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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-20046

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last carried out risk assessments on each school building for which it is responsible and that contains reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete; whether it has published the outcomes of any such assessments, and if this is not the case, whether it plans to do so, and how regularly any such assessments will take place in the future.

Question reference: S6W-20048

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has published all minutes of any discussions that relevant ministers have had with (a) officials and (b) local authorities regarding the issue of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in school buildings.

Question reference: S6W-20066

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many out-of-catchment applications have been submitted for pupils in (a) primary and (b) secondary schools in the last five years, and what proportion of these applications were successful, broken down by year and local authority area.

The Scottish Government does not routinely collect data on out-of-catchment applications and does not hold information about the number of applications that have been submitted for pupils in primary and secondary schools or what proportion of those were successful.

Local authorities are responsible for procedures for dealing with out-of-catchment applications for school places and will hold such data locally.

Question reference: S6W-20047

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in each case where a risk assessment has been carried out of school buildings that contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, whether any recommendations made as part of the assessment have been undertaken and completed, and if this is not the case, what the reasons are for this not having been done.

Question reference: S6W-20091

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not responded to the letter from the Chair of the Just Transition Commission to the then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition and the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, entitled Further Advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which was published on 17 April 2023, in light of its aim to respond within 12 weeks from the date of the publication, as stated in the Memorandum of Understanding, which was published on 24 March 2023.

In response to the Just Transition Commission’s letter providing further advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan published on 17 April 2023, the Scottish Government issued a reply on the 9 May 2023. The letter acknowledged the Commission’s extensive recommendations and committed to a more detailed response to these, alongside consideration of responses to the formal consultation.

The reply adhered to the 12-week timeframe as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding and can now be found online here: Just Transition: letter to Just Transition Commission 9 May 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Question reference: S6W-20090

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the letter from the Chair of the Just Transition Commission to the then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition and the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, entitled Further Advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which was published on 17 April 2023, and when it will publish a response to the Commission.

In response to the Just Transition Commission’s letter providing further advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) published on 17 April 2023, the Scottish Government issued a reply on 9 May 2023. This can be found online: Just Transition: letter to Just Transition Commission 9 May 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We are currently awaiting independent analysis of the large volume of responses received from the public consultation held on the draft ESJTP. We are fully considering stakeholder views including those of the Just Transition Commission and will engage with them further as we finalise the ESJTP.

Question reference: S6W-20247

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many of the 11,000 affordable homes that it has committed to build in remote, rural and island communities by 2032 have been built since the commitment was made.

The following table shows the number of affordable homes delivered in remote, rural and island communities in 2021-22 and 2022-23:

Financial Year	Remote Small Towns	Accessible Rural	Remote Rural	Rural and Islands Housing Fund	Total Homes
2021-22	15	156	8	9	188
2022-23	361	1,362	317	44	2,084
Total Homes	376	1,518	325	53	2,272

The figures for 2022-23 are provisional pending final data checks for the Outturn Report for 2022-23 [which will be published later this year]. Eligible homes include new build, rehabilitation projects, conversions and off-the-shelf purchases of both new and second hand homes.

Question reference: S6W-20138

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many illicit (a) e-cigarettes and (b) vapes have been seized in Scotland in the past three years, broken down by year and local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-20142

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what total marine area, in km2, of the continental shelf area adjacent to Scotland, as designated in the Continental Shelf (Designation of Areas) Order 2013, is covered by one or more designations including a (a) Special Area of Conservation, (b) Special Protection Area, (c) Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area, (d) Ramsar site for wetlands of international importance and (e) Site of Special Scientific Interest.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18168 on 6 May 2023 for details of the total area, in square kilometres, of the Marine Protected Area network designated in the Scottish continental shelf area adjacent to Scotland.

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-20095

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its announcement of the successful projects for year one, whether it will provide further detail on the allocation of the Just Transition Fund to ensure transparency and value for money.

The £500 million Just Transition Fund for North East and Moray has allocated £75 million to date, including a multi-year capital programme supporting 24 projects. The open and competitive bidding round assessed projects against published criteria in line with public finance guidelines. Details of successful projects are published here: Just Transition Fund: year one projects - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . I have committed to regular updates on progress towards a just transition to net zero to Parliament and the Just Transition Commission.