried out as part of the consideration of a request to extend the period within which an electricity generating station or overhead electricity line project must commence when it has previously been granted consent under section 36 or 37 of the Electricity Act 1989.

There are no statutory requirements set out, in the Electricity Act 1989, to undertake public consultation as part of the consideration of a request to extend the period within which an electricity generating station or overhead electricity line project must commence, in circumstances when it has previously been granted consent under section 36 or 37 of the Electricity Act 1989. However, where a public representation is received in relation to the request to extend the period of time for a consent under section 36 and section 37, that representation is taken into account in the consideration by the Scottish Ministers.

Question reference: S5W-17856

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 2 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how statutory requirements for environmental assessment are met for an application to extend the period within which an electricity generating station or overhead electricity line development must commence when it has previously been granted consent under section 36 or 37 of the Electricity Act 1989.

Question reference: S5W-17532

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that there is any potential conflict of interest relating to Ministers' involvement in decisions and other regulatory permissions relating to both the Crown Estate Scotland new offshore wind leasing process and Marine Scotland’s offshore wind consenting and, if it considers that there is a conflict, what action it proposes to take in this regard.

In relation to Offshore Wind, there is a clear separation of functions between Marine Scotland and Crown Estate Scotland. Marine Scotland as the planning authority and regulator advises Scottish Ministers on where projects can be developed and on the sustainability of proposed projects, and Crown Estate Scotland manages the leasing process.

Crown Estate Scotland is currently gathering views on a draft leasing process which includes the proposal that leasing takes place only within areas allocated in the Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind which Marine Scotland is currently developing.

The Sectoral Marine Plan will determine where new offshore wind can and cannot be considered; the Crown Estate Scotland leasing will invite applications for proposed projects which are compatible with the Sectoral Marine Plan and will take decisions about which leasing applications to accept, based on criteria which are relevant to Crown Estate Scotland’s duties as manager of leasing of the seabed.

Question reference: S5W-17533

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 29 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 July 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how Crown Estate Scotland (CES) and Marine Scotland will ensure that developer applications for new offshore wind lease agreements do not pre-empt or compromise the robustness of the emerging Sectoral Marine Plan process, in light of CES encouraging submission of applications prior to the plans being finalised and adopted.

Marine Scotland, as Planning Authority for Scotland’s seas, is in the early stages of a new sectoral marine plan for offshore wind. A draft plan, and associated assessments, are expected to be published for statutory consultation in the first half of 2019. The Final Plan is intended to be produced in late 2019, although this timescale is subject to the responses received during the statutory consultation and any subsequent process for revising the draft plan.

Crown Estate Scotland (Interim Management), while proposing to accept applications for lease at the draft plan stage, will not take any final decisions for new offshore wind lease agreements until the final adopted Sectoral Marine Plan for offshore wind is completed and published.

Question reference: S5W-17037

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of commitments by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy and Connectivity to consult on a Good Food Nation Bill, when it will publish a timeline for the consultation.

Question reference: S5W-17039

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish Food Coalition report, A Seat at the Table: Becoming a Good Food Nation is everyone’s business, which highlights public interest in participating in shaping the path to a Good Food Nation, how it plans to ensure that there is an inclusive consultation that allows for new and diverse voices to be heard.

Question reference: S5O-02261

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether lack of initial infrastructure investment is a barrier to new housing developments.

Question reference: S5O-02147

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support it gives for skills development in the rural economy.

Question reference: S5W-16464

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 15 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-13788 by Angela Constance on 17 January 2018, whether the cabinet secretary has received a response from the secretary of state regarding the plan to facilitate the exploration of a citizens' basic income scheme.