- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 22 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether retailers will be required to charge a deposit on any Deposit Return Scheme articles donated to charities.
Answer
Any consumer that returns a scheme article is eligible for the deposit to be refunded.
This means that the deposit forms part of the consideration for a Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) article donated to charity.
It is for the donor to consider whether they wish to charge for the deposit or include as part of the donation.
We are engaging with industry and third sector organisations where there are questions on the flow of deposits. Scotland's DRS is based on similar deposit return schemes which operate in 44 other states or territories worldwide.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it will commission research to consider the implementation factors associated with effective workforce development and deployment within the Pupil Support Staff workforce.
Answer
In an update on the Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan, published in November 2022 ( https://tinyurl.com/ywu6dtcw ) we committed to revisit this research in spring 2023.
In parallel, the Pupil Support Staff Working Group commissioned Education Scotland to undertake a national engagement programme for pupil support staff – ( https://education.gov.scot/improvement/research/pupil-support-staff-engagement-programme-2022-2023/ ). The engagement programme commenced in October 2022, has generated over 2,500 responses to date and will close shortly.
We consider it prudent to let the engagement programme conclude and for the responses to be analysed, before deciding on the requirement for the proposed research.
- Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when the findings of its Health and Wellbeing Census, with information on how frequently S2 and S4 pupils use e-cigarettes, will be published.
Answer
Information on the first Health and Wellbeing Census undertaken by local authorities in Scotland between October 2021 and June 2022 is available on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/publications/health-and-wellbeing-census-scotland-2021-22/. Pages 22 and 23 of the Key Findings document, contained in the Supporting documents link, set out the frequency of e-cigarette use by pupils.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many Blue Badges have been issued in each of the last five years, also broken down by local authority area.
Answer
Table 1.21 of Scottish Transport Statistics provides information on the number of Blue Badges on issue by each local authority from 2014 to 2021 and is available via the following web link https://www.transport.gov.scot/publication/scottish-transport-statistics-2021/chapter-01-road-transport-vehicles/ .
The information for 2022 will be published by Transport Scotland on 14 March 2023.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 22 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish in full the data shared with it by individual housing associations on their planned rent increases that "indicates that the average rent increase will be around 6.1% across the country" in 2023-24, as referred to in the Scottish Government and Housing Associations' Statement of Intent on Tackling the Cost of Living Crisis 2023-24, and whether it will provide a list of any notified rent increases, broken down by housing association.
Answer
The Scottish Housing Regulator rather than the Scottish Government is the body which collects data on planned rent increases as part of their role to monitor social landlords performance against the Scottish Social Housing Charter. They have published details of the rent increases which Scottish social landlords will apply in 2023-24 for social housing tenants. The report shows average rent increases by social landlord's will be 5%. Rent increases by Scottish social landlords 2023/24 - March 2023 | Scottish Housing Regulator
The survey report, based on returns from 136 RSLs and the 29 local authorities that have housing stock, includes average percentage increase applied by landlords, the median rent increase and actual rent increases applied by each landlord.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on efforts to recommence operations at Stoneywood paper mill, in Aberdeen, in light of reports from 12 February 2023 that there was about to be a "credible bid" made.
Answer
My officials in Scottish Enterprise remain in regular contact with the Joint Administrators (Interpath Advisory) and continue to work with them to consider all viable options for the Stoneywood site in Aberdeen.
The administration process continues to progress and, prior to formal marketing of the site, Interpath Advisory had re-engaged with potential interested parties in February 2023. Discussions between the Joint Administrator and interested parties continue.
- Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the STEM bursary scheme in each academic year from 2018-19 to date.
Answer
Number of applications in each academic year:
Year | No of applications |
2018 | 154 |
2019 | 171 |
2020 | 221 |
2021 | 196 |
2022 | 126 |
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding each local authority received for the provision of free music tuition in schools in the 2022-23 academic year, and how much each local authority will receive for the 2023-24 academic year.
Answer
With respect to the following tables please note:
- The final term of the 2023-24 academic year allocation will fall in 2024-25 financial year.
- This commitment began between academic years and funding has so far been agreed on this basis. From 2024-25 the Scottish Government has agreed with COSLA that funding will be provided onto a financial year basis model which is consistent with other funds being provided to local authorities.
