- Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to address the reported increase in cocaine use, in light of reports that it has overtaken heroin as the drug of choice among people starting specialist treatment.
Answer
It is crucial that we continue to prioritise surveillance to better understand and respond to emerging drug trends. RADAR reports and other surveillance measures play a vital part in providing us with an early warning and to alert services and people who use drugs.
RADAR aims to monitor drug-related harms, service usage and toxicology data to provide an early warning of emerging drug trends and identify actions to reduce and prevent drug harms and deaths.
There is also a focus on ensuring services across Scotland have treatment pathways available for all types of drugs including stimulants, and the Scottish Government work closely with all areas to support them to achieving this successfully.
- Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to re-opening the passenger railway link to Grangemouth.
Answer
The re-introduction of passenger services onto the existing freight only rail line to Grangemouth was considered as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2). The option was taken forward to the Preliminary Options Appraisal stage but was not selected as an STPR2 Recommendation on the basis of its performance against the appraisal criteria and the fact that it would have adverse impacts on the freight capacity and the Glasgow – Edinburgh mainline. It was also deemed unlikely to generate sufficient passenger demand.
Instead, recommendations set out in STPR2 for rail focus on the decarbonisation of the remainder of the network; measures to increase the amount of freight travelling by rail and on improving connectivity between our major cities.
However, there remains a path for regional or local rail projects to come forward, and Transport Scotland will consider these subject to a strong business case being developed in accordance with Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG) and suitable funding being available.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, when it expects to be able to introduce any such levy.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. 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.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its Budget for 2024-25, what the administrative and cost implications for local authorities would be for implementing any such levy.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. 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.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy last met Scottish Water to discuss the impact of energy infrastructure applications.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31602 on 4 December 2024. 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
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, what analysis it has carried out of the potential implications from the levy for store fit-outs and those that provide such services, such as builders, electricians and plasterers.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. 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.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, what its position is on whether retailers liable for the new levy, that may also become liable for a workplace parking levy, could be more inclined to pass some or all of the cost of the parking levy onto their own store staff.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. 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.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, how much revenue it would expect to generate from the levy.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-31366 on 5 December 2024. 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.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that communities can benefit from pumped storage hydro projects.
Answer
Through our Good Practice Principles for Onshore Developments, the Scottish Government continues to encourage developers to offer community benefits as standard on all renewable energy projects. This includes pumped storage hydro projects, and we welcome the recent announcement on new community benefit funding to support community projects within areas that host existing hydro power infrastructure across Scotland.
Community benefits are a well-established and integral part of renewable energy projects in Scotland, with over £26 million of community benefits offered to Scottish communities in the last 12 months. The Scottish Government continues to work with industry and communities to build on this success. We are currently considering feedback from stakeholders on the potential for a review of the Good Practice Principles for a wider range of technologies.
- Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
-
Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scotland Food and Drink about the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement, as set out in its 2024-25 Budget, on (a) retailers prior to the announcement and (b) any potential impact on its supplier development programmes.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not discussed the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement with Scotland Food and Drink.