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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-14924

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how long the current board members of Scottish Rail Holdings (a) have been and (b) are due to be contracted in those positions.

Details of the current membership of Scottish Rail Holdings Board is available on Companies House via the following link:- https://find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk/company/SC548826

The Chief Executive Officer, Rail Business Director, Finance Director and General Counsel of Scottish Rail Holdings are normally permanent roles. The Non-Executive Directors of Scottish Rail Holdings Board were appointed on an interim basis to the 31 March 2023.

Question reference: S6W-14930

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13041 by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2023, whether it will itemise the sub-contracts placed with Scottish firms by Cemre Marin Endustri to supply the build programme for the new Islay vessels, including the total value of those respective sub-contracts.

Cemre have signed an agreement with Kongsberg for Fins Stabilisers with the production facility in Dunfermline. Neither the Scottish Government, nor CMAL as procuring authority, have details of the value of this commercial contract between the manufacturer and Cemre. Further information can be found at the attached link:

https://www.kongsberg.com/maritime/about-us/news-and-media/news-archive/2022/contract-to-supply-aquarius-50-retractable-fin-stabilisers/

Question reference: S6W-14762

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider further regulating the (a) collection and reporting of data related to, (b) management of and (c) release of non-native gamebirds.

We have no current plans to legislate on (a) collection and reporting of data related to, (b) management of and (c) release of non-native gamebirds. However, as outlined in response to S6W-14758 on 1 March 2023, we plan to gather further information on the impact of non-native gamebird releases.

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

Question reference: S6W-14651

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the SME Loan Scheme have been (a) received, (b) approved and (c) rejected in each year since 2020-21, also broken down by the (i) annual expenditure on the scheme and (ii) average size of (A) loan and (B) cashback awarded.

The Scottish Governments SME Loan and Cashback scheme has provided significant financial support to SMEs in Scotland to decarbonise, improve their energy efficiency, cut energy bills and become more economically competitive over the Scheme’s lifespan.

The tables below show the requested information between the relevant financial years. The data provided does not include applications yet to be decided or where further information has been requested from the applicant. The most common reasons for querying an application include incompleteness and missing supporting documents.

Information regarding financial year 2022/23 can be made available at the end of the current financial year.

Table A

Financial Year	Applications Received	Applications Approved	Applications Rejected
2021-22	461	320	126
2020-21	286	211	75

Table B

Financial Year	Value of loans paid	Value of grants paid
2021-22	£4,579,125	£1,838,233
2020-21	£3,954,576	£945,647

Table C

Financial Year	Average loan value	Average grant value
2021-22	£15,682	£6,963
2020-21	£20,384	£5,802

Question reference: S6W-14916

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12640 by Mairi McAllan on 8 December 2022, which states that "we expect to issue the release on Scottish Government's attendance and expenses incurred at COP27 by the end of January 2023", whether the release was issued, and, if so, whether it will provide it.

Question reference: S6W-14922

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will instruct Transport Scotland to fully remove graffiti from the concrete piers of the category-C listed Kingston Bridge in Glasgow instead of masking it with grey primer paint, and whether it will consider commissioning professionally-painted murals on the piers as a permanent solution to repeated incidents of large-scale graffiti vandalism of the bridge in recent years.

Any proposals for artwork on the bridge piers should be commissioned via Glasgow City Council. Whilst Scottish Ministers and Transport Scotland are responsible for the structure including the bridge piers, Glasgow City Council (GCC) own the land below the bridge, are planning authority and are responsible for the public realm area and local roads below the bridge. The Scottish Government via its Transport Scotland would consider any such proposals favourably, as was the case in advance of the Commonwealth Games and CoP26.

The South-West Operating Company AMEY currently uses grey masonry paint designed to match the existing pier surface colour, to quickly cover over any graffiti particularly where it is offensive.

Question reference: S6W-14927

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government who the current acting chief executive officer of Scottish Rail Holdings is; how long it is intended that they will be in this position; how many days they are contracted to work in the post, and what their remuneration is for these duties.

Question reference: S6W-15012

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the exact date on which it requested data from the Department for Work and Pensions regarding the Winter Heating Payment.

Throughout our programme of work to deliver the new Winter Heating Payment in Scotland, the Scottish Government engaged regularly with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and emphasised the need for data to be transferred as early as possible.

DWP were unable to provide the data required prior to 31 January. The Scottish Government and DWP have begun discussions about the feasibility of moving payments forward for future years.

Question reference: S6W-14864

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it is having with (a) Scottish-based shipbuilding firms and (b) Shetland Islands Council to help ensure that the procurement exercise for a new roll-on, roll-off ferry for Fair Isle is responded to and won by a Scottish shipyard, in light of the UK Government's £27 million funding award for the project through its Levelling Up Fund.

The Scottish Government recognise the challenge for local authorities that have responsibility for ferries and welcomes all extra funding for Scotland. However, it is unacceptable for the UK Government to decide how money is spent in areas of devolved responsibility.

The Scottish Government actively engages with the shipbuilding industry, through individual companies and our enterprise and skills agencies. Transport Scotland has no role in the procurement of local authority ferries.

Question reference: S6W-14981

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 6 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the First Minister last met the co-leaders of Aberdeen City Council.