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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-10041

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 16 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider the introduction of the full registration of all non-native gamebird releases for monitoring purposes.

Question reference: S6W-09994

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be review of the 10% maximum commission of the price of a mobile home upon sale, and, if so, when this review will take place.

Question reference: S6W-10102

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 16 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported calls for white-tailed eagles to be culled.

The Scottish Government does not intend to permit a cull of white-tailed eagles.

The species has the highest levels of protection under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 being listed on Schedules 1, 1A and A1. Schedule A1 of the 1981 Act lists bird species whose nests are protected at all times from disturbance, including outwith the breeding season. Schedule 1A of the 1981 Act lists those bird species which are protected from harassment.

We accept that sea eagles may sometimes take lambs and thereby have a financial impact on farmers and crofters. NatureScot operates the Sea Eagle Management Scheme (SEMS) which supports farmers and crofters to manage impacts. The SEMS was significantly revised in 2020 following consultation with local and national stakeholder groups, including National Farmers Union Scotland and Scottish Crofting Federation representatives. Further information on the scheme is available via the following web link: https://www.nature.scot/professional-advice/land-and-sea-management/managing-wildlife/sea-eagle-management-scheme

Question reference: S6W-10103

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 29 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what budget it has allocated for smoking cessation services in (a) each of the last five financial years, including 2021-22 and (b) 2022-23, and what budget it has provisionally allocated for smoking cessation services over the remainder of the current parliamentary session.

The Scottish Government has provided £9,144,964 to Health Boards for the provision of smoking cessation services.

This funding is calculated on the basis of smoking rates and deprivation and is used to provide the free Quit Your Way service. This service includes an interactive website, offering expert advice and support to those seeking to quit tobacco products. Local support services and access to a range of free medications and products are provided to help people stop smoking.

	Smoking Cessation	Smoking Prevention	Total Funded
2016 - 2017	9110000	1500000	* £10,610,000
2017 – 2018	£8,426,750	£1,387,500	£9,814,250
2018 – 2019	£8,426,750	£1,387,500	£9,814,250
2019 – 2020	£8,005,413	£1,318,125	£9,323,538
2020 – 2021	£7,623,384	£1,255,222	£8,878,606
2021 – 2022	£7,852,085	£1,292,879	£9,144,964

Local Authorities receive annual funding of £1.5 million, which has been maintained since its introduction in 2010/2011 and was added to in 2017-18 when £1.340 million was added for Tobacco and Electronic Cigarette Control. This total funding of £2.840 million has continued into 2022-23. The funding Scottish councils receive is to more rigorously enforce tobacco sales law, including test purchasing and joint working.

In addition we fund the Society of Chief Officers of Trading Standards in Scotland (SCOTSS), co-ordinator function - Tobacco and NVP control - national coordination of enforcement activities of Scottish councils, and support for action against illicit tobacco in the financial year 2022-2023.

Question reference: S6W-09755

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 16 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09208 by Ash Regan on 30 June 2022, how much funding has been (a) allocated and (b) spent to date on installing evacuation alert systems.

Question reference: S6W-10087

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 16 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what briefings and information ministers have received from health officials regarding the monkeypox outbreak.

Scottish Government Ministers regularly meet with and are briefed by health officials and clinical advisers to ensure they are kept up to date with the ongoing situation regarding case numbers, treatment pathways and public health information messaging on the current monkeypox outbreak. This includes all relevant updates from the public health agencies across the UK, which are leading on the Monkeypox response.

Question reference: S6W-09751

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 16 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09207 by Ash Regan on 30 June 2022, whether it has any plans to translate this guidance into formal regulations, and how many buildings currently have personal fire evacuation plans in place for disabled tenants.

There are currently no plans to translate the guidance into formal regulations, however the Scottish Government keeps this under review.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on individuals who have personal emergency evacuation plans (PEEPs). Further information on fire safety and PEEPs can be found in the Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing Specialised Housing and Similar Premises and Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing Specialised Housing and Similar Premises .

Question reference: S6W-10073

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many children in (a) Perth and Kinross and (b) Fife have received a free bicycle since the commitment was made to offer free bicycles to children who cannot afford them.

In this government’s first 100 days, we established six pilot schemes to provide free bikes for school age children who cannot afford one. A further four pilots were then established by the end of 2021. These pilots will run for up to 12 months, testing different approaches and delivery models to help inform a national rollout.

The total number of bikes issued to date is 2067. We expect to have issued 3000 bikes by the end of the pilot period. The bikes include adapted and non-standard bikes to cater for a range of needs.

We do not record data on bike numbers at local authority level. However, considering bikes issued and associated training and promotion sessions, free bikes activities have taken place in 20 of 32 local authority areas. The 9 pilots are running across a range of locations including in urban, rural and island communities.

Question reference: S6W-09998

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether a Fit and Proper Person Test for park owners and managers will be introduced, and, if so, when this will take place.

Question reference: S6W-10007

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 16 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the volume of carbon emissions associated with the electrification of Scotland's rail network, as set out on page 8 of the Rail Services Decarbonisation Action Plan, by 2035.