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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-05040

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 11 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much was raised in non-domestic rates revenue in (a) 2019-20 and (b) 2020-21 as a result of the Scottish Assessors Association's Practice Note 3, Valuation of Photovoltaic Electricity Generators.

Non-domestic properties in Scotland are valued by independent Scottish Assessors based on the law. A property’s rateable values reflects the valuation of the lands, heritages and any rateable plant and machinery, but is not disaggregated by component. Therefore the Scottish Government could not disaggregate the liability associated with the installation of a solar panel from the total rateable value of the property.

Under the Valuation for Rating (Plant and Machinery) (Scotland) Regulations 2000, solar panels, wind turbines and storage batteries are already exempt from rating where they are used for the generation, storage, transformation or transmission of power, where the power is mainly or exclusively ‘for distribution for sale to consumers’.

The Scottish Budget 2022-23 will expand the Business Growth Accelerator relief for property improvements to include the installation of solar panels as a qualifying improvement. The Business Growth Accelerator provides 100% relief on new builds for up to 12 months after first occupation, and no rates increases for 12 months after a qualifying property improvement.

Question reference: S6W-05025

Asked by: Claire Baker, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government by what date the public health surveillance system, referenced in the Scottish Drug Deaths Taskforce’s Interim Report, will be fully operational, and what information the system will collate.

The public health surveillance system for drug harms will be fully operational by 31 March 2022 and led by Public Health Scotland. An early warning system is in development and structures are in place to ensure evidence based approaches to reducing drug harms are implemented.

The system collates and analyses a range of information relating to drug harms made available through organisations such as Police Scotland, Health Boards Scottish Prison Services, Local Authorities, the third sector and people with lived and living experience.

Question reference: S6W-05067

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 11 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Historic Environment Scotland publication, Guide to Energy Retrofit of Traditional Buildings, regarding the need for "an extensive programme of domestic retrofit" and the part that "the existing built environment, including older or historic buildings, will need to play...in the national refurbishment effort".

Question reference: S6T-00415

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an explanation of its decision not to proceed with the sale of Glasgow Prestwick Airport at the present time.

Question reference: S6T-00399

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it will assist young people to access the expanded free bus travel scheme.

Question reference: S6F-00662

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 January 2022

To ask the First Minister what support the Scottish Government can provide to people struggling to pay their energy bills.

Question reference: S6F-00665

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 January 2022

To ask the First Minister what data the Scottish Government has collected on the number of people diagnosed with cancer, and the stage at which they were diagnosed, since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and how this compares with pre-pandemic data.

Question reference: S6F-00650

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 January 2022

To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Government will take to urgently progress the green transition in North Ayrshire, following the closure of Hunterston B power station on 7 January.

Question reference: S6F-00639

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 January 2022

To ask the First Minister what deadline the Scottish Government has set for making any further changes to this year's SQA examinations process.

Question reference: S6F-00636

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 January 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.