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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: S6F-00472

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the impact of reduced face-to-face advocacy services on vulnerable people, such as victims of domestic abuse.

Question reference: S6F-00470

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government anticipates the lasting impact of COP26 will be for the people of Glasgow and Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-00467

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what consideration the Scottish Government has given to increasing the minimum unit price for alcohol.

Question reference: S6F-00463

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to support tenants, in light of University of Glasgow research indicating that around a quarter of private tenants are in arrears, totalling around £126 million.

Question reference: S6F-00454

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00453

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-04051

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many schools will offer cycling proficiency training to pupils in 2021-22.

The Scottish Government does not hold that information. Annual school cycle training performance figures for 2021-22, including delivery data from all participating local authorities, will be available in September 2022.

Through Bikeability Scotland, cycling training is available to every primary and secondary school in participating local authorities via a named coordinator. The programme is run by Cycling Scotland and delivery has now resumed following Covid-19 related disruption. Cycling Scotland is now supporting Bikeability coordinators to implement and update their pre-pandemic delivery targets, with the objective that every child has access to on-road cycle training as a life skill.

Through funding from Transport Scotland, Cycling Scotland provides free access to resources and instructor training, and supports local authorities with grant funding totalling over £600,000 per annum to overcome local barriers and increase access to the programme.

Question reference: S6W-04115

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what work it has undertaken to address heat pump installations being put on hold or cancelled due to delays in upgrading power supplies.

The Scottish Government works closely with Ofgem and the network companies to ensure timely network investment adequate to support the transition to net zero across all sectors, including heat in buildings. In March this year the Scottish Government published a set of principles for the development of Scotland’s gas and electricity networks, developed in partnership with Ofgem and network companies. These principles can be found at https://www.gov.scot/publications/principles-development-scotlands-gas-electricity-networks/

We have set up a new Heat Electrification Strategic Partnership with the Scottish Distribution Network Operators and continue to work with them as they prepare to submit final business plans to Ofgem this December. Once approved, these plans would unlock over £3bn investment in local electricity networks to support decarbonisation of heat and transport over the period 2023- 2028.

We are working with local government towards ensuring Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies are in place by the end of 2023 for all local authority areas, providing a strategic plan for network companies to draw on in targeting their investment.

Question reference: S6W-04058

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the percentage of non-electrical heat demand that is met by renewable technologies.

The Heat in Buildings Strategy (7 October) sets out an ambitious policy package to deliver the transition to zero emissions heating, including at least £1.8 billion investment over the course of this parliament to kick-start market growth and support those least able to pay. This includes a minimum of £465 million to support those least able to pay, £200 million to support energy efficiency and zero emissions heat in the public estate, £200 million Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, and £400 million for large scale heat decarbonisation projects. This year we have increased the budget for our Home Energy Scotland Loan and Cashback Scheme to £21 million. We have also increased the budget for local authority energy efficiency and green heating schemes to £64 million, and for our Warmer Homes Scotland programme targeted at those in fuel poverty to £50 million.

Over the longer term, the Strategy sets out the steps we are taking to develop a market framework that will create demand for zero emissions heating, help consumers overcome investment costs, and help secure private investment. We are committed to phasing out the need for new fossil fuel boilers in off-gas areas from 2025 and on-gas from 2030. We will bring forward legislation during this Parliamentary term which, subject to devolved competence, will include regulatory proposals to require the installation of zero or very near zero emissions heating systems in existing buildings – in both the domestic and non-domestic sectors.

The Strategy identifies energy efficiency, heat pumps and heat networks as near-term strategic priorities. Efficient heat pumps supply renewable energy and heat networks can supply heat from a range of sources. The Scottish Government supports the use of renewable heat in heat networks through a number of mechanisms, including enhanced non-domestic rates relief for networks run from renewable sources. The longer term balance between renewable and other sources of zero emissions heat will be determined by a wider whole systems approach and will be reviewed as part of the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan in 2022.

Question reference: S6W-04033

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 01 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much grant funding it has provided to each local authority to purchase and/or lease zero emission vehicles in each year from 2014.

We have provided over £33 million of grant funding directly to local authorities since 2014 to enable procurement of zero and ultra-low emission vehicles and associated charging and refuelling infrastructure. The following table provides the detail of funding awarded to each local authority in each year from 2014.

