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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-06120

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported concerns of the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland that Motability Operations is profiting from disabled people.

I met with the Mobility and Access Committee for Scotland (MACS) on 25 January 2022. We share with MACS a concern to ensure the best service possible to disabled people and value for money for taxpayers. The Government has noted that Motability has committed to utilise their surplus profits for good causes, including a rebate to clients and future investment in greener vehicles. That is the right thing to do and we would urge Motability to ensure all those profits are used to benefit the public.

On disability benefits in Scotland, whilst Motability is currently the only provider accredited under the Accessible Vehicle and Equipment Scheme, we plan to begin work to re-open further accreditation rounds towards the end of this year. This will ensure we are doing all we can to encourage value and promote choice.

Question reference: S6W-06121

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Motability Operations in connection with the transfer of the disability benefits scheme to Scotland.

The Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government met Motability Operations Limited on 21 October 2021 to discuss the Accessible Vehicle and Equipment Scheme in Scotland and the role of Motability as an accredited provider for the Scheme.

Scottish Government officials meet with Motability Operations Limited regularly to discuss matters related to the implementation of the Scheme.

The Scottish Government’s Accessible Vehicles and Equipment Scheme delivers a similar service to the current Motability scheme to people in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-06154

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that over half of Scotland's fire stations are identified as being in poor, or worse, condition, and how much capital budget it will allocate to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service for the specific purpose of improving them.

SFRS has a capital budget of £32.5 million in 2022-23. Decisions on the allocation of its capital budget, including whether to prioritise fleet, equipment or buildings is a matter for SFRS.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with SFRS to ensure it has the resources it needs to keep communities safe. SFRS is currently undertaking an assessment of the risks faced by communities and the assets which are needed to deal with those risks and this will inform future discussions on both capital and resource budgets.

Question reference: S6W-06459

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05508 by Michael Matheson on 4 February 2022, in light of it not being able to detail what impact the closure of Hunterston B and Torness nuclear power stations will have on consumer energy bills, whether it can state what the price of electricity generated by each of them is.

Question reference: S6W-06524

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the first supplementary to question S6O-00736 by Ben Macpherson on 9 February 2022, during which the minister referred to the "greater provision of renewable energy - which...has had a significant positive impact on the reliability of supply here in Scotland", whether it will set out in detail what this definition of “renewable energy” is; what the generation source is of the energy that has had a positive impact on reliability, and whether it will publish any data that (a) shows an increasing "reliability of supply", as opposed to an increasing amount of energy supplied, and (b) shows a correlation and direct "impact" of the greater provision of renewable energy, as defined, on the reliability of supply.

This is a reserved policy area. Responsibility for security of supply sits with National Grid ESO (the GB electricity system operator).

Renewable capacity in Scotland includes onshore and offshore wind, hydro, solar, marine technologies, bioenergy and waste. Other sources of power generation and interconnection to the rest of GB electricity system are also critical in terms of maintaining secure electricity supply, particularly at times when renewables output is low.

The UK government has now included renewables in the Capacity Market to recognise their “measurable contribution” to security of supply. Renewables sites in Scotland have been successful in securing contracts in the latest T-4 and T-1 Capacity Market Auctions.

The equivalent of 98.6% of gross electricity consumption in Scotland (around 30 GigaWatt hours, GWh) comes from renewable sources.

Question reference: S6W-06493

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider instructing Historic Environment Scotland to assess the site of HMP Barlinnie for listed status.

Question reference: S6W-06401

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what urgent support is being given to 14 fire stations identified as having the “potential for roof collapse” by the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service.

The Scottish Government is aware of the roof issues in the 14 fire stations, which are as a result of the materials used when the buildings were constructed by Local Authorities. SFRS has confirmed that remedial action has been taken in all 14 fire stations to ensure that the buildings are safe and that there are no immediate safety concerns.

The Scottish Government is in regular contact with SFRS in relation to its resource and capital funding requirements but decisions on the use of those funds is a matter for SFRS.

Question reference: S6W-06451

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when regulations will be laid to bring into force (a) section 1 (dealing with serious harm); (b) section 6 (dealing with publication on a matter of public interest), and (c) section 32 (dealing with the single publication provisions) of the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Act 2021.

Question reference: S6W-06416

Asked by: Dean Lockhart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the proposed National Public Energy Agency will be operational; how many full-time dedicated staff it will employ; what its annual budget will be, and when it anticipates that the virtual agency will move to being a standalone organisation.

As set out in the Scottish Government's A Fairer, Greener Scotland: Programme for Government 2021-22, published on 7 September 2021, we made a commitment to create a National Public Energy Company. We will work to have a virtual agency established this year, and a dedicated physical agency by September 2025. The virtual agency will be in place throughout the transition period until the standalone Agency is in place.

This is an ongoing area of work, and as a first step we launched a consultation in December 2021 which closed on 8 February to help inform development of the design of the new body. Consultation responses are currently being analysed and further details will be released as the work evolves.

Question reference: S6W-06400

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate has been made of the number of direct and indirect jobs that could be created in the West Scotland region if Ardeer becomes a location for nuclear energy production.

I note the UKAEA’s STEP competition is ongoing and no decision has been taken on a preferred site.

As we move forward, our draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, to be published in 2022, will provide a road map for the future of Scotland’s energy system and amplify the voices of those most impacted. That is why we will co-design this Plan with workers, businesses and communities, offering the opportunity for those within or associated with the nuclear energy industry to contribute to this dialogue.