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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-05833

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it or Transport Scotland has made of the potential impact of Abellio ScotRail’s proposals to reduce ticket office opening hours on the accessibility of the rail network for (a) disabled and (b) older passengers.

The review, the first of its kind in over 30 years, proposes changes to contribute to the modernisation of Scotland’s stations and offer passengers a more efficient and cost effective service for the future. The consultation has enabled rail users including (a) disabled and (b) older passengers to get involved in the process where all contributions will be considered before a final decision is made.

Abellio ScotRail is also carrying out a Disability Impact Assessment regarding the ticket office consultation and all relevant feedback from the public consultation will form part of the final report.

Question reference: S6W-05741

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what documentation can be used by asylum seekers under the age of 22 to make an application under the Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme if they do not have the documentation required for a Young Scot card.

The Young Persons’ Free Bus Travel Scheme is being delivered through the National Entitlement Card (NEC) in the same way as the long standing Older and Disabled Persons’ Scheme. The Improvement Service is the accountable body for the NEC Scheme. People applying for an NEC or Young Scot NEC are asked to provide proof of person and proof of address.

Young people aged 16 and over apply for the new NEC card themselves, whilst parents, guardians or carers apply on behalf of children aged 5-15 and are required to provide proof that they hold that role in relation to that child. Full details of the acceptable proofs are listed on the NEC website .

In relation to asylum seekers and refugees, the Improvement Service issued updated guidance to local authorities in September 2021. One proof of specific relevance to asylum seekers and refugees is the Application Registration Card (ARC), issued by the Home Office. Under the UK Proof of Age Scheme (PASS), the ARC cannot be used to establish evidence of identification and so cannot be used online to verify parental responsibility of a young person under 16 years. It may however be used when applying offline and in conjunction with other information or evidence available to a council, a school or a dedicated staff member within a Local Authority assigned to help asylum seekers and refugees. This will enable the official to vouch for an applicant or a parent acting on their behalf by considering other information, evidence or context not available to the online application process.

Question reference: S6W-05951

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the National Centre for Resilience will undertake a review of Storm Arwen.

Question reference: S6W-05821

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times the chair of the review into the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy in Scotland has met with members of the waste industry and/or their representatives since 1 September 2021.

Dr Colin Church was appointed as independent Chair of the review into the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy in Scotland in November 2021.

As independent Chair, it is for Dr Church to determine and manage the process of the review. I am, therefore, unable to respond on his behalf regarding the number of meetings he has held with certain organisations.

However, Dr Church has assured me he wishes to hear from all interested stakeholders during the review and I would encourage anyone interested to respond to the Call for Evidence which is open until 21 February.

Question reference: S6W-06011

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to publish a substantive and cross-governmental response to the 81 specific recommendations of Scotland’s Climate Assembly.

Question reference: S6W-05528

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the health resource Barnett consequentials received for 2021-22 remain unallocated.

Question reference: S6W-05508

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 4 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates the closure of (a) Hunterston B and (b) Torness nuclear power station will have on consumer energy bills, and whether it will provide details of its projections.

We do not have modelling explicitly calculating the potential impact of the closures of Hunterston and Torness however we believe that nuclear power represents poor value for consumers. There remains considerable uncertainty around the economics of new nuclear generation, and the long-term storage of nuclear waste remains a difficult issue. The latest Contracts for Difference (CfD) auction delivered offshore wind at £39.65 per megawatt hour – substantially below the £92.50 awarded to Hinkley. Internal analysis tells us that in 2030 alone Hinkley could add almost £40/year to a consumer bill, whilst the equivalent offshore wind farm would reduce consumer bills by £8/year.

Question reference: S6W-06191

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-06280

Asked by: Natalie Don-Innes, MSP for Renfrewshire North and West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the COVID-19 Support Grant, COVID-19 Support Grant - Restart, and Bus Service Operators' Grant will be continued in the 2022-23 financial year.

Today I am announcing a new Network Support Grant which will run from 1 April 2022 to help maintain bus services while passenger numbers recover from the effects of the pandemic.

The Network Support Grant will replace the COVID Support Grant, COVID Support Grant - Restart, and the Bus Service Operators Grant. The Network Support Grant will provide more flexibility than the emergency COVID funding schemes, allowing services to adapt to changed travel patterns and will be available on the same terms to new as well as established operators to help improve efficiencies and the offer to passengers. The level of support provided under the grant will reduce as passenger numbers recover and we will retain key controls and obligations on participating operators

The draft Scottish Budget for 2022-23 provides up to £93.5 million for this, including £40 million in additional funding. Full details of the Network Support Grant can be found on the Transport Scotland website.

Question reference: S6W-05998

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many times it has met the Scotch Whisky Association since June 2021.

Scottish Ministers have met with the Scotch Whisky Association four times since June 2021. On occasion, Scotch Whisky Association staff also attend meetings such as the Scottish Government’s Ministerial Trade Board, where various industry stakeholders and the Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism & Enterprise is also in attendance. Discussions between Scottish Government officials and the Scotch Whisky Association take place regularly.