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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-08842

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update regarding the proposals to allow Ukrainian refugees settling in Scotland access to study at Scottish universities free of charge, with access to living cost support.

Ukrainians who arrive in Scotland and wish to undertake a course of study in Further or Higher Education will be entitled to home tuition fee status, free tuition and living cost support for the duration of their studies. This entitlement has been enshrined in the new student support regulations which were laid before the Scottish Parliament on 6 May 2022 and come into force on 1 August, being the start of the 2022- 23 Academic Year.

In addition, the Scottish Government also announced on 14 April, the creation of a new £1 million International Students’ Emergency Fund for international students who were facing financial hardship as a result of a significant change of circumstances.

Ukrainian students who have previously chosen to study at a college or university in Scotland and are facing financial hardship as a result of the Russian invasion will be eligible to apply to their college or university for support.

Question reference: S6W-08736

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is being provided for mental health support in colleges through the Scottish Funding Council.

In this Academic Year (21-22) the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has provided £2.423 million to the college sector to provide additional counsellors in colleges in support of our Programme for Government commitment to provide more than 80 additional counsellors in Further and Higher Education and £4.4 million for the college sector to help colleges to further support student and staff mental health and wellbeing. These funds were allocated to the SFC by the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-08609

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it received advice and information on the progress of the construction of the MV Glen Sannox prior to attending the launch event in November 2017, and, if so, what the advice and information was, and when it was received.

The Scottish Government was in regular contact with all relevant parties prior to the launch and received full updates regarding progress of the build and any impact this would have on delivery.

The then Minister for Transport met with FMEL and CMAL on 3 November 2017 to discuss delivery dates and vessel progress updates.

FMEL wrote to the then Minister for Transport and the Islands, Humza Yousaf MSP, on 7 November 2017 confirming that the delivery of the MV Glen Sannox after being launched on 21 November 2017, would be delayed until winter 2018-19. Mr Yousaf subsequently wrote to the convenor of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee (REC) on 9 Nov 2017 with this information.

Question reference: S6W-08809

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason no maximum bidding price has been stipulated within the awards process for floating offshore wind projects looking to progress through the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) process, in light of a maximum bidding price being stipulated in the commercial-scale ScotWind leasing round.

It is for Crown Estate Scotland, As managers of Crown assets in Scotland, to set seabed leasing fees.

The INTOG leasing round, due to be launched summer 2022, is a ‘first of its kind’ and there is no direct precedent to consider when finalising the design of the leasing arrangements. The objectives for INTOG (stimulating innovation and decarbonising oil & gas) are different from those of other offshore leasing rounds and as a result some key features of INTOG, including pricing, are also different.

Due to the specific nature of the projects, the novel commercial models, and the potential risks relating to such a new type of project, Crown Estate Scotland want to give the opportunity for the market to set the appropriate price given that this is a new and untested landscape.

The ScotWind price cap was designed to ensure that projects competing for limited Plan Options were viable in the long-term, would maximise supply chain opportunities and incentivise floating wind projects, that are ideal for Scotland's deeper waters but comparatively more expensive.

Question reference: S6W-08808

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what role (a) ministers and (b) Crown Estate Scotland will have in finalising the scoring criteria and weighting for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leases for floating offshore wind projects.

Crown Estate Scotland have designed and are responsible for the leasing arrangements for the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) process, this includes development of the weighting and evaluation criteria for applications. Crown Estate Scotland outlined the proposals for evaluation criteria in the Leasing Information Document (LID) released on 22 February 2022. The purpose of the LID is to provide developers with a clear understanding of the application process and contractual structure of the leasing round.

Question reference: S6W-08827

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much additional funding it assigned to NHS Ayrshire and Arran to help prevent drug-related deaths in 2021-22.

Please find the requested information in the following tables.

Table 1: NHS Board Baseline funding for Alcohol and Drug Services ; Ayrshire and Arran.

NHS Board	2021-22 Allocation
Ayrshire & Arran	£3,715,311

Additional Funding

In 2021-22 NHS Ayrshire & Arran received a further £3,397,782.20 above the baseline funding to support their Alcohol and Drug services and other projects. This was allocated directly to the ADP’s and Health Boards and also through the Corra Foundation. A full breakdown is below.

Table 2: Funding committed to Alcohol and Drug Services in Ayrshire and Arran Health Board

Funding stream	2021-22 Allocation
Buvidal	£564,770
Outreach allocation	£221,257
Near-fatal overdose pathways allocation	£221,257
Lived and living experience panels/forums allocation	£36,878
Programme for Government	£1,254,453
Drug Deaths Taskforce Funding	£216,641
Total	£2,515,263

Table 3: Funding delivered to projects in Ayrshire and Arran by the Corra Foundation 2021-22

Organisation Name	Fund	Local Authority (primary)	Amount Awarded 2021-22
Ayrshire Justice Services Partnership - Drug Treatment & Testing Order Service	Improvement Fund	North Ayrshire	£55,416.00
Ayrshire Justice Services Partnership - Drug Treatment & Testing Order Service	Improvement Fund	North Ayrshire	£53,856.00
Blue Triangle Housing Association Ltd	Improvement Fund	South Ayrshire	£42,914.00
Blue Triangle Housing Association Ltd	Improvement Fund	South Ayrshire	£51,152.00
Broken Chains	Grassroots Fund	South Ayrshire	£27,600.00
Children 1st	Children and Families Fund	North Ayrshire	£94,462.00
East Ayrshire Advocacy Services (EAAS)	Grassroots Fund	East Ayrshire	£24,300.00
East Ayrshire Churches Homelessness Action	Grassroots Fund	East Ayrshire	£15,830.00
East Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership	Children and Families Fund	East Ayrshire	£100,000.00
Freedom Fighters	Local Support Fund	North Ayrshire	£50,000.00
Impact Arts Projects	Children and Families Fund	North Ayrshire	£83,633.00
North Ayrshire Health & Social Care Partnership	Improvement Fund	North Ayrshire	£49,147.00
Occupational Therapy North Ayrshire Health and Social Care Partnership	Improvement Fund	North Ayrshire	£21,000.00
onside ayrshire cic	Grassroots Fund	North Ayrshire	£26,380.00
Patchwork Recovery Community	Grassroots Fund	East Ayrshire	£20,000.00
Recovery Ayr	Local Support Fund	South Ayrshire	£33,500.00
Recovery Ayr	Grassroots Fund	South Ayrshire	£38,000.00
Recovery Enterprises Scotland	Grassroots Fund	East Ayrshire	£46,288.00
Vineburgh Community Association	Local Support Fund	North Ayrshire	£49,041.20
Total			£882,519.20

Question reference: S6O-01236

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what contribution local culture, evidenced in museums such as the Trimontium Museum in Melrose and the National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange, makes to the local and wider Scottish economy.

Question reference: S6O-01238

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has now published all the legal advice it has received in relation to a second independence referendum.

Question reference: S6O-01237

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what priority it attaches to developing relationships with other European countries.

Question reference: S6O-01224

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the level of need for accessible housing in Scotland.