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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-05386

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many public bodies’ carbon management plans are assessed annually.

Since 2015-16, around 180 listed Scottish public bodies have been required to report annually on compliance with their statutory climate change duties. To assess progress on emissions reduction, the Scottish Government funds the Sustainable Scotland Network (SSN) Secretariat to produce an annual analysis of the submitted reports. Reported emissions from the public sector continue to decrease, with Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions down 28.5% since mandatory reporting began in 2015-16.

Question reference: S6W-05395

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 10 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities responded to the consultation on (a) the Heat in Buildings Strategy, (b) Cleaner Air for Scotland 2, (c) Climate Change - Net Zero Nation: draft public engagement strategy, (d) Establishing a Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet, (e) Investing in and paying for your water services from 2021, (f) the Local Energy Policy Statement and (g) Scottish Low Emission Zones: Consultation on Regulations and Guidance.

Scottish Government and some agencies publish all public consultations on the consultation hub. Respondents can decide whether they would like their response to be published on the consultation hub after the closing date. Thereafter, published responses will be visible to the public.

The Scottish Government can confirm the numbers of local authorities who responded to the consultations listed below.

a) the Heat in Buildings Strategy - 20 local authorities

b) Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 - 8 local authorities

c) Climate Change - Net Zero Nation: draft public engagement strategy - 9 local authorities

d) Establishing a Scottish Nitrogen Balance Sheet - 1 local authority

e) Investing in and paying for your water services from 2021 - 10 local authorities*

f) the Local Energy Policy Statement - 6 local authorities

g) Scottish Low Emission Zones: Consultation on Regulations and Guidance - 9 local authorities

* A later consultation 'Investing in and paying for you water services from 2021: final consultation' was responded to by an additional 2 local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-05070

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 7 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on photographers in each year since 2016.

Question reference: S6W-04959

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 6 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the Energy Saving Trust and Home Energy Scotland have the resources required to provide loans for electric vehicles to the public.

The Scottish Government provides annual funding to the Energy Saving Trust to administer the Low Carbon Transport Loan on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Transport Scotland officials also work closely with Energy Saving Trust to consider the most appropriate structure and approach required to administer the loan.

To manage the demands of the scheme, officials have regular meetings with Energy Saving Trust and service level agreements are also in place to ensure the effective delivery of the loan scheme.

Question reference: S6W-05065

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 5 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it has offered local authorities to assist in the roll-out of eBikes, in each year since 2018.

The Scottish Government funds Energy Saving Trust (EST) to deliver the EST E-bike Grant Fund. Grants provided to local authorities since 2018 are presented in the following table:

E-Bike Grant Fund - 2018-2021 - Local Authority grants
Local Authority	Year	Grant
Glasgow City Council	2018-19	£176,623.75
North Ayrshire Council	2018-19	£8,259.55
Dundee City Council	2018-19	£50,000.00
Orkney Council	2018-19	£23,748.00
City of Edinburgh Council	2019-20	£3,088.50
Stirling Council	2019-20	£17,600.00
Glasgow City Council	2019-20	£194,500.00
Clackmannanshire Council	2020-21	£22,338.35
Glasgow City Council	2021-22	£100,000.00
East Lothian Council	2021-22	£54,000.00

Question reference: S6T-00388

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what actions it will take in response to the 2020-21 audit of its consolidated accounts by the Auditor General for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-04615

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 10 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) legal aid providers, (b) Civil Legal Assistance Offices and (c) Public Defence Solicitors’ Offices were practising in cases related to (i) claims against public authorities, (ii) community care, (iii) discrimination, (iv) education, (v) housing and debt, (vi) immigration and asylum and (vii) family, since January 2020.

Grants of legal assistance are recorded against a primary case category code and not by individual subject matters of a grant. SLAB have provided the information requested using category codes, which is the most accurate reflection of numbers of case types available.

Between January 2020 and November 2021, the number of entities submitting these types of intimation or application except where otherwise noted.

i) Claims against public authorities

{includes relevant cases of reparation, judicial review, interdict, breach of contract}

87 firms, 135 practitioners

2 CLAO offices, 1 CLAO practitioner

0 PDSO Offices

ii) Community Care

{includes cases at the Additional Support Needs Tribunal and assessment of need, eligibility / charging for services and direct payments}

13 firms, 23 practitioners

1 CLAO office, 1 CLAO practitioner

0 PDSO offices

iii) Discrimination,

24 firms, 37 practitioners.

0 CLAO offices

0 PDSO offices

iv) Education,

26 firms, 28 practitioners.

0 CLAO Offices

0 PDSO Offices

v) Housing and debt,

247 firms, 447 practitioners

3 CLAO offices, 15 CLAO practitioners

0 PDSO offices

vi) Immigration and asylum and

71 firms, 174 practitioners

1 CLAO office, 1 CLAO practitioner

0 PDSO offices

vii) Family

429 firms, 871 practitioners

3 CLAO offices, 10 CLAO practitioners

0 PDSO offices

Question reference: S6W-04562

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 10 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office regarding its announcement that it plans to increase the Climate Justice Fund from £6 million to £9 million, and subsequently to £12 million.

No, the Scottish Government did not have any discussion with the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in relation to increasing Scottish Government’s Climate Justice Fund.

To clarify the figures for Scottish Government's Climate Justice Fund, we announced a doubling of it in our Programme for Government; increasing from £12 million to £24 million over the course of this Parliament. During COP, we announced a further 50% rise – from £24 million to £36 million, over the course of the Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-04676

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 10 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the carbon levy payment was for business flights taken by (a) Ministers and (b) officials, in each year since 2018.

The carbon levy raised since 2018 is

2018-19 £33,837

2019-20 £40,534

2020 –21 £558

2021-22 Payment due by end March 2022.

The levy is collected by our travel provider and paid back annually. It is not broken down by Ministers and Officials.

The carbon emissions levy is applied to all journeys undertaken by air as follows:

? Domestic – £5 per journey

? European – £6 per journey

? International – £15 per journey

Ministerial travel details are routinely and proactively published here:-

Ministerial engagements, travel and gifts - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-04617

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 10 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what levels of funding have been available for legal aid in each year since 2011.

Apr 15 - Mar 16	£15,741.00
Apr 16 - Mar 17	£5,955.00
Apr 17 - Mar 18	£1,000.00
Apr 18 - Mar 19	£6,430.00
Apr 19 - Mar 20	£16,650.55