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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-21769

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding (a) it and (b) any of its agencies have given, awarded or paid to Mowi Scotland Limited (formerly Marine Harvest) or any of its subsidiaries since 2006, broken down by (i) what was given, (ii) when it was awarded and (iii) which company entity received the funding.

The Scottish Government publishes grant support that it has provided to the marine and fisheries industries, including aquaculture. Details can be found here - https://www.gov.scot/policies/marine-and-fisheries-grants/grants-awarded/

Scottish Enterprise and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) have provided the following information regarding funding they have provided:

In 2019-2020, Scottish Enterprise provided Mowi Scotland Limited £750 for a learning journey showcase event.
In 2021, HIE awarded Mowi Scotland Limited £51,074 grant in aid towards a £248,600 staff training project for its new fish feed facility in Kyleakin.

Question reference: S6W-22098

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 09 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the make-up of the proposed town boards in Scotland.

The Scottish Government has not had any discussions with the UK Government regarding town boards in Scotland. The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy have written a joint letter to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, asking for a discussion on how UK Government plan to provide appropriate governance for the Long Term Plan for Towns in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-21864

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it anticipates that Glasgow Prestwick Airport will be returned to private commercial operation and ownership; what work is being undertaken to market the commercial opportunity; how much has been spent in total to date on marketing the airport as such an opportunity, and whether any bids or offers have been received in general terms since it was initially announced to be available for purchase.

Scottish Ministers' stated objective remains to return Glasgow Prestwick Airport to private ownership when the time and circumstances are right to do so and when a sale will provide the best possible return on our investment in this strategic asset.

Glasgow Prestwick Airport is not being marketed proactively for sale currently.

I wrote to the Economy and Fair Work Committee on 14 September 2023, providing details of an Expression of Interest in purchasing Glasgow Prestwick Airport that would not be taken forward.

The Scottish Government has not spent any money advertising the sale of Prestwick Airport. Previous purchase opportunities were promoted through press releases and notices published on the Official Journal of the European Union and Public Contracts Scotland. This did not incur a cost.

Question reference: S6W-21468

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what contingencies it has put in place for the potential relocation of patients and staff in hospitals or health care facilities found to contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete.

Health Boards are responsible for managing the NHS estate and should have business continuity plans in place. The Scottish Government is working closely with Health Boards and will provide support for contingency arrangements where a need is identified. Guidance on what needs to be included in a business continuity plan is provided by the Scottish Government.

NHS Boards are providing up to date information on RAAC on their websites - links to all NHSScotland Boards RAAC webpages are available on the NHS Scotland Assure RAAC Survey Programme webpage:

Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC) Discovery Survey Programme - List of Properties | National Services Scotland (nhs.scot) .

Question reference: S6W-22221

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 October 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of the Remote, Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan.

Question reference: S6W-21863

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21311 by Paul McLennan on 26 September 2023, in order to ensure there is clarity for the general public, whether it will clarify how it defines "benefits in kind" in its answer; how it clearly defines what constitutes a "home exchange"; how this definition differs from either a one-way house sit or a mutual two-way house sit, and for what reason a house swap, or house exchange, which is an informal arrangement between individuals and through which there is no payment for services, is subject to the new licensing scheme where a house sit under the same terms would not be.

My previous reply to question S6W-21311 set out that home exchanges are within scope of short-term let licensing legislation. This is because the host is benefitting from exchanging their accommodation, whether this is by gaining 'points' for letting their accommodation that they can save up and use to secure holiday accommodation for themselves at a future time or through a reciprocal exchange of accommodation with another host (that may or may not be simultaneous). Further explanatory information about the inclusion of 'benefits in kind' as part of commercial consideration is set out in the Policy Note published alongside The Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 (legislation.gov.uk) .

Where an individual has asked another individual to house or pet-sit and the arrangement does not involve payment for the accommodation or a benefit in kind, this is an ‘informal arrangement’ between individuals and is out of scope of short-term let licensing.

Where the host is offering the accommodation for the principal purpose of facilitating the provision of work or services by the guest, this is also exempt from the requirement for a short-term let licence.

Question reference: S6W-21843

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs regarding the impact in Scotland of the Statutory Health Attestation that will be required from 13 December 2023 to certify exports of POAO (Products of Animal Origin) to the European Union.

This new certification procedure is a direct consequence of the choices made by the UK Government when it negotiated a hard Brexit from the EU. As such, the Scottish Government is left with no alternative but to implement these new requirements. Scottish Government officials continue to work with all of the UK’s administrations to ensure that these changes are as simple as they can possibly be and to avoid unnecessary bureaucracy and burdens.

As part of these new requirements for export, livestock keepers must demonstrate that an annual veterinary farm visit has taken place. Membership to a recognised farm assurance scheme automatically fulfils this requirement. To support our livestock keepers, exporters and stakeholders who are not part of a recognised farm assurance scheme, the Scottish Government is working together with ScotEID to implement an innovative digital solution. This will allow annual veterinary visits to be recorded digitally and be readily available on the ScotEID system throughout the food chain journey. Furthermore, Scottish Government officials have been corresponding and meeting with stakeholders to understand their concerns and discuss the upcoming changes that will be taking place. As soon as the digital solution is finalised, full guidance documents pertaining to the situation in Scotland will be issued.

Question reference: S6W-21844

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Onshore Wind Sector Deal for Scotland excludes any reference to the WSP publication, A Review of Noise Guidance for Onshore Wind Turbines: Project Report, which was published in October 2022 on behalf of the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Under the lead of the UK Government, the ETSU steering group (which comprises of the four Governments of the UK) are considering how best to take forward the recommendations of the WSP report. Whilst these next steps are being agreed, there are no specific actions for inclusion in the Sector Deal.

Once the next steps have been agreed, the Scottish Government will engage with industry.

Scottish Government officials continue to engage with UK Government officials on this work.

Question reference: S6W-21853

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many officials accompanied the First Minister on his trip to New York for New York Climate Week in September 2023, and what the total cost was of the trip.

Question reference: S6W-21754

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported significant challenges in relation to the availability of a skilled and competent workforce that is able to carry out Single Building Assessments at scale.

The safety of homeowners and residents is our absolute upmost priority and Ministers are committed to the assessment of and ensuring remediation of multi residential buildings with potentially unsafe cladding. Work is underway to ensure that the 105 buildings in the pilot programme are on a pathway to a Single Building Assessment by the summer of 2024 and we will continue to engage closely with developers and the supply chain to ensure further assessment, mitigation and remediation so that no homeowner or resident is left without an assessment or a pathway to remediation.