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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-30521

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with ScotRail regarding any changes to ticket office opening hours.

Question reference: S6W-30525

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the equalities impact assessment for the proposed reductions in ScotRail ticket office opening hours that were consulted on in 2021.

Question reference: S6W-30523

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made regarding the potential impact in Scotland of the wholesale objection by Transport Focus to plans by train operating companies to close the majority of their ticket offices in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-30520

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether its permission has been sought by ScotRail to proceed with reducing ticket office opening hours at ScotRail stations.

Question reference: S6W-30522

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the data used during the 2021 ScotRail ticket office consultation is still valid and accurate.

Question reference: S6O-03850

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the potential closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery and any economic impact that this may have.

Question reference: S6W-30280

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 23 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of section 315(2) of the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987, which local authorities have (a) applied to the Scottish Ministers for the dispensation of the making of byelaws with respect to accommodation for seasonal workers and (b) been (i) granted and (ii) denied such a dispensation, in each year since 1999; whether it will provide the dates on which any such applications were made by local authorities, and what equivalent information it has on any such applications made to the Secretary of State prior to 1999.

Question reference: S6W-30269

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 23 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the legal status is of seasonal agricultural workers housed in caravan accommodation on agricultural land, with regards to that accommodation.

The rights that a worker has in tied accommodation will depend on the type of tenancy or occupancy agreement in place. If an employer gives an employee accommodation as part of the job and the employee has to live there to be able to do the job, they may have a Service Occupancy agreement. Rights will depend on what is written in the employment contract and will depend on the individual circumstances of the case. However, if an employee has a Private Residential Tenancy, then they will have the same rights as a private tenant.

Question reference: S6W-30281

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many control test inspections on farms have been conducted by Scottish Government Agricultural Wages Inspectors in 2024 to date.

Question reference: S6W-30246

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 27 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 11 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any representations to PetroIneos to state that seed capital for site preparation and infrastructure in the outer boundary of Green Freeports will not be made available for the proposed import-export terminal in the event that PetroIneos pursues the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery.

As you will know, delivery of Green Freeports are a joint initiative between the Scottish Government and the UK Government, with a detailed programme in place to do this. Responsibility for the various incentives (including tax and seed capital) lie with the appropriate government.

The Forth Green Freeport consortium recently submitted their Full Business Case (FBC). Officials are currently reviewing this - including analysis of potential tax and customs incentives across the sites.

Tax sites were designated at an earlier stage of the business case process, and include an area of land owned by Petroineos Manufacturing Scotland Ltd (PIMSL). This area is not involved in the current fossil-fuel refining operations, and is designated for bio-refining and low carbon fuels manufacturing. The nature of the potential development in this particular area is the subject of a proposed study, called Project Willow, which it is intended will be developed in collaboration between PIMSL, INEOS, the Scottish Government and its agencies.

The Forth Green Freeport is focused on the transition to net zero, and supporting that transition through targeted seed capital funding. None of the proposals for seed funding include the proposed Petroineos import-export terminal, nor are there customs sites proposals involving Petroineos.

Once the business case process is complete, both governments and Forth Green Freeport will agree a detailed Memorandum of Understanding which will include monitoring and evaluation of the delivery and impact of the Green Freeport. The Scottish Government has worked in partnership with the UK Government to ensure that specific provisions on Just Transition, Fair Work and the Real Living Wage are critical parts of Green Freeport monitoring and evaluation.

The decision by Petroineos to cease refinery operations is of course a blow to the workforce and local community. PACE (Partnership Action for Continuing Employment) is the Scottish Government’s initiative for responding to redundancy situations. Through providing skills development and employability support, PACE aims to minimise the time individuals affected by redundancy are out of work. PACE partners SDS and Scottish Enterprise had a joint introductory meeting with Petroineos on 3 October 2024 to outline the support available to employees impacted by the planned closure of refining operations.

We believe that the wider Grangemouth site retains the potential to be utilised as part of Scotland’s low-carbon transition, and it has been identified as a potential site for future low carbon technologies which will not only drive Scotland’s economy, but contribute to our transition to net zero.

This is why the Scottish and UK Governments have confirmed a £100m package for Falkirk and Grangemouth, including our £40 million contribution to the Growth Deal and £10 million for community projects in Grangemouth and an additional £10m announced by UK Government after Petroineos’ decision to close the refinery site, as well as the £1.5m Project Willow study (jointly funded by the Scottish and UK Governments) which aims to look at options for developing new long term industry at the refinery site.

My officials will continue to work in partnership with the Forth Green Freeport team, and with UK Government counterparts in order to ensure the successful delivery of the Green Freeport, to the benefit of the communities in the region, and to the wider economic success of Scotland.