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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-05918

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many Integration Joint Boards have (a) suspended meetings and (b) suspended committees during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6W-05980

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will clarify how the new fire and smoke alarm standards will apply to people who live in (a) independent living flats, (b) sheltered housing complexes that employ an on-site warden and (c) other forms of sheltered housing.

Question reference: S6W-05944

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 7 February 2022

Question reference: S6W-05921

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were registered blind or partially sighted in each year since 1999, broken down by NHS board.

Question reference: S6W-05969

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards delivering its commitment to increase the resourcing of the Scottish Funding Council in 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-05915

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it will manage the transition from the Renewable Heat Incentive to new replacement grant regimes.

The Non-Domestic RHI (NDRHI) scheme closed to new applicants on 31 March 2021. The Domestic RHI (DRHI) scheme is set to close on 31 March 2022. The Scottish Government has set out in its Heat in Buildings Strategy a number of grant schemes which will continue to support the deployment of zero emission heating systems post RHI closure.

In total, the Scottish Government has committed £1.8 billion for heat decarbonisation for this parliamentary session, which will be delivered through various delivery schemes. This includes a £400m successor programme to the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme, which will be launched early this year. It will provide funding to heat projects such as large scale heat pumps and heat networks whilst also prioritising new technologies for decarbonising multi-tenure buildings and retrofitting whole buildings with low carbon heating systems.

Support for homeowners to install zero emissions heating systems and improve energy efficiency is available through the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Loan and Cashback Scheme, which offers interest-free loans with up to 75% cashback. Scottish Ministers have committed to continuing our loans-with-cashback schemes for homeowners and SME businesses to support energy efficiency and zero emissions heat improvements, and will replace the cashback offer with a grant scheme during 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-05754

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what finance rules will be put in place to support the requirement for local authorities to account for their carbon emissions.

Local authorities are independent corporate bodies with their own powers and responsibilities and are entirely separate from the Scottish Government. As long as they act lawfully, it is up to each local authority how it manages its day-to-day business and decision making processes. The Scottish Government’s policy towards local authorities’ spending is to allow local authorities the financial freedom to operate independently.

New regulations, which came into force on 9 November 2020, require Scottish public bodies from November 2022 to report on how they will align spending plans and use of resources to contribute to delivering their emissions reduction targets.

It is the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

Question reference: S6W-05882

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how (a) young people and (b) parents should judge what is essential travel for the purposes of using the Young Persons’ (Under-22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-05884

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has asked under-22s who are eligible for the Young Persons’ (Under-22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme not to apply to the scheme at this time, except for those for whom bus travel is essential.

We initially asked that only those with an essential need to travel by bus should apply due to the high rates of COVID-19 cases. This was intended to help minimise pressure on local councils, also impacted by the current situation with the pandemic, which are responsible for processing applications and responding to enquiries. With restrictions now easing, we are now in a position to encourage all young people to apply.

Question reference: S6W-05885

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reasons all young people who are eligible for the Young Persons’ (Under-22s) Free Bus Travel Scheme are required to apply for a new bus pass.

New cards are required to access the scheme as previously issued cards will not have the necessary digital travel product encoded on them. This is needed so that bus journeys under the scheme can be recorded so that the Scottish Government can accurately reimburse operators for the fare. New cards allow for differentiation between journeys made under 16 year olds and over 16 year olds, which are reimbursed at different rates. They also implement the parental or guardian approval requirements that are in place for 5-15 year olds to access the scheme.