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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-16034

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding Creative Scotland has distributed to organisations registered in (a) England, (b) Wales and (c) Northern Ireland in each year since 2016-17.

Since 2016-2017, Creative Scotland has awarded a total of £17,135,309 to cultural organisations registered in England, £105,996 to those registered in Wales and £22,780 to those registered in Northern Ireland.

The majority of these awards have been made through Creative Scotland’s Open Funds , Screen Funding and the Four Nations International Fund for organisations and productions undertaking activity in Scotland and for organisations who receive funding from Creative Scotland but operate with a UK-wide remit.

Question reference: S6W-16616

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the £202.6 million figure that the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth stated to the Finance and Public Administration Committee on 7 March 2023 (Official Report, c. 14), whether it will provide a breakdown of this figure; whether the figure represented the projected cost of the Ferguson Marine contract or the actual cost, to date, and whether the figure included the (a) £45 million loan payments agreed for Ferguson Marine in 2017-18 and (b) payments from Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited to Ferguson Marine under the original contract of £83.25 million.

The £202.6 million is the cost included in David Tydeman’s letter to NZET committee of 28 September 2022. The breakdown of this figure is:

£202.6m split

	801	802
Cost to complete (m)	94.8	101.6
Contingency (m)	2.7	3.5
Total cost to complete	97.5	105.1

The member will likely be aware that due diligence is ongoing on the costs to complete figure. This figure is the estimated cost to complete both vessels since public ownership. It does not include the £45 million loan payments paid to Ferguson Marine Engineering Limited (FMEL) and it does not include the £83.25 million payment from Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) to FMEL.

Question reference: S6W-16477

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Ferguson Marine since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

Question reference: S6W-16196

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many times its relevant department has received correspondence from Audit Scotland regarding the Lochaber Aluminium Smelter in each year since 2016, including 2023 to date.

The Scottish Government has engagement with Audit Scotland in relation to the Lochaber Guarantee and the year end accounts. The outcome of the most recent Consolidated accounts for the 2021-2022 financial year has been published in full on the Scottish Government’s website and the Auditor General has publicly commented on the findings in relation to Lochaber in December 2022 which can be accessed at this link https://www.audit-scotland.gov.uk/publications/the-202122-audit-of-the-scottish-government-consolidated-accounts .

The Auditor General has stated at page 12 of the 2021-2022 Audit that:

“I have concluded for 2021-22, the Scottish Government’s approach to setting the level of provision against the potential exposure through the guarantee is reasonable”.

Question reference: S6W-16393

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to review the sea bass catch entitlement on the Solway Firth.

Question reference: S6W-16263

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government by (a) what area covered and (b) how many cameras the CCTV coverage at the State Hospital, Carstairs, has increased since 2018.

Question reference: S6W-16157

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it is considering to reduce teenage vaping, in light of the Health and Wellbeing Census Scotland 2021-22 finding that one in 10 school pupils in S4 regularly vape.

The results of the Health and Wellbeing Census Scotland 2021-22, and reports from schools and parents about young people vaping, are of great concern to the Scottish Government.

Vapes are an age restricted product and should not be sold to anyone under the age of 18. In October 2022 we wrote to all registered retailers of these products to remind them of their duty of sale and we regularly meet with Trading Standards on enforcement.

Our recent consultation proposed restrictions on vaping products and we are aiming to bring forward new regulations in 2023. Any action we seek to take will build on the regulations already in place to restrict the marketing, promotion and sale of vaping products to under 18s.

We will publish our refreshed Tobacco Action Plan this year, which will include actions to reduce vaping among young people.

We are reviewing vaping education for young people in schools and have also funded ASH Scotland to work with a range of youth organisations on the risks associated with vaping.

Question reference: S6W-16245

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any lessons have been learned from the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing process, which was announced on 24 March 2023 and has since concluded, and whether these will be published.

Crown Estate Scotland are responsible for the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing process. The INTOG leasing process is still ongoing.The first agreement stage in the leasing process, the offer of exclusivity agreements for offshore wind development rights over an area of seabed, was announced on 24 March 2023.

Scottish Government and Crown Estate Scotland are progressing the next stage of the joint planning and leasing process for INTOG. Scottish Government is committed to the sustainable management of Scottish seas. The on-going planning process will consider the potential impact of INTOG on the marine environment and other marine sectors. Following conclusion of the planning process in 2024, INTOG projects will be offered Option Agreements, the next stage in the leasing process.

As a matter of general good practice, any initiative such as INTOG would be evaluated following its completion to identify any lessons learned.

Question reference: S6W-16221

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many spaces for bikes were available for use on ScotRail (a) trains and (b) carriages, in the most recent year for which data is available, and how many train stations currently have bike racks or other bike storage and locking facilities available.

Question reference: S6W-16206

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many sea bass licences have been granted in each of the last five years, broken down by location.