Academic Year 2022/23 Funding Breakdown
Local Authority | Total Funding Academic Year 2022-23 |
Aberdeen City | £556,000 |
Aberdeenshire | £686,000 |
Angus | £227,000 |
Argyll & Bute | £132,000 |
City of Edinburgh | £598,000 |
Clackmannanshire | £146,000 |
Dumfries & Galloway | £213,000 |
Dundee City | £209,000 |
East Ayrshire | £183,000 |
East Dunbartonshire | £289,000 |
East Lothian | £305,000 |
East Renfrewshire | £415,000 |
Falkirk | £246,000 |
Fife | £767,000 |
Glasgow City | £804,000 |
Highland | £1,229,000 |
Inverclyde | £111,000 |
Midlothian | £226,000 |
Moray | £162,000 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | £37,000 |
North Ayrshire | £220,000 |
North Lanarkshire | £555,000 |
Orkney Islands | £32,000 |
Perth & Kinross | £410,000 |
Renfrewshire | £272,000 |
Scottish Borders | £176,000 |
Shetland Islands | £91,000 |
South Ayrshire | £162,000 |
South Lanarkshire | £516,000 |
Stirling | £216,000 |
West Dunbartonshire | £141,000 |
West Lothian | £576,000 |
Financial Year 2022/23 & 2023-24 Funding Breakdown
Local Authority | Total Funding Financial Year 2022-23 | Total Funding Financial Year 2023-24 |
Aberdeen City | £520,000 | £482,000 |
Aberdeenshire | £633,000 | £663,000 |
Angus | £206,000 | £253,000 |
Argyll & Bute | £118,000 | £162,000 |
City of Edinburgh | £522,000 | £831,000 |
Clackmannanshire | £136,000 | £128,000 |
Dumfries & Galloway | £186,000 | £290,000 |
Dundee City | £183,000 | £288,000 |
East Ayrshire | £161,000 | £251,000 |
East Dunbartonshire | £264,000 | £301,000 |
East Lothian | £283,000 | £280,000 |
East Renfrewshire | £390,000 | £347,000 |
Falkirk | £216,000 | £338,000 |
Fife | £696,000 | £842,000 |
Glasgow City | £703,000 | £1,109,000 |
Highland | £1,185,000 | £771,000 |
Inverclyde | £97,000 | £151,000 |
Midlothian | £206,000 | £240,000 |
Moray | £145,000 | £198,000 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | £33,000 | £51,000 |
North Ayrshire | £195,000 | £283,000 |
North Lanarkshire | £487,000 | £760,000 |
Orkney Islands | £28,000 | £44,000 |
Perth & Kinross | £384,000 | £350,000 |
Renfrewshire | £238,000 | £375,000 |
Scottish Borders | £156,000 | £228,000 |
Shetland Islands | £86,000 | £70,000 |
South Ayrshire | £142,000 | £222,000 |
South Lanarkshire | £451,000 | £713,000 |
Stirling | £198,000 | £223,000 |
West Dunbartonshire | £124,000 | £191,000 |
West Lothian | £537,000 | £519,000 |
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in working with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) to agree an increased noise budget for projects within the 50km safeguarding zone at Eskdalemuir, and when it expects that any announcement will be made on the agreed way forward.
Answer
Safeguarding the Eskdalemuir Seismic Array is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and any decision to amend the seismic noise budget for the array is a decision for the UK Government.
The Scottish Government and Ministry of Defence have been working constructively together and the Scottish Government has conducted a series of technical studies over the course of 2020 to 2022 in order to provide updated wind turbine data that can be used in the noise budget allocation calculation.
The results of these studies are publicly available and are hosted on the Scottish Renewables’ website. The Scottish Government shared these studies with the MoD and we understand the MoD is in the process of reviewing their noise budget management. The Scottish Government continues to engage with the MoD as they develop their approach.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 March 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when the responses to the 20% car km reduction route map consultation will be published.
Answer
The public consultation analysis of the responses to the draft route map to achieving a 20% reduction in car km in Scotland by 2030 will be published alongside the final version of the route map in the coming months.
