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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-13646

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 06 January 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will assess the potential of piloting a VAT offset or rebate scheme in Scotland that is focused initially on properties listed on the Buildings at Risk Register maintained by Historic Environment Scotland, in order to test its efficacy as an incentive to promote retrofit, renovation and reuse of Scotland's most at-risk built heritage.

Setting VAT rates is reserved to the UK Government, and remains a decision for HM Treasury. This issue affects heritage properties across all four nations of the UK and provides an opportunity for the UK Government to respond proactively to the global climate emergency. I wrote to Nigel Huddlestone MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society, in February last year making the case for a VAT reduction to encourage and promote energy efficiency improvements in traditional buildings, unfortunately the UK Government has not indicated any willingness to consider the issue at this time.

The Scottish Government has already recognised in its housing strategy, Housing to 2040 , that reductions in VAT on household repairs would encourage home renovation in Scotland, and better equip homes for the challenges posed by climate change and the transition to net zero.

The Historic Environment Scotland publication, Guide to Energy Retrofit of Traditional Buildings addresses the common assumption that it is harder to improve the energy efficiency of older buildings, and enables the owners of traditional and historic properties in Scotland to make informed choices about the options available.

The Scottish Government will continue to call on the UK Government to introduce VAT reductions for traditional buildings and to work with stakeholders, including Historic Environment Scotland, to develop further solutions to transition Scotland’s historic buildings to net zero emissions while respecting and preserving their special characteristics.

Question reference: S6W-13738

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 10 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact in Scotland of the UK Government’s decision to extend the freeze on alcohol duty rates until 1 August 2023.

Alcohol duty is a reserved tax which is set and administered by the UK Government. We are not aware of the UK Government having made any assessment of the impact of the extended six-month freeze on alcohol duty on Devolved Administrations, nor did they consult with us on this decision.

We believe the UK Government must provide long-term clarity for the alcohol sector beyond the six-month rates freeze. Businesses have been hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic and cost-of-living crisis, as well as the uncertainty surrounding the freeze which was announced, cancelled, then re-announced, all in a three-month period.

When setting alcohol duty rates following the freeze, the Scottish Government would strongly recommend that the UK Government considers public health as part of this. We remain committed to reducing alcohol related harms, in line with the World Health Organization’s focus on affordability, availability and attractiveness of alcohol.

Question reference: S6W-13566

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether critical race theory is government policy with regards to issues under the remit of the Minister for Equalities and Older People.

The Scottish Government recognises that outcomes are not uniform across all communities, and effective interventions need to take specific experiences into account. This understanding must be evidence based and we are clear that a “one size fits all” singular approach will fail to deliver.

In its approach to developing and embedding race equality and anti-racism, the Scottish Government is clear that significant inequalities remain in many areas of life for people from minority ethnic communities. We regard the causes of these inequalities as systemic and deep-rooted, and that reversing them will take time and effort, as well as a Scottish Government commitment that is maintained going into the future.

We acknowledge the existence of formal and informal structural, institutional and cultural processes that disadvantage minority ethnic and migrant groups within Scotland. Our approach aligns with the equality legislation that is in place in Scotland, and takes a human rights and rights-based perspective that is committed to involving people with expertise and lived experience of issues in the design and development of policy. Scottish Government policy draws from, and is informed by, a range of different theories and frameworks, including critical race theory, to take action that is effective in advancing race equality.

Question reference: S6W-13565

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 12 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to include all ethnic minority groups in the Interim Governance Group to Develop National Anti-Racist Infrastructure.

The Scottish Government is using a range of interventions across its policies to advance the Race Equality Framework and human rights for all minority ethnic groups, one of which is the Interim Governance Group.

The Interim Governance Group is a short-life working group with a specific remit to provide advice and feedback to Scottish Ministers on establishing long-term anti-racist infrastructure. Its membership includes those with experiences of intersecting marginalisation(s) and the realities of systemic racism and expertise in tackling it. Individuals were also appointed on the basis of having extensive knowledge and/or experience of policy making in Scotland, and design and implementation of policy/systems. More information on the remit and membership of the group is available here: https://www.gov.scot/groups/interim-governance-group-to-develop-national-anti-racist-infrastructure/

The intention is that the work of the IGG will support the development of improved infrastructure and accountability that has a positive impact on the lives of all racialised minority communities. Racialised outcomes are not experienced uniformly, and effective interventions need to take specific experiences into account. In Scotland, this includes important disparities impacting Black/minority ethnic groups.

Ensuring that communities are engaged with policy developments, including in long-term oversight and governance, is of utmost importance, and we are looking to explore mechanisms and routes to achieve that in the best way possible. Policy areas focussed on anti-racism and race equality are actively engaging with a range of stakeholders and communities as part of their work. The Interim Governance Group has commissioned a programme of community engagement, to both disseminate information about forthcoming anti-racist policy infrastructure and to gather community members' and organisations' perspectives on how it can work best to deliver genuine change-making policy and practice in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01791

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what economic analysis it considered prior to awarding ferry contracts reportedly worth £115 million to a shipyard in Turkey.

Question reference: S6W-13043

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) assesses social value during tendering for shipbuilding contracts.

Question reference: S6W-13042

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the future refit, maintenance and repair of the two Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) commissioned ferries under construction by Cemre Marin Endustri in Turkey will take place in (a) Scotland or (b) the wider UK.

Future maintenance and any refit work is the responsibility of CalMac. The maintenance contracts for these vessels will be undertaken in line with the wider contracts that the operator has in place at point they enter service.

Currently the majority of the CalMac Fleet (owned by CMAL) has repairs, maintenance and dry docking carried out in Scotland. Due to capacity constraints a small number of vessels are drydocked in Birkenhead, NW England.

Question reference: S6W-13039

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12299 by Shona Robison on 1 December 2022, when it expects to publish its response to the final report of the Independent Commission of Inquiry into Asylum Provision in Scotland.

I refer the member to the answer to question to S6W-12299 on 1 December 2022, the Scottish Government will publish its response to the Asylum Inquiry Scotland’s final report in due course.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .

Question reference: S6W-13041

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be an opportunity for UK suppliers to supply into the contract for two ferries awarded to Cemre Marin Endustri in Turkey by Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL), or whether the shipbuilder will determine the supply chain.

Question reference: S6W-13044

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 10 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) scores the social value of shipbuilding tenders from overseas shipbuilders with the same weighting as tenders from Scotland or UK shipbuilders.