Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-32121

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken of any impact of adopting ultra-high frequency electronic identification technology on the trade of Scottish cattle and beef with England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Scottish Ministers are considering all the available information on bovine EID and technology use across the UK. This includes the ScotEID pilot findings into UHF, the results and analysis of the consultation held on Cattle ID and Traceability earlier this year and ongoing close discussions with the livestock sector. All potential impacts, including those on trade, will be fully considered before a final decision is made.

Question reference: S6W-32183

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness of endometriosis among employers in rural and remote areas, where access to workplace support may be limited.

Question reference: S6W-31980

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Finance and Local Government's statement to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on 23 January 2024, how much ScotWind funding was drawn down in each financial year from 2021-22 to 2024-25.

To date £96 million of ScotWind revenues have been utilised, all in 2022-23.

In the 2024-25 budget, £200 million of Scotwind funding was profiled, with a further £224 million added as part of the in-year autumn budget revision.

As indicated in the Scottish Budget, the total set aside in 2024-25 at present has now reduced to £160 million. Work is on-going to reduce this further, and a further update will be provided as part of the Spring Budget Revision in January.

Final decisions on drawing down ScotWind revenues will be made in March 2025.

Question reference: S6W-32210

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, following the publication of the Heat in Buildings: progress report 2024, what action it is taking to strengthen the sources and quality of data on the number of (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic properties operating with zero emissions heating, including heat pumps, heat networks and electric heating.

Our progress report highlighted gaps in data that made reporting on some areas challenging, particularly heat networks and non-domestic properties.

Future reporting of heat network data will be improved through the introduction of a new GB-wide heat network authorisation and consumer protection regime. Ofgem have recently published Heat networks regulation: authorisation and regulatory oversight consultation which provides details on the registration and monitoring.

On non-domestic properties specifically, we continue to work with the Energy Saving Trust to improve reporting through further development of the Non-Domestic Analytics database. The database aims to provide a comprehensive resource on the non-domestic building stock in Scotland.

The data presented on domestic properties are comprehensive, being based on the Scottish Household Condition Survey (designated as Accredited Official Statistics). We will, however, continue to look for improvements in future reporting where possible.

Question reference: S6W-31979

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the funding announced in its Budget for Stranraer town centre is money that was originally committed to the town in 2011 as part of the regeneration of the former ferry terminal.

The Scottish Government has continued to engage with Dumfries & Galloway Council and the regeneration funding announced in the draft Scottish Budget will support the delivery of the community's ambitions for the regeneration of the town building on their Local Place Plan - Creating Stranraer.

Funding will be subject to the Scottish Budget being agreed by Parliament and final allocations being agreed by Ministers.

Question reference: S6W-32003

Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it reportedly only gave the Scottish Fiscal Commission an eight-day notice period of its plans regarding the future in Scotland of the two-child cap on benefits.

The Scottish Government keeps a range of measures under consideration as it develops and finalises its Budget. Final decisions are communicated with the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) as soon as is practicable. The Scottish Fiscal Commission is undertaking work to cost the proposal to mitigate the impact of the two-child cap in Scotland for 2026-27. The SFC plan to publish their supplementary costings on 7 January 2025.

Question reference: S6W-32380

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has reportedly decided to freeze the funding for the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms at £60 million in its draft Budget 2025-26.

The funding for Drugs and Alcohol in the 2025-26 draft budget is £80.9m. This includes £60m as part of our commitment to provide £250m in additional funding over 5 years to reduce drug deaths and improve the lives of people who use drugs and alcohol.

£19.1m has moved to baselined funding which ADPs have highlighted as important for sustainability and recruitment.

Overall funding for Alcohol and Drugs, including Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) has been maintained at the record levels set in 2023-24.

Question reference: S6W-32393

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it records the number of gas leaks that occur on offshore installations.

Question reference: S6W-32394

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30508 by Gillian Martin on 18 October 2024, whether future regional marine plans, adopted under section 5 of the Marine (Scotland) Act 2010, will be required to set out detailed marine spatial plans for all economic and nature restoration activities within the relevant Scottish marine region.

The Marine (Scotland) Act 2010 requires that regional marine plans (RMPs) state policies for and in connection with the sustainable development of the area. RMPs must also set economic, social and marine ecosystem objectives and objectives relating to the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. RMPs must be developed in accordance with any adopted National Marine Plan (NMP) and are subject to the agreement of Scottish Ministers.

Responsibility for regional marine planning is devolved to marine planning partnerships (MPPs). The current NMP provides guidance to support the development of regional marine plans but specifies that the precise approach and coverage of the regional plan, including the level to which certain activities are spatially represented, will be for MPPs to determine based on local priorities and alignment with other local plans.

Question reference: S6W-32381

Asked by: Annie Wells, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 19 December 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that it has frozen the funding for the national mission to reduce drug-related deaths and harms at £60 million in its draft Budget 2025-26, and that this represents a real-terms reduction, which rehabilitation services in the Glasgow region will be impacted by this.

The funding for Drugs and Alcohol in the 2025-26 draft budget is £80.9m. This includes £60m as part of our commitment to provide £250m in additional funding over 5 years to reduce drug deaths and improve the lives of people who use drugs and alcohol.

£19.1m of funding has moved to baselined funding which ADPs have highlighted as important for sustainability and recruitment.

Overall funding for Alcohol and Drugs, including Alcohol and Drug Partnerships (ADPs) has been maintained at the record levels set in 2023-24.

No rehabilitation services will be directly impacted as a result of this budget.

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