Local Authorities / FY	2014-16	2016-17	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22
Aberdeen	£ 121,457.80	£ 47,000.16	£ 47,371.65	£ 353,738.79	£ 167,100.00	£ 493,962.00	£ 127,000.00
Aberdeenshire	£ 106,003.08	£ 46,276.79		£ 41,383.84	£ 101,603.80	£ 259,166.84	£ 127,000.00
Angus	£ 98,723.14	£ 36,722.70	£ 20,312.76	£ 451,961.76	£ 132,320.10	£ 116,000.00	£ 90,000.00
Argyll & Bute	£ 43,252.06	£ 28,727.25	£ 16,147.74	£ 118,989.99	£ 217,060.44	£ 81,123.84	£ 68,000.00
Clackmannanshire	£ 38,014.68	£ 39,515.04		£ 84,436.38	£ 39,471.24	£ 70,000.00	£ 52,000.00
Dumfries & Galloway	£ 76,577.97	£ 34,695.00	£ 33,648.39	£ 220,071.96	£ 166,766.00	£ 196,205.04	£ 147,000.00
Dundee City	£ 214,715.16	£ 55,871.64	£ 13,455.00	£ 235,236.90	£ 1,561,349.07	£ 1,156,059.60	£ 90,000.00
East Ayrshire	£ 23,917.48	£ 38,468.43	£ 39,711.81	£ 238,088.02	£ 325,270.23	£ 149,651.79	£ 90,000.00
East Dunbartonshire	£ 72,281.00	£ 34,695.00	£ 28,674.00	£ 192,585.60	£ 79,716.96	£ 116,000.00	£ 90,000.00
East Lothian	£ 93,257.43	£ 69,390.00	£ 30,449.88	£ 192,573.99	£ 167,225.40	£ 110,626.28	£ 90,000.00
East Renfrewshire	£ 34,660.08	£ 19,200.00	£ 16,593.36	£ 59,547.66	£ 36,353.52	£ 67,083.36	£ 52,000.00
Edinburgh	£ 114,539.66	£ 92,705.85	£ 66,112.61	£ 247,881.56	£ 1,122,416.39	£ 199,087.60	£ 147,000.00
Falkirk	£ 5,787.38	£ 49,006.11	£ 36,665.94	£ 235,229.19	£ 331,645.39	£ 326,386.66	£ 89,000.00
Fife	£ 51,879.41	£ 95,837.04	£ 85,393.44	£ 241,016.94	£ 164,800.00	£ 231,271.68	£ 167,000.00
Glasgow	£ 166,921.00	£ 86,569.59		£ 120,796.10	£ 2,864,496.80	£ 1,250,000.00	£ 147,000.00
Highland	£ 97,719.90	£ 144,333.09	£ 50,726.88	£ 257,179.44	£ 291,890.85	£ 173,000.00	£ 126,000.00
Inverclyde		£ 19,000.56		£ 70,862.32	£ 46,727.96	£ 65,206.44	£ 52,000.00
Midlothian	£ 38,028.60	£ 31,180.47	£ 16,259.28	£ 77,971.14	£ 45,600.00	£ 70,000.00	£ 52,000.00
Moray	£ 39,403.80	£ 34,614.72	£ 18,933.84	£ 85,717.44	£ 46,085.76	£ 134,196.36	£ 103,000.00
North Ayrshire	£ 71,085.75	£ 48,096.15	£ 35,082.36	£ 140,416.92	£ 80,469.63	£ 112,934.97	£ 89,000.00
North Lanarkshire	£ 140,039.55	£ 84,283.11	£ 54,098.31	£ 316,665.93	£ 597,861.86	£ 244,802.40	£ 170,000.00
Orkney Islands		£ 11,083.44		£ 28,727.24	£ 34,205.88	£ 70,000.00	£ 52,000.00
Perth & Kinross	£ 10,207.52		£ 30,083.22	£ 153,744.66	£ 79,081.92	£ 116,613.44	£ 130,000.00
Renfrewshire	£ 150,826.89	£ 49,124.54	£ 76,343.10	£ 402,000.39	£ 290,607.96	£ 173,000.00	£ 126,000.00
Scottish Borders	£ 87,284.64	£ 52,860.69		£ 153,255.06	£ 122,803.95	£ 150,162.09	£ 89,000.00
Shetland	£ 60,494.98	£ 19,200.00	£ 25,342.28	£ 83,220.05	£ 44,733.90	£ 100,000.00	£ 76,000.00
South Ayrshire	£ 74,668.68	£ 54,495.00	£ 46,522.98	£ 285,063.57	£ 202,080.54	£ 116,000.00	£ 89,000.00
South Lanarkshire	£ 167,123.40	£ 77,554.20	£ 72,741.17	£ 364,062.85	£ 1,319,769.44	£ 245,812.86	£ 171,000.00
Stirling	£ 33,633.12	£ 9,907.12	£ 16,189.27	£ 135,052.41	£ 689,612.96	£ 767,653.20	£ 91,000.00
West Dunbartonshire				£ 85,825.56	£ 10,468.14	£ 69,499.89	£ 52,000.00
West Lothian	£ 106,431.75	£ 48,172.32	£ 46,620.00	£ 199,369.26	£ 119,938.00	£ 211,250.88	£ 157,000.00
Western Isles		£ 24,766.71	£ 22,266.72	£ 122,105.40	£ 68,972.04	£ 69,664.35	£ 52,000.00