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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-05813

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sent a letter to all local authorities to emphasise the importance of addressing the climate emergency in all planning decisions, including in major developments.

The Scottish Government has not sent such a letter. The draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) proposes radically improved and significant new policies aimed at addressing the climate emergency, including a proposed new policy which states: ‘When considering all development proposals significant weight should be given to the Global Climate Emergency.’ Once adopted, NPF4 will form a part of the statutory development plan and will be a material planning consideration, requiring the policies and priorities set out in NPF4 to be influential factors in planning decisions.

The draft NPF4 is currently subject to Scottish Parliamentary scrutiny, alongside a public consultation, prior to a finalised version being presented for Scottish Parliament approval. We are working towards laying a final version of NPF4 in the Parliament for approval this summer, following which it will be adopted by the Scottish Ministers.

I also refer the member to the Scottish Government’s earlier answer on the issue of the climate emergency in planning decision making, given in the answer to question S6W-02155 on 6 September 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-05670

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 1 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to encourage Hunterston B and Dounreay to share knowledge and skills in nuclear decommissioning.

The Scottish Government is already engaging with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) regarding the decommissioning of the Hunterston B site and the sharing of the NDA’s extensive knowledge and skills across its estate, including the Dounreay site.

This follows on from the designation direction agreed by Scottish and UK Government Ministers, and laid last year at both the Scottish and UK Parliaments under the Energy Act 2004 (available on the link below). This direction facilitates the process of decommissioning and the eventual transfer of ownership of the site to the NDA once it has been defueled by its current owners, EDF Energy.

https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/committees/current-and-previous-committees/session-6-net-zero-energy-and-transport-committee/correspondence/2021/directions-to-the-nuclear-decommissioning-authority-hunterston-b-and-torness-sites

The Scottish Government will continue to support the process of decommissioning as it progresses.

Question reference: S6W-05789

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 1 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of what the municipal recycling capacity in Scotland (a) has been in each of the last 10 years and (b) is projected to be by 2025.

SEPA publish the waste sites and capacity data via a tool on their website to provide capacity information about permitted waste sites across Scotland, which includes recycling facilities. The waste sites and capacity tool is available here: https://www.sepa.org.uk/data-visualisation/waste-sites-and-capacity-tool/

The tool is normally updated yearly with capacity information and quarterly with actual waste accepted. It currently contains data from 2014 – 2019 but has not been updated since the SEPA cyberattack. The next update is scheduled for March 2022.

Projections for municipal recycling capacity in Scotland for 2025 are not held centrally.

Question reference: S6W-05668

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 1 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on how nuclear decommissioning skills can be transferred to the renewables sector.

The Scottish Government recognises that the decommissioning of nuclear sites requires the retention of a highly skilled workforce over many years. We also recognise that the skills of the workforce decommissioning Scottish nuclear sites could ultimately be utilised by the renewables sector as part of our transition to net zero.

In December 2020 the Scottish Government and Skills Development Scotland published the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) setting out the actions required to ensure Scotland’s labour market is able to effectively support the transition to net zero. For example, as a priority action identified in the CESAP, the Green Jobs Workforce Academy administered by Skills Development Scotland, launched on the 23 August 2021 to help workers identify and access relevant green jobs and training.

Question reference: S6W-05489

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Dorothy Bain on 1 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, between 1 January and 30 June 2021, what proportion of reports of domestic abuse incidents perpetrated by (a) men against women and (b) women against men were prosecuted.

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) uses an operational database. The database is designed for the management of cases rather than for statistical purposes.

COPFS can provide data in relation to charges reported and prosecuted based on the sex of the accused (perpetrator). COPFS cannot provide data in relation to the sex of the alleged victim.

The information is provided in the following table:

Total Domestic Abuse charges reported to COPFS
1 January 2021 to 30 June 2021

Total charges reported	16,395

Charges reported - Male accused	14,193
of which prosecuted	13,296	93.7%

Charges reported - Female accused	2,202
of which prosecuted	1,800	81.7%

Charges prosecuted includes charges where the initial decision is to prosecute in court at either solemn level (i.e. before a jury) or summary level (i.e. without a jury). The figures also include charges which were not prosecuted in court, but where other charges for the same accused within the same case were prosecuted. In some cases, the charges which were prosecuted will have included details from the charges against the same accused which were not prosecuted.

COPFS uses a live operational database and the information contained within it is structured accordingly. Information provided may therefore be subject to change as our systems are updated for operational reasons.

Question reference: S6W-05710

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether all institutions providing psychological therapy services are encouraged to apply for the Accreditation Programme for Psychological Therapies Services.

Whilst the Scottish Government supports the Accreditation Programme for Psychological Therapies Services, there is no requirement to make an application. The Scottish Government is developing a Psychological Therapies and Services standard for Scotland by June 2022 which is being developed with Stakeholders and those with lived experience. This will link very closely with the Psychological Therapies MATRIX for Scotland which is a stepped guide to planning and delivering evidence-based psychological therapies within NHS Boards in Scotland.

This will describe what good quality evidence based psychological care will look like for all ages, all levels of need, and in all settings (such as health, education, and prisons) and will describe not only what applied psychologists do but also the high standards expected of those delivering psychological therapies

Psychological therapies and psychological services across Scotland will then be expected to deliver care that meets this standard including quality and quantity of care delivered.

Question reference: S6W-05667

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 1 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent shutdown of Hunterston B Power Station, how many jobs the nuclear decommissioning sector currently supports.

Question reference: S6W-06054

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6T-00468

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 31 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported problems with applying for free under-22 bus travel passes.

Question reference: S6T-00467

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 31 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to support those communities affected by Storm Malik and Storm Corrie, including addressing the impact on the provision of services such as public transport.