- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the current capacity within local authorities to assess specialist planning applications such as minerals developments.
Answer
We are aware of concerns about the current capacity within planning authorities. The skills and capacity challenges faced by planning authorities are not unique to Scotland and are not restricted to minerals development. The Scottish Government is taking forward a programme of actions to boost planning capacity across Scotland.
Our Investing in Planning consultation last year identified a range of interventions to increase the capacity within planning authorities. In September 2024 we published a blog outlining the proposals we were intending to take forward, those which required further consideration and those which we did not intend to take forward at this time.
The Scottish Government has established the Hydrogen Planning Hub and the Housing Emergency Hub in response to concerns about capacity and skills. We are currently considering the further role that Hubs can play in supporting planning authorities to address the skills and capacity issues they are facing.
The National Planning Improvement Champion (NPIC) is working with individual planning authorities to pilot a new National Planning Improvement Framework. Planning authorities will carry out a self-assessment and work with the NPIC and others to identify areas for improvement and develop an action plan. We expect the first reports will be published shortly.
We also continue to engage with Heads of Planning Scotland to understand the pressures facing planning authorities in Scotland and how they can best be addressed.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 4 February 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support local authorities dealing with specialist planning applications, such as those involving quarrying or mining where no identifiable expertise exists within the local authority planning department.
Answer
The Scottish Government is working with stakeholders, on a package of actions to strengthen a range of planning skills across Scotland.
The Scottish Government has established the Hydrogen Planning Hub and the Housing Emergency Hub in response to concerns about capacity and skills. We are currently considering the further role that Hubs can play in supporting planning authorities to address the skills and capacity issues they are facing.
In our Planning and Housing Emergency Delivery Plan, published in November 2024, we have committed to the roll out of a co-ordinated skills and recruitment drive through a coherent National Planning Skills Campaign. We will announce this work soon and deliver it over the coming months.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the date by which it plans to publish its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32265 on 6 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 January 2025
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to support galleries.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 29 January 2025
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 January 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26129 by Gillian Martin on 20 March 2024, whether it will provide an update on its work with the National Electricity System Operator to develop a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to working collaboratively with other governments where it can accelerate progress towards Scotland’s economic and net zero targets. On 20 October 2024, the UK, Scottish and Welsh governments jointly commissioned the National Energy System Operator (NESO) to produce a Strategic Spatial Energy Plan (SSEP) for the energy system, land and sea, across Great Britain (GB).
NESO has since consulted on a draft methodology for the SSEP, which closed on 17 January 2025. As co-commissioners of the SSEP, the Scottish Government welcomes the consultation and continued engagement with stakeholders on the plan as it develops. Key to the plan’s success will be ensuring that developer and investor confidence is maintained throughout.
The Scottish Government and its officials will continue to work closely with NESO, the UK and Welsh Governments on the plan as it develops, to ensure that it considers devolved powers and ambitions, delivers real benefits for the people and communities of Scotland and supports our ongoing efforts for a just transition.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 14 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of IBD UK’s latest report, Crohn’s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change, what steps it is taking to ensure that all inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) services have the resources and staffing necessary to address the psychological and nutritional needs of people with Crohn's disease and colitis in line with the IBD Standards.
Answer
The Scottish Government welcomes IBD UK’s latest report, Crohn’s and Colitis Care in Scotland: A Vision for Change and is grateful for their work in this area.
We are committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.
Scottish Government workforce planning guidance requires NHS Boards to take a demand-led approach by determining future staffing requirements in line with healthcare needs within their locality.
We expect Boards to follow best practice and adhere to current guidelines and standards when providing psychological and nutritional support for people with IBD.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Department for Transport regarding working collaboratively with the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to address the reported backlog of people waiting to sit practical driving tests across Scotland.
Answer
Driving testing is a fully reserved matter to the UK Government but it is clear the consequences of years of delays and backlogs have been acutely experienced in Scotland. The previous UK Government undertook a consultation in early 2023 proposing changes, which have taken until December 2024 to implement.
On 18 December 2024, the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) announced a 7-point plan to reduce driving test waiting times, which includes recruiting 450 driving examiners in Great Britain. As this is a reserved matter, the Scottish Government has had no input into the development of this plan. The DVSA did agree to meet with Transport Scotland officials in November 2024 but then cancelled these meetings.
Transport Scotland officials are currently seeking a meeting with DVSA to discuss the plan and to understand what implications there may be for Scotland.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 6 January 2025
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) where it allocates revenue from the Soft Drinks Industry Levy.
Answer
My answer here is the same as that set out in S5W-23733 on 21 June 2019.
The rules for how the Scottish Government is funded are set out in the Statement of Funding Policy. Changes in Scottish Government funding are determined by applying the Barnett formula to changes in UK government departmental spending, rather than allocating a proportion of revenues raised through the UK Soft Drinks Industry Levy. There is therefore no direct link between the revenue raised by the UK Government through the Soft Drinks Industry Levy and any element of the funding allocated to Scotland. The Scottish Government spends its money in accordance with the published budget as agreed by the Scottish Parliament.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of minimum unit pricing (MUP) on the competitiveness of physical Scotland-based retailers compared with online retailers that are not captured by the MUP regulations.
Answer
All retailers selling alcohol that despatches from a location in Scotland, including those selling online, are required to hold a licence to sell alcohol and must comply with the Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) requirements as a condition of licence.
The Scottish Government set out in its final Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) an assessment of the effects of MUP on Scottish businesses, including in relation to cross-border and online sales.
The Scottish Government continues to engage with business and industry, and a range of other key stakeholders, following the price increase and continuation of MUP from 30 September. As a developing market the Scottish Government continues to keep the effect and impact of online sales of alcohol under review.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 13 December 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 23 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the addendum to Evaluating the impact of Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) of alcohol in Scotland on cross-border purchasing, which was published on 23 May 2023, other than self-reporting, what surveillance systems are used to monitor cross-border online alcohol sales that are not captured by the MUP regulations.
Answer
The Scottish Government is aware of concerns that have been raised around online alcohol sales in Scotland. Officials are engaging with industry and business stakeholders to better understand these concerns and continue to keep the potential impact of this developing market under review.
Public Health Scotland holds alcohol retail sales data for both the on-trade and off-trade, which includes all electronic point of sale data for the main supermarkets and a representative sample of smaller retailers and independent stores. This data includes alcohol purchased online from larger national supermarkets which is processed on premises. Detailed information on cross-border online alcohol sales is not available and such information is likely to be commercially confidential and would require businesses to supply this on a voluntary basis.
