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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-02663

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-35396 by Kevin Stewart on 1 March 2021, what steps it is taking to ensure that developments that may have the effect of worsening the climate emergency and reported nature emergency are not included in National Planning Framework 4.

We will lay the draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) in the Scottish Parliament this autumn and will consult widely on it. We recognise that we need to act now to reduce emissions, adapt to a changing climate, and to protect, restore and better connect Scotland’s biodiversity.

Our approach to NPF4 will ensure that climate change and nature recovery are at the heart of the new spatial strategy.

Question reference: S6O-00151

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of any sectorial skills and labour shortages in Scotland following Brexit.

Question reference: S6W-01913

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 25 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government which ordnance disposal method will be used for the Seagreen Offshore Wind Farm project, and whether bubble curtains will be used.

The choice of disposal method for ordinance found on the Seagreen Offshore Windfarm will be a hierarchy of methods made up of leaving in situ , relocating the UXO, applying a low-yield method which disrupts and disintegrates the UXO without combustion of the explosive material, a low-order method which disrupts the UXO by deflagration without an explosive combustion of the main explosive filling and, only where those methods are unsuitable, to use a high-order method to penetrate the UXO casing and trigger detonation of the main explosive filling.

Bubble curtains are not being used as, due to the water depth at the site, they would be technically challenging and may be of limited effectiveness.

Question reference: S6W-02024

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 July 2021
Current Status: Holding Answer by Ash Denham on 18 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many victims of modern slavery have received support and assistance after a conclusive determination that they were a victim of modern slavery under (i) section 9(3)(c) of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 and (ii) regulation 3(4) of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 (Support for Victims) Regulations 2018 in each of the last three financial years, and for how many days that support was provided.

Question reference: S6W-02023

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 18 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential implications of the UK Government's Nationality and Borders Bill for victims of modern slavery in Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises the need to deter and prevent abuse of our immigration and asylum systems, but we are clear that people who come here to live, work or study, to seek sanctuary or who have been subject to human trafficking and exploitation should be treated with dignity and respect at all times. Extremely vulnerable people, such as trafficking victims, should find a system which enables access to support rather than one which erects barriers.

We have set out our concerns about the Nationality and Borders Bill to the UK Government with regards to victims of human trafficking and exploitation. Identifying trafficking victims and enabling access to support and assistance must be a priority. Vulnerable and traumatised individuals should not be penalised for failing to disclose their experiences within mandated timeframes or face impediments to accessing support.

Question reference: S6W-02025

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 18 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the potential implications of the Nationality and Borders Bill for how support for victims of modern slavery is provided for in Scotland.

The Scottish Government’s view is that the New Plan for Immigration and the Nationality and Borders Bill will not achieve the change that is needed or result in systems that are effective, efficient and deliver for people who are often vulnerable and highly traumatised.

The First Minister wrote to the Home Secretary on 26 July setting out our concerns and we have had frequent and ongoing communication with the UK Government on the Nationality and Borders Bill following its publication.

Support and assistance to victims of human trafficking is within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament. Section 9 of the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 requires the Scottish Ministers to secure support and assistance to adult victims of human trafficking in certain circumstances. Support for victims of human trafficking or slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour was placed on a statutory footing on 1 April 2018 through the Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 (Support for Victims) Regulations 2018 and defines the relevant period for such support to be the earlier of 90 days or the date on which there is a conclusive determination that the adult is or is not a victim of an offence of human trafficking or slavery, servitude and forced or compulsory labour.

Question reference: S6W-01914

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to consider the impact of Circularity Scotland’s policies on small businesses.

In line with the principle of producer responsibility, it is for Circularity Scotland Ltd as scheme administrator of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) to put in place policies that will allow it to discharge its obligations under the DRS Regulations.

We are confident that, as set out on page 32 of the Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) for DRS, our ‘scheme has been designed with features that mitigate the potential impact on smaller producers and retailers’. The BRIA is available here: A Deposit Return Scheme for Scotland - Full Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-01915

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 16 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the increase in online shopping during the COVID-19 pandemic on the deliverability of its Deposit Return Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-00739

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 1 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to allow the public to receive confirmation of their COVID-19 vaccination status online.

Question reference: S6W-00578

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 23 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its responsibilities regarding children's rights and child protection, what action it can take to protect young people from accessing harmful material online; what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the decision not to implement Part 3 of the Digital Economy Act 2017, which is aimed at offering such protection, and whether it has asked the UK ministers to reconsider this decision.

Keeping children safe online is a key priority of the Scottish Government.

Additional funding was made available to Police Scotland for enhanced enforcement activity in direct response to the increase in reporting of online child sexual abuse during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Scottish Government continues to support Police Scotland’s response, ensuring that hundreds of children have been safeguarded by police enforcement.

We continue our significant funding commitments to third sector partners such as the NSPCC, Barnardo’s Scotland and Stop It Now! Scotland.

We have strengthened legislation and increased funding to make it easier for victims and survivors to come forward and speak out against abusers. We are also collaborating with third sector and operational partners to engage the public and raise awareness about the dangers of online abuse, including running successful communications campaigns earlier this year which connected with hundreds of thousands of Scots.

The regulation of the internet and online service providers remain a reserved matter, but we continue to work closely with the UK Government and Ofcom in developing proposals to introduce better safety measures online to help protect children and young people – including close liaison with the UK Government on the forthcoming Online Safety Bill.