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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-15768

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS), also known as drones, have been available for use by Police Scotland officers in each year since 2019, and how many officers have received RPAS training.

Question reference: S6W-15628

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what grant support it is providing to Larkhall and District Volunteer Group to ensure that the organisation has sustainable funding for the services that it provides for the local community.

In 2022-23 Larkhall and District Volunteer Group have received:

£108,467 from our Plugged-in Communities fund to support the purchase of a zero emission community transport vehicle, we also provided a grant of £1,999 from our EV infrastructure fund which supported the purchase and installation of electric vehicles infrastructure to support the new vehicle.
They have successfully applied for £5,704 in continued support from the Open Fund for their Shopping Buses project, delivery of which will extend in to 2023/24.
They have also claimed £3,259.30 through the Network Support Grant.

Question reference: S6W-15644

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason SEPA has reportedly changed its plan to publish a register of producers that are registered to market and sell Deposit Return Scheme articles, from after registration closed in March 2023 to before the scheme launches in August 2023.

Section 8(5) of The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 sets out that SEPA must publish and maintain a list of registered producers in such manner as it considers appropriate. The Regulations do not specify a date or deadline by which that publication must be made publicly available. SEPA remains committed to make this available on their website before the scheme goes live in August 2023.

Question reference: S6W-15570

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of patients who have been put forward for a clinical trial, in each year since 1999, went on to access the clinical trial following their assessment.

While data on the number of people in Scotland who have consented to participate in the range of clinical research studies that are supported by Health Boards in Scotland are routinely collected, data on the number of people referred to and screened for enrolment into the range of clinical research studies supported by Health Boards in Scotland are not. Therefore, the percentage of patients put forward for all clinical trials in Scotland that subsequently consent to be enrolled into those trials is not known.

Question reference: S6W-15648

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many consultant obstetrician-gynaecologists there are in (a) NHS Lanarkshire and (b) NHS Forth Valley.

Question reference: S6W-15233

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government's Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities regarding any potential impact in Scotland of the proposed legislation that would give the Secretary of State powers to prevent developers from operating freely in the housing market if they fail to sign and comply with the UK Government's remediation contract; whether the powers in the proposed UK legislation would need to extend to the Scottish Ministers to achieve the same objective in Scotland, and, if not, whether Scottish Parliament legislation could create similar powers for ministers to prevent developers from operating freely in the housing market if they fail to sign and comply with the Scottish Safer Buildings Accord.

Scottish Government has regular meetings with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on cladding remediation. The provisions in the Building Safety Act which impact on the ability of developers to obtain planning approval or building control approval apply to developers operating in England and do not extend to Scotland. We are determined to ensure that buildings in Scotland with potentially unsafe cladding are remediated and developers step up and meet their responsibilities. Our focus has been on securing that commitment from developers through a voluntary agreement but we are clear, if we need to then we will legislate to safeguard residents and homeowners.

Question reference: S6W-14963

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the Low Emission Zone Support Fund for eligible households.

The Scottish Government is providing £11.6 million in grant funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST), an independent organisation working to administer the Scottish LEZ Support Fund.

The LEZ Support Fund for households is a part of this LEZ Support Fund, and does not have separate admin costs. The following table therefore represents the whole LEZ Support Fund, this similarly applies to PQ S6W-14972 and PQ S6W-14965.

The administrative costs (which include EST staffing costs) are set out below alongside the value of funds that EST are distributing and the outputs achieved.

Financial year	Administration cost	Funding being delivered through EST	Output
2020-21	£381,000	£1,759,738	LEZ Support Fund provides grants to households and businesses based near LEZs to dispose of non-LEZ compliant vehicles, and to adopt alternative modes of transport. This fund also provides grants to support businesses such as taxi operators to retrofit their existing vehicles to Euro 6 standard.
2021-22	£334,277	£3,706,925	LEZ Support Fund provides grants to households and businesses based near LEZs to dispose of non-LEZ compliant vehicles, and to adopt alternative modes of transport. This fund also provides grants to support businesses such as taxi operators to retrofit their existing vehicles to Euro 6 standard.
2022-23 (year to date)	£471,892	£4,695,326	LEZ Support fund provides grants to households and businesses based near LEZs to dispose of non-LEZ compliant vehicles, and to adopt alternative modes of transport. This fund also provides grants to support businesses such as taxi operators to retrofit their existing vehicles to Euro 6 standard.

Question reference: S6W-14905

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many single building assessment reports have been (a) completed and (b) shared with the respective homeowners to date.

Question reference: S6W-15613

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish an overview of the outcomes achieved for 2022-23 of the work set out in its Housing 2040 strategy, and whether it will consider publishing an annual report on progress made.

Housing to 2040 is Scotland’s first long-term housing strategy. It sets out a vision for what housing in Scotland will look like in 2040 and includes a set of principles to guide policy-making. It is supported by a route map for achieving the vision.

We are working with the sector to confirm a new governance process and a monitoring framework, so we and others across the sector can assess progress towards the vision set out in the strategy. A new Strategic Board has been established which will provide accountability on progress as well as advice on a suitable monitoring framework and reporting arrangements will be agreed as part of this process.

Further information about the Board and its membership will be made available when it meets later this month. Alongside this, we will continue to publish an annual update on the 30 indicators included in the broader Housing and Regeneration Outcomes Framework and review the alignment of this framework with Housing to 2040. The latest update was published on 18 November 2022.

Question reference: S6W-15638

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 20 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of any social and economic impacts of swimming pool closures and/or reduced opening hours.

The Scottish Government places great importance on swimming pools, and recognise the physical, social and economic benefits these facilities provide to communities across Scotland.

Whilst we have not undertaken an assessment of the social and economic impacts of swimming pool closures, the Scottish Government is working with sport scotland to accurately understand the current facilities provision and predict the landscape in the short, medium and long term by supporting Scottish Swimming to deliver the Scottish Swimming Facilities Project.

We have asked sport scotland to write to Ms Monica Lennon MSP with more details of the Scottish Swimming Facilities Project and to keep her updated as it progresses.