Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-30248

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 what consideration it has given to withholding or reducing any tax incentives available in Green Freeports to PetroIneos in the event that it pursues the closure of the Grangemouth oil refinery.

Question reference: S6W-30593

Asked by: Bill Kidd, MSP for Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can confirm what the full cost and impact of the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships has been.

From 3 to 13 August 2023, Scotland proudly hosted the inaugural UCI Cycling World Championships – the biggest cycling event ever. This historic and innovative event brought together 13 existing UCI World Championships to create a new ‘mega event’ that will be held every four years in the year preceding the Olympics.

More than 7,000 elite and amateur athletes from 131 countries competed, with 220 World Championship titles awarded. Around 1 million visitors attended the Championships, over a third of whom came from outside Scotland, with people travelling from five continents.

The event was a significant success for Scotland, economically and reputationally. It brought total GVA for Scotland of £205 million, with £129 million in total GVA for Glasgow. The total visitor spend in Scotland was £220 million. The Championships enjoyed significant international coverage, resulting in a global media equivalency value of £330 million for Scotland.

The Scottish Government was a Principal Funder for the Championships, alongside Glasgow City Council, UK Sport and British Cycling. The original budget for the event was £50 million, set in 2018. However, while significant efforts were made to bear down on costs throughout the project, the impact of Covid and inflationary pressures meant it was not possible to deliver the high-quality product required in the legal agreement with the UCI, the event rights holder, within the budget envelope. I can therefore confirm that the full cost of the Championships was £61.4 million. There is a small caveat to this figure which is still subject to final project closure and final company accounts being prepared and submitted, but there is no expectation that this will have a material impact on the overall figure.

The breakdown of costs is as follows:

Area	Cost
Commercial	£2.5 million
Governance and Business Services	£14.7 million
Marketing and Communications	£1.9 million
Operations	£7.3 million
Policy	£0.1 million
Sport	£27.1 million
Workforce	£7.7 million

The Scottish Government’s original forecast funding contribution for the event was £30 million, however the final figure, in part due to inflation, is £39.2 million. We are clear that the significant direct economic and long-term reputational benefits are such that hosting the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships provided a very positive return for this investment.

Our successful delivery in Glasgow and across Scotland in August 2023 leaves a fantastic blueprint for the next iteration of the Cycling World Championships in France in 2027, and for future major events in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-30590

Asked by: George Adam, MSP for Paisley, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Richard Lochhead on 11 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the UEFA Euro 2028 commercial rights protection legislation.

The Scottish Government has today published the UEFA EURO 2028 commercial rights protection consultation analysis (https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781836018759) and Scottish Government response (https://consult.gov.scot/culture-tourism-and-major-events/euro-2028-commercial-rights-protection).

The analysis summarises the feedback received during the consultation. This will inform the development of legislation to deliver our Programme for Government commitment on meeting UEFA's requirements for hosting EURO 2028 matches in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-30349

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 11 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding potential ethnic and racial bias, what its position is on whether the use of live facial recognition technology in public spaces is compatible with the position stated in the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) that "successful places" must be designed for "accessibility and inclusion for everyone regardless of gender, sexual orientation, age, ability and culture".

The fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) sets out the Scottish Ministers’ policies and proposals for the development and use of land. If an application for planning permission is necessary for any development associated with the use of live facial recognition technology, it is for the relevant planning authority to consider that application. When making decisions on planning applications, planning authorities must consider the development plan as a whole, comprising NPF and local development plans, alongside all other material considerations.

Question reference: S6W-30348

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 11 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the use of live facial recognition technology in public spaces is compatible with the priority stated in the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) of "ensuring spaces, routes and buildings feel safe and welcoming".

The fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) sets out the Scottish Ministers’ policies and proposals for the development and use of land. If an application for planning permission is necessary for any development associated with the use of live facial recognition technology, it is for the relevant planning authority to consider that application. When making decisions on planning applications, planning authorities must consider the development plan as a whole, comprising NPF and local development plans, alongside all other material considerations.

Question reference: S6W-30342

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 11 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the use of live facial recognition technology in public spaces is compatible with the priority stated in the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) of "creating a sense of belonging and identity within the community".

The fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) sets out the Scottish Ministers’ policies and proposals for the development and use of land. If an application for planning permission is necessary for any development associated with the use of live facial recognition technology, it is for the relevant planning authority to consider that application. When making decisions on planning applications, planning authorities must consider the development plan as a whole, comprising NPF and local development plans, alongside all other material considerations.

Question reference: S6W-30279

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 11 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government where the money for the £100 million of investment to support the construction of mid-market rent homes, as announced in its Programme for Government 2024-25, will come from.

Question reference: S6W-30277

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 11 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement in its Programme for Government 2024-25 of £100 million of investment to support the construction of mid-market rent homes, when it expects that the first mid-market rent home being built using this funding will begin construction.

The Programme for Government announcement is a new long-term commitment to provide £100 million of funding which will grow, with institutional investment, to create a fund of at least £500 million to support the construction of around 2,800 homes for mid-market rent, making public funds go further.

The new MMR Fund will form part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme which already supports mid-market rent and funding will be linked to the fund's performance and growth, over a number of financial years. Decisions on future AHSP funding will be set out as part of the Scottish Government's annual budget process. The next step is the commercial process to commission a fund manager and expected delivery timescales will be set out at that stage.

Question reference: S6W-30278

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 11 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the announcement in its Programme for Government 2024-25 of £100 million of investment to support the construction of mid-market rent homes will result in £100 million being invested within the current financial year.

Question reference: S6W-30167

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 10 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to improving financial support for adoptive parents and families.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that adoptive families receive the support they need, when and where they need it throughout life. Despite the challenging fiscal environment, we are providing over £770,000 to organisations delivering services and support to adoptive families and practitioners in 2024-25.

As outlined in the Promise Implementation Plan update published on 19 September 2024, we will publish an adoption vision statement which sets out the place of adoption in Scotland today and our strategic priorities moving forward. This includes a focus on understanding the needs and priorities in relation to improving the consistency of post-adoption support across Scotland.

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