- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to expand income maximisation programmes as outlined in its 2022-23 Programme for Government, specifically in schools.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to support free income maximisation, welfare and debt advice services with £16.9 million invested in
2025-26, a significant increase on the £12.3 million invested in 2022-23.
This investment supports a range of advice and income maximisation services including the Advice in Accessible Settings Fund. Since launching in 2023 the Fund, which aims to increase the availability and accessibility of advice in places that people already go, has supported more than 13,000 clients and unlocked £27 million in financial gains. The fund supports and encourages partnerships between existing advice providers and a wide range of other community based services. This includes charities, housing and homelessness services, specialist health services, carers support services and 3 partnerships involving schools.
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 10 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what resources it is providing to SEPA to support the implementation of the Environmental Authorisation (Scotland) Regulations 2018.
Answer
The Scottish Government aims to resource all of its agencies to deliver on their key statutory duties and frontline services for the people of Scotland. In SEPA’s case, resourcing includes Grant in Aid funding, as agreed by Parliament, through the approval of annual budget bills as well as funding raised by SEPA through its various charging schemes.
It is for SEPA to determine how it allocates funding to deliver against each of its priorities. Implementation of the integrated authorisation framework, as set out under the Environmental Authorisation (Scotland) Regulations, was identified as a high priority in SEPA’s 2024-27 Corporate Plan. In each year that the Corporate Plan covers, SEPA’s annual operating plans will set out how resources will be allocated.
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 9 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to ensure that the new Scottish Aggregates Tax and Scottish Landfill Tax are aligned in a way that balances their respective impacts.
Answer
The Scottish Landfill Tax and the planned Scottish Aggregates Tax play complementary roles in encouraging the substitution of recycled and secondary aggregates for primary aggregates.
Research commissioned by the Scottish Government, Scottish Landfill Tax: Lower Rate Review (May 2025) highlights in particular that the introduction of the Scottish Aggregates Tax presents an opportunity to reassess how taxation influences the volume of lower-rate aggregates sent to landfill.
Further consideration of the alignment and interaction between the two taxes will be undertaken once the Scottish Aggregates Tax is operational.
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 9 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any potential impact in Scotland of the UK Government’s forthcoming changes to the Landfill Tax.
Answer
The Scottish Government is aware of the UK Government’s consultation on Landfill Tax reforms, and of the potential relevance for Scotland.
Any assessment of the impact in Scotland would depend on the detail of decisions taken following the consultation. The Scottish Government would therefore welcome early certainty from the UK Government on its plans, particularly regarding the arrangements for the lower rate of Landfill Tax.
Decisions regarding Scottish Landfill Tax policy will be announced as usual as part of the Scottish Budget.
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 9 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the implementation of the new Scottish Aggregates Tax, to what extent it has explored divergence from the UK Aggregates Levy.
Answer
In 2023, the Scottish Government consulted to inform the development of proposals for a Scottish tax to replace the UK Aggregates Levy. The consultation included questions on alignment with the UK Aggregate Levy and the tax rate.
Separately, in 2025, Scottish Government commissioned research on the role of alternatives to primary aggregates in reducing construction sector emissions examined how the tax rate could incentivise the use of such alternatives.
The Scottish Aggregates Tax will initially mirror key aspects of the UK Aggregates Levy, with flexibility to evolve in line with Scottish Government policy objectives.
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 08 September 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2025
Question to be taken in Chamber.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2025
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 01 September 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2025
Question to be taken in Chamber.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 4 September 2025
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 07 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 1 September 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what statutory power it used to give instructions to a reporter on 24 June 2025 in relation to the proposed Loch Lomond development by Flamingo Land (PPA-002-2021), having previously recalled the appeal for its own determination.
Answer
The appeal has been recalled for determination by Scottish Ministers under Schedule 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997, and the document referred to forms part of the internal administrative arrangements to support that process.
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 01 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 27 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the release of the minute of a meeting in June 2024 between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Israeli Ambassador to the UK in which the cabinet secretary described Scotland and Israel as being "critical friends", whether it still holds this position and, if not, (a) when the position changed and (b) what subsequent discussions or correspondence it had with the Israeli Embassy regarding this matter.
Answer
Scottish Government Ministers regularly meet foreign diplomats and Ministers visiting Scotland. Agreeing to such meetings provides the opportunity to discuss international cooperation but also to express the Scottish Government's opinion on international issues. I accepted the Embassy of Israel’s request for this meeting as it was an opportunity for him to express the Scottish Government's clear and unwavering position in calling for an immediate ceasefire by all sides in Gaza, the unconditional release of all hostages and the opening of safe routes to allow more humanitarian aid to reach the people of Gaza, which is what he did. Recognising the strength of feeling generated by the meeting, he subsequently issued a statement on 19 August 2024, which can be found here: Meeting with Israeli Diplomat - gov.scot.
The meeting with the Deputy Chief of Mission from the Embassy of Israel took place to express the Scottish Government's clear and unwavering position on the need for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The Scottish Government received the meeting request and accepted on the basis it would provide an opportunity to convey our consistent position on the killing and suffering of innocent civilians in the region.
It is clear that, having now spoken direct to the Israeli Government and making them aware of our position on an immediate ceasefire, it would not be appropriate for Ministers to accept any invitation for a further meeting. This will remain our position until such time as real progress has been made towards peace, unimpeded access to humanitarian assistance is provided and Israel cooperates fully with its international obligations on the investigation of genocide and war crimes.
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 August 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 26 August 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what the total cost has been to SEPA of responding to the oil pipeline leak at Glen Fruin to date, and whether this cost will be recovered from the operator, Petroineos.
Answer
SEPA are continuing to provide regulatory oversight with respect to the Petroineos remediation of the oil spill in Glen Fruin. To date SEPA’s costs are in the region of £85K. In line with the polluter pays principle, cost recovery is being actively explored with Petroineos. SEPA expect to be in a position to provide an update once our investigation and the remediation concludes.
