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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-04718

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 7 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support is available for local authorities to ensure there are robust processes in place for the disposal of face masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) in communities that are outside of healthcare environments.

Local Authorities are responsible and are indeed best placed to make decisions regarding waste services and each authority chooses a collection and management strategy suitable for them.

However, we recognise that Covid-19 has impacted the amount of waste created in Scotland, and disposable face coverings contribute to this as they cannot be recycled. Therefore, Scottish Government’s Coronavirus (COVID-19): public use of face coverings guidance includes information on the appropriate disposal of face coverings and information encouraging the use of reusable face coverings. Disposable face coverings should be disposed of in residual (black bag) waste or litter bins.

Additionally, Zero Waste Scotland launched their communication campaign on 2 December, Face It: Reuse Beats Single Use , to encourage the public to wear reusable face coverings. The campaign includes further information on disposal of face coverings and has a communications toolkit for stakeholders to download and use.

Question reference: S6W-04247

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 08 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the introduction of vaccine passports has had on COVID-19 transmission numbers.

Question reference: S6W-04573

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the suitability of how it funds free advice and law centres, and what its position is on whether there is a more efficient way to do this that provides greater security for employees in these organisations.

Since 2018, the Scottish Government has consulted and reported on funding for advice services twice, publishing our review “Publicly-funded advice services in Scotland: review report” in 2018 and our “Debt Advice Routemap” in December 2019. Both reports identified changes to advice delivery and funding models that could improve the efficiency and sustainability of the advice sector and increase the impact and effectiveness of funding. The Scottish Government is taking forward actions to implement and build upon these changes taking account of the impact of the Covid pandemic on the advice sector.

The Scottish Government understands the impact of annual funding agreements on adviser wellbeing and job security, which is why we are undertaking work to support creating a more sustainable and effective model of funding in the future. This includes testing innovative approaches using digital technology and working with the Improvement Service to help us identify a model through which devolved debt advice levy funding can best be distributed in order to have the maximum impact, both locally and nationally. We also continue to fund Money Advice Scotland to develop and run a programme to support and improve adviser wellbeing.

Question reference: S6W-04403

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 7 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether Scottish Enterprise attaches conditions to public funding provided to defence companies with a view to ensuring that such funding is not used towards the production of arms and other defence equipment or the supply of arms and other defence equipment to countries engaged in human rights violations.

That Scottish Government does not support the manufacture of munitions and Scottish Enterprise does not provide funding for the manufacture of munitions. The support provided is mainly focused on helping firms to diversify and develop civilian applications for their technology and ensure Scotland continues to benefit from the thousands of jobs in the defence, aerospace and shipbuilding sectors.

The licensing of arms exports is a reserved matter over which the Scottish Government has no control. We have impressed upon the UK Government our expectation to act responsibly as regards export licensing.

I refer the member to the answer given in S6W-00182 on 27 October 2021 with regard to how Scottish Enterprise undertake Due Diligence assessments when assessing business support. I understand that Scottish Enterprise have also reached out to the member with an offer to discuss how they support businesses operating in the defence sector and I would recommend that the member accepts that offer.

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-04637

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to request that the UK Government, its Under2 Coalition partners and other international actors address the issue of loss and damage, which was debated at COP26.

COP26 delivered some progress on Loss and Damage – and, in pledging £2 million, the Scottish Government were pleased to lead the way as the first [developed nation] to pledge funds. However it is widely acknowledged the issue requires greater prominence and wider action at scale. In the run up to COP27, the Scottish Government will be working with international colleagues including Under 2 members such as Wallonia, research communities and philanthropic partners with the aim of building broader consensus and plans for programming on Loss and Damage.

We recognise that the scale of finance needed far outstrips what Scotland alone can commit but we hope that our action will galvanise others to be similarly ambitious. We will be working closely over this coming year with international colleagues.

Question reference: S6W-04575

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 7 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available to free advice and law centres, and for how long this funding will be available.

In 2021-22, over £14 million has been provided to welfare and debt advice services aligned to Social Justice priorities and to projects in the Justice Programme, including law centres. The value of funding in future financial years will form part of the setting of the overall budget for 2022-23.

The Scottish Government runs a number of funding programmes across all areas of its responsibility, some of which are open to applications from advice agencies and law centres. All funding streams have their own assessment criteria based on the needs of the policy areas with responsibility for the funding programme. Such a varied approach allows for targeted funding that responds to identified policy need. For example, the Investing in Communities Fund, which is anticipated to re-open for applications in April 2022, is a community-focused fund which supports community organisations based in the places they serve to deliver a holistic range of projects and services that help to tackle all forms of poverty and inequalities. Funding for these projects through these programmes is in addition to the figure of £14 million above.

In addition, advice services receive funding from multiple other sources, including Local Authorities, which remain the biggest funders of advice in Scotland. The Common Advice Performance Management Reporting Framework published on 28 January 2021 found that total Local Authority funding for money and welfare rights advice services was just over £28 million in 2019-20, of which £13 million was spent on externally delivered provision including free advice and law centres.

Question reference: S6F-00562

Asked by: Stephanie Callaghan, MSP for Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 December 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Citizens Advice Scotland poll, which found that one third of respondents could not afford their energy bills.

Question reference: S6F-00556

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 December 2021

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will withdraw the Health and Well-being census 2021, given reported concerns over school pupils being asked questions relating to sex and relationships.

Question reference: S6F-00558

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 December 2021

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is marking International Anti-Corruption Day.

Question reference: S6F-00555

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 December 2021

To ask the First Minister what plans the Scottish Government has to provide support to small businesses in light of reports that 20,000 small businesses ceased trading during the pandemic.