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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: S6W-18206

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13830 by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2023, whether it will provide an update on when it expects to publish updated guidance on Good Practice Principles for community benefits from offshore renewable energy developments, and whether it will provide details of the (a) dates of and (b) attendance at the "series of stakeholder engagement sessions to raise awareness of the work and gather initial input".

Question reference: S6W-18140

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Colleges Scotland's estimation that meeting the current pay offer, of a 7% cumulative pay rise over the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years, would cost the sector £40.4 million in total.

Question reference: S6W-18139

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported student petitions protesting cuts to further and higher education budgets.

We currently face the most difficult public spending environment since devolution and as a government have had to make tough decisions. However, despite the unprecedented fiscal challenge, we have maintained college and university resource budgets at last year’s levels and our 2023/24 budget allocates nearly £2bn to Scotland’s universities and colleges, demonstrating our continuing commitment to tertiary education.

The Scottish Government recognises that students are being adversely affected by the current industrial action in sector and I urge all involved to quickly resolve this dispute so that students get the due reward for all their hard work

However, while the Scottish Government is not directly involved in the national collective bargaining process, I expect management and unions to make every effort to reach a settlement that is fair and affordable. I have reflected this expectation during my meetings with both sides, in recent weeks.

Question reference: S6W-18273

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on the number of sewage discharges, broken down by (a) incidence and (b) hours of discharge, into the North Sea from any point within 5 km north or south of Peterhead, in each year since 2017 up to the latest available data; what the approximate volumes were of any such discharges in each year; what assessment has been made of the potential impact of any such discharges on the health of users of the waters within that area; for what reasons there were any such discharges; what action it has taken since 2017 to reduce the number of discharges, and what is currently being done to prevent any further discharges.

As indicated in Scottish Water’s first annual update to its Improving Urban Waters Routemap, spill data has been published at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/help-and-resources/document-hub/key-publications/urban-waters-improvements .

I refer the member to the answer to S6O-02060 on 23 March 2023 for further information on measures taken to improve Scotland’s water environment.

The answer to the oral parliamentary question is available on the Parliaments website, the official report can be viewed at Meeting of the Parliament: 23/03/2023 | Scottish Parliament Website

Question reference: S6W-18175

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund it has received, since the additional funding of £15 million was allocated in April 2023 to date, and how many of any such applications have been successful.

Local application processes for the 2023-24 funding have not yet commenced.

National Fund Guidance and grant letters to Third Sector Interfaces (TSIs) will be issued by the end of June and will provide a date by which local application processes need to have commenced.

As set out in my reply to S6W-17501 on 12 May 2023, the timing of local fund processes, including award decisions, will vary across the country, with each TSI led partnership agreeing their own process and timetable.

Information on how to apply for this year’s funding will be shared, in due course, on the TSI Scotland website . All TSIs will be required to have distributed funding by 31 March 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

Question reference: S6W-18127

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) red squirrels were killed and (b) red squirrel dreys were disturbed during the breeding season as a result of commercial forestry operations, in each year since derogated licensing provisions were granted by NatureScot to Forestry and Land Scotland.

There are no records of adult squirrels being killed by forest operations on Scotland's national forests and land.

The estimated number of squirrels disturbed during the breeding season by forest operations on Scotland's national forests and land is as follows:

Year	Estimated No. of Squirrels Disturbed	As a % of the Total Squirrel Population Within LMP's
FY 17-18	280	2.34%
FY 18-19	278	2.41%
2020	690	2.79%
2021	472	2.18%
2022	303	2.94%

Note I: From April 2020 onwards, reporting was done on a calendar-year basis.

Note II: Squirrel numbers are calculated by multiplying published average squirrel densities per tree species by the respective areas of each tree species.

Note III: LMP is an acronym for Land Managemt Plan.

Question reference: S6T-01426

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported demonstrations in South Uist due to ferry withdrawal.

Question reference: S6T-01421

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to commence its Deposit Return Scheme on 1 March 2024.

Question reference: S6F-02211

Asked by: Edward Mountain, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2023

To ask the First Minister whether extra resources will be made available to local authorities for additional rangers to help with the reported upcoming tourist influx in rural Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-02214

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 June 2023

To ask the First Minister when the Cabinet will next meet.