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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.

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Question reference: S6W-13876

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 20 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure there are welfare facilities within all fire stations in Scotland, so that firefighters can decontaminate themselves following any exposure to cancerogenic fire contaminants.

The safety and wellbeing of all fire and rescue officers is of upmost importance to the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government has continued the commitment to support SFRS service delivery and reform with a further uplift of £10m resource for 2023-24, which will bring the total budget to £362.7m.

I am aware that SFRS has been engaged with the FBU and the work of Lancaster University for a number of years and its well established contamination working group has taken action across all aspects of operations to reduce exposure to harmful contaminants. This includes investment in new fire appliances and fire station facilities.

This continues to be a priority for SFRS and the contaminants group will continue to consider the research and take appropriate action.

Question reference: S6W-13816

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 20 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a 10-week period was sufficient time for the public consultation on a proposed Scottish Aggregates Levy Bill.

The public consultation on developing a Scottish tax to replace the UK Aggregates Levy was open from 26 September to 5 December 2022. This was thought to be a sufficient window considering the issues in question, plans for concurrent stakeholder engagement, and the relatively recent review of the UK levy.

A total of 25 consultation responses were received. These are now being analysed to help inform our next steps, and a formal consultation report will be published in due course.

Although the consultation is an important part of our engagement, it is only part, and does not represent the entirety of it. Consistent with our Framework for Tax, we will continue to listen to and work with all stakeholders throughout the entire process leading up to introduction of the new tax.

Question reference: S6W-13682

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which estates within the Monadhliath Deer Management Group have received funding for peatland restoration in each of the last five years through the peatland restoration project funds administered by NatureScot (formerly Scottish Natural Heritage); how much each estate has received in each of the last five years, and who the owners were of each estate that received funding.

Organisation/Applicant	Paid ‎ 2018-19	Paid ‎ 2019-20	Paid ‎ 2020-21	Paid ‎ 2021-22	Paid 2022-23 ‎ (to 6 Jan 23)
Aberarder Estate	1,320.00	38,734.50	146,185.00	-	169,584.35
Alvie Estate	147,684.50	90,035.00	73,508.00	79,860.00	-
Balavil Estate	990.00	38,376.00	107,840.00	-	162,389.87
Braeroy Estate	96,408.10	166,112.90	172,174.70	160,257.00	107,378.61
Cluny Estate	-	-	17,110.00	24,540.00	-
Dalmigavie Estate	-	96,020.00	-	186,982.00	203,381.35
Dunachton Estate	990.00	-	104,756.00	97,680.00	69,811.93
Dunmaglass Estate (Conagleann Ltd)	3,300.00	129,895.00	6,600.00	150,995.71	132,976.36
Farr & Glen Kyllachy Estate (Newbie Salmon Fisheries Ltd)	188,609.60	238,260.00	238,037.00	143,356.50	58,263.00
Glenbanchor Estate	990.00	47,864.00	-	-	-
Glenmazeran (The Englefield Estate Trust Corporation)	227,466.24	188,189.28	212,035.61	-	64,663.46
Glenshero Estate (JAHAMA Highland Estates)	-	-	97,042.00	159,676.60	-
Kinrara Estate	-	-	-	202,109.60	262,525.90
Pitmain Estate	185,908.00	193,769.62	141,905.00	35,000.00	116,890.61
Monadliath Deer Management Group	31,656.00	46,409.36	43,575.00	42,999.40	38,078.40
Total	885,322	1,273,666	1,360,768	1,283,457	1,385,944

Table 1. Peatland Action grants allocated to the Monadliath Deer Management Group 2018-19 to present.

Question reference: S6W-13650

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on the Rural Housing Fund in each year since its introduction.

The following table provides a breakdown of the spend from the main Rural and Islands Housing Fund in each year since the funds were launched in 2016-17, broken down by rural (mainland) and Islands. The Rural and Island Housing Fund plays an important role in offering support to community organisations and others while complementing the significant delivery through our mainstream programme by Councils and Registered Social Landlords in rural and island areas.

	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m	£m
Rural and Islands Housing Fund - Total	0.101	1.061	1.650	2.822	4.916	4.793	2.327
Rural	0.074	0.961	1.451	2.140	3.062	1.867	0.900
Islands	0.027	0.100	0.199	0.682	1.854	2.926	1.427
Note: 2022-23 spend is based on provisional programme management information to end December 2022 and could be subject to change.

Question reference: S6W-13647

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will actively engage with Aberdeen-based North Star Shipping, which has reportedly secured $172.2 million of financing and loan support to begin the next phase of its plan to build 40 Service Operation Vessels, in order to ensure that this long-term ship design and build opportunity is able to be undertaken by the Scottish shipbuilding industry.

Question reference: S6W-13662

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care last visited Inverclyde Royal Hospital in person.

Question reference: S6W-13643

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 19 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the National Care Service and adult social care budget allocations under health and social care expenditure in its 2023-24 Budget.

The published 2023-24 Stage 1 budget showed at level 4, a total investment of over £1.2 billion in Social Care support and NCS delivery. This is made up of a number of areas including an additional £100 million for adult social care pay up to £10.90, on top of the £200 million in 2022-23 for £10.50 and £144 million for the £10.02 before that, £124 million for care at home investment,
‎ £60 million for the Carers Act and inflationary uplifts for Free Personal Nursing Care Rates and others. All of the areas above underpin increasing the sustainability of the social care sector ahead of implementation of the NCS. It is important therefore to look at all areas of spend rather than one in isolation.

Question reference: S6W-13596

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 19 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it monitors the uptake of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) qualifications across education providers for (a) refugees and (b) asylum seekers.

Question reference: S6W-13630

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 19 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports on 4 January 2022 that, when excluding those aged between 16 and 24 in full-time education, 148,000 people living in Scotland have never been in employment.

Many people who report that they have never worked are suffering from long-term sickness or disability, or are looking after family. Just because someone does not have a job does not mean they are not making a valuable contribution to our economy and society.

The Scottish Government’s devolved employment support service, Fair Start Scotland, helps people with disabilities, long term health conditions and other barriers to progress into sustainable employment.

Through our Fair Work policy we are supporting the development of a labour market that is open, inclusive and offers good quality and rewarding jobs for everyone.

We are committed to developing life-long skills training opportunities, which support people to enter the workforce and enjoy valuable and rewarding careers.

Question reference: S6W-13758

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) 3D-printed guns and (b) 3D printers being used for illicit purposes have been seized by Police Scotland in each year since 2018.