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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: S6O-02965

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-24241

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any projects funded through the Recycling Improvement Fund to date showing the (a) expected tonnage increase in recycled material and (b) funding allocated to each project.

The following table provides a breakdown of the projected tonnage and funding allocated to Recycling Improvement Fund projects for which tonnage increase is a direct impact. It should be noted that this list does not include all funded projects as recycling tonnage increase is not a direct impact for some projects, such as investments in vehicle technology to help local authorities to identify the most efficient collection routes and to capture data to improve service management and communication with residents.

Local Authority	Projected tonnage increase (tonnes per year)	Funding allocated
Aberdeenshire	4623	£3,540,415
East Lothian	3461	£2,746,566
Fife	2733	£470,000
Highland	473	£205,965
Edinburgh	9270	£8,491,499
West Lothian	1124	£3,953,034
North Ayrshire	220	£74,535
Midlothian	96	£132,085
South Ayrshire	10	£89,535
Aberdeen City	25	£34,959
Aberdeen City	1,727	£933,668
Stirling	568	£234,035
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar	91	£840,138
Perth & Kinross	1,250	£2,532,548
Renfrewshire	1,845	£374,342
Glasgow	10,139	£21,202,000
Argyll & Bute	416	£891,945
Highland	5,728	£6,550,302
Clackmannanshire	931	£583,890
North Lanarkshire	340	£276,840
South Ayrshire	122	£166,090
Angus	2,409	£2,843,472
Midlothian	1,537	£2,322,042
East Ayrshire	155	£139,843
Dumfries & Galloway	12.45	£70,759
Edinburgh City	10	£19,000
Fife	50	£30,675
Falkirk	390	£149,207
Orkney	4.96	£4,875
Aberdeenshire	67	£37,095
South Lanarkshire	258	£150,000

Question reference: S6W-24284

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what guidance it has offered to local authorities to help schools lower their food waste in line with its commitment to reduce food waste by one third by 2025.

Question reference: S6W-24100

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of the Scope of Practice and Education (SCoPEd) framework for counsellors and psychotherapists on the delivery of its Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.

We recognise in the Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy and the Workforce Action Plan that counsellors and psychotherapists are part of the core mental health and wellbeing workforce and that they have a critical role in delivering the Strategy.

The Strategy, Delivery Plan and Workforce Action Plan were developed in consultation with a large number of stakeholders including representatives of counselling and psychotherapy such as British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP), Counselling and Psychotherapy in Scotland (COSCA) and the British Psychological Society.

Throughout the implementation of the Strategy’s Delivery and Workforce Action Plans, officials will continue to liaise with key stakeholders and consider relevant frameworks to ensure best practices are shared.

Recruitment and training of registered mental health professionals is a matter for employers such as NHS boards and Local Authorities. These bodies make informed decisions about recruiting counsellors and psychotherapists or training new mental health practitioners, according to the needs of local service providers and working with relevant professional bodies. The Scottish Government expects employers to apply standards and frameworks which are appropriate to the specialism being recruited for.

Question reference: S6W-23810

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take, beyond rent adjudication, to protect tenants in the period between the lifting of the rent cap on 1 April 2024 and the introduction of a national system of rent controls.

The Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 sets out that upon the ending of the emergency rent cap, we will introduce temporary measures to support an appropriate transition in order to prevent tenants potentially facing unmanageable rent increases from 1 April 2024.

Over and above this, it is important to bear in mind that prior to the introduction of the emergency measures, private tenants in Scotland already benefitted from some of the strongest protections in the UK. This included landlords only being able to increase rents once in a 12 month period, and the requirement that tenants’ be provided with at least three months’ advance notice of that increase, giving them time to prepare and make necessary arrangements where appropriate.

It is vitally important that tenants are made aware of both the temporary transitional measures that will be put in place, and existing rights afforded to them by the Private Residential Tenancy. Therefore, a key part of our work in advance of the emergency Act coming to an end, will be to raise awareness of those rights with private tenants as we support a transition away from the temporary rent cap and look towards the introduction of long-term rent control via the next Housing Bill.

Question reference: S6W-23904

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on (a) its progress so far on and (b) the next steps for its Islands Connectivity Plan.

I informed the Net Zero Energy and Transport Committee on 19 December 2023 that I have received the Islands Connectivity Plan Strategic Approach Paper and the Vessels and Ports Plan. I am now taking some time to ensure that they reflect the issues raised in the Committee's recent inquiry into "A Modern and Sustainable Ferry Service for Scotland" and issues that communities have raised with me directly. I intend to publish both documents early this year.

The full text of my letter to the Committee is available here: Minister for Transport (parliament.scot)

Question reference: S6W-23901

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to reduce waiting times for the processing of claims at Social Security Scotland.

The most recent Adult and Child Disability Payment statistics show improvement, with more applications being processed in the last quarter than at any time since the benefits were launched – underlining the strong progress Social Security Scotland are making.

The most recent published statistics show the average processing time for Scottish Child Payment and Adult Disability payments had both reduced, but we recognise there is more to do.

It was announced in the budget that we will invest £6.3 billion in social security benefits and payments, over £1 billion more than in 2023-24 – our single biggest increase on record in social security funding.

Social Security Scotland now administers 14 benefits to the people of Scotland, helping deliver our national mission to tackle child poverty and inequality, treating people with dignity, fairness and respect, and ensuring people receive the benefits they are due. 94% of clients rate their overall experience of receiving benefits as good or very good.

Question reference: S6W-23863

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities currently operate Demand Responsive Travel schemes, and how it monitors the success rate of any such schemes.

Question reference: S6W-24094

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make it a requirement for schools to provide single-sex toilets for pupils aged eight and over.

Question reference: S6W-23768

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 15 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the number of ferry breakdowns in the last year, what processes and procedures are being put in place in the next 12 months to ensure that CalMac can maintain continuous ferry services to communities, and how this will be managed and improved upon in the future.

While delivery of investments in new vessels and port infrastructure is being progressed, this Government has authorised a six month extension to the current charter of MV Alfred. The primary focus of the vessel MV Alfred is for resilience purposes. However, this will help mitigate the impact of disruption or where certain islands are reduced to single vessel service.

Delivering six new major vessels to serve Scotland’s ferry network by end 2026, is a priority for this government of which four are for Islay and the Little Minch routes and two are for the Ardrossan-Brodick/Campbeltown route.

Transport Scotland is also working with CMAL and CalMac on further vessel projects and programmes including the Small Vessel Replacement Programme.

Additional funding has been committed for enhanced maintenance of vessels and CMAL and the operators continue to work to identify potential additional second hand tonnage to support the fleet.

As is the case at present and within the remit of the current contract, there are measures to which we hold the operator accountable for and apply performance measures where applicable.