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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-15939

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 17 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many planning application appeals it has received in each of the last five years on the grounds of non-determination, where a local authority has been unable to reach a decision within six months, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) type of application.

The number of planning appeals received, in each of the last five years, on the grounds of *non-determination and where a local authority has been unable to reach a decision within six months, is held in the following table :

Case Reference	Planning Authority	Application Type	Case Details	Total per authority
PPA-230-2241	City of Edinburgh Council	Planning Permission in Principle	Residential Development	3
PPA-230-2343	City of Edinburgh Council	Planning Permission	Residential Development
PPA-230-2387	City of Edinburgh Council	Planning Permission in Principle	Residential Development
PPA-170-2149	Dumfries And Galloway Council	Planning Permission	Erection of a ten turbine windfarm	3
PPA-170-2152	Dumfries and Galloway Council	Planning Permission	Erection of a seven turbine windfarm
PPA-170-2153	Dumfries and Galloway Council	Planning Permission	Erection of a nine turbine windfarm
PPA-210-2085	East Lothian Council	Planning Permission in Principle	Mixed use development including residential and commercial	1
PPA-240-2067	Falkirk Council	Planning Permission	Erection Of Church	1
PPA-260-2153	Glasgow City Council	Planning Permission	Residential Development	1
PPA-290-2060	Midlothian Council	Planning Permission	Residential Development	2
PPA-290-2061	Midlothian Council	Planning Permission in Principle	Residential Development	2
PPA-340-2130	Perth and Kinross Council	Planning Permission	Residential Development	2
PPA-340-2131	Perth and Kinross Council	Planning Permission in Principle	Residential Development	2
PPA-350-2043	Renfrewshire Council	Planning Permission	Residential Development	1
PPA-140-2074	Scottish Borders Council	Planning permission in Principle	Residential Development	1
PPA-380-2076	South Lanarkshire Council	Planning Permission	Erection Of Care Home	1
PPA-400-2113	West Lothian Council	Planning Permission in Principle	Residential Development	1
Total received				17

* Planning authorities have a two month period in which to determine planning applications, extended to four months in the case of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) development (unless an extension to that timescale is agreed by the applicant and planning authority).

Decisions are made in line with the development plan for the area and national policies. Each appeal is considered on its own merits.

Question reference: S6W-15987

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 23 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13337 by Patrick Harvie on 10 January 2023, whether it will provide an update on whether it has published the data, in light of it already being used for policy formulation and implementation, and of it committing to publishing it "early this year".

Question reference: S6W-15723

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the information set out at paragraph 2.162 on page 59 of its document, A Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland: Full Business Case Stage 1, how it calculated the value of the "Improved amenity resulting from the reduction in litter" at £994 million; whether it will publish its workings and assumptions for calculating this figure, and what its position is on whether the figure will still be accurate in August 2023.

Question reference: S6W-14796

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the number of (a) Scottish and (b) non-Scottish firms that Cemre Marin Endustri has signed an agreement with to provide products and/or services, as part of the contract for the two vessels for Islay, awarded by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL).

As part of the contract for two vessels for Islay, Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) could not have stipulated that only Scottish or UK suppliers could be used as the Regulations require them to treat economic operators equally & without discrimination and restrict them from artificially narrowing competition by unduly favouring or disadvantaging any particular economic operator.

Kongsberg have an agreement in place with Cemre Marin Endustri for Fin Stabilisers, with the production facility based in Dunfermline. Fifty-eight companies (overseas or based in England) are also set to provide products and/or services for the new build vessels. Forty of these companies have signed agreements, with the remaining 18 companies obtaining signed agreements as the shipyard build programme progresses.

Question reference: S6W-15938

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 21 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many cyber-attacks have been recorded on (a) its and (b) its agencies’ computer and data systems since January 2021, and, in each case, what the suspected source was, and to what extent the attack (i) gained information and (ii) damaged systems.

1. The National Cyber Security Centre advises Government departments to withhold specific information that may provide insight into the likelihood of success of specific cyber techniques and the Scottish Government follows this advice.
‎

2. The Scottish Government is not a formal reporting agency for cyber incidents or cyber attacks, which means that agencies are not obliged to report any cyber incidents or attacks they experience to us. However, we encourage any Scottish public body that does experience a cyber incident to notify the Scottish Government Cyber Resilience Unit under the voluntary Scottish Public Sector Notifiable Cyber Incident Procedure so that we can ensure that all relevant and necessary support can be provided.
‎

Between January 2021 and 17 March 2023 we were notified of 26 cyber incidents under this procedure.

Question reference: S6W-15722

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 17 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the information set out at paragraphs 2.161 and 2.162 on page 59 of its document, A Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland: Full Business Case Stage 1, how it calculated the value of the "Commercial value of advertising space at RVMs" at £26 million; whether it will publish its workings and assumptions for calculating this figure; what its position is on whether the figure will still be accurate in August 2023; what £26 million of benefits from "Commercial value of advertising space at RVMs" being "allocated to society" means; who specifically will receive the £26 million, and, in light of this document being published in May 2019, whether it is now better able to assess who will benefit from commercial advertising on Reverse Vending Machines.

Question reference: S6W-15508

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes the (a) recruitment and (b) retention of NHS staff local to their area in primary care, and what guidance it provides to NHS boards on (i) attracting and (ii) retaining (A) medical and (B) non-medical staff from local candidate pools.

Responsibility for service delivery, including recruitment and retention of medical and non-medical staff in primary care, sits locally with Health Boards and health and social care partnerships and their GP practices.

The Scottish Government recognises that in order to attract health and social care staff locally, it is important that locally accessible training opportunities are provided at an early stage. The NHS Scotland Youth Academy host regional huddle groups that are focused on raising awareness and attracting young people/parents into health and social care careers.

Question reference: S6W-15505

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 17 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will disclose any guidance provided to NHS boards on how to (a) attract and (b) retain (i) medical and (ii) non-medical staff.

Guidance is provided by the Scottish Government to Health Boards which is publicly available on the following website SHOW - SGHSC - Scottish Government Health and Social Care Directorates including guidance on matters in relation to attraction and retention of medical and non-medical staff. The Centre for Workforce Supply, hosted by NHS Education for Scotland works with Health Boards to support the building of workforce capacity.

Question reference: S6W-15510

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken in the last five years on the impact of noise pollution on health.

Through Scotland’s implementation of the European Commission Environmental Noise Directive (Directive 2002/49/EC), Scottish Government ministers have a responsibility to produce noise maps of Scotland every five years. The fourth round of noise mapping is currently being undertaken. Action plans for the current round of noise mapping will be submitted in 2024 and will include the provision of information, consultation, and ultimate decision making on the issues of noise management.

Question reference: S6W-15507

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the latest data showing the retention rate of (a) nurses and (b) doctors in the NHS.

The information requested on providing the latest data showing the retention rate of (a) nurses and (b) doctors in the NHS is not centrally available.

Information on vacancies by the three main staff groups, can be found on the TURAS NHS Education for Scotland workforce statistics site at: NHS Scotland workforce | Turas Data Intelligence

The turnover rate for all staff across NHS Scotland in 2021/22 was 8.1%.