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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-16133

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of reductions to local authority budgets on levels of littering across Scotland.

The Scottish Government has provided an additional £793 million to local government in 2023-24, which is a real terms increase of £376 million or 3 per cent, however, it is for locally elected representatives to manage the allocation of resources and the level of services that are delivered to their local communities, taking account of local needs and priorities. The Scottish Government has not made an assessment of any association between local authority budgets and levels of littering across Scotland.

£36 million of public money is spent every year removing litter from the Scottish environment. We are supporting local authorities to prepare for the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme, which will mean that local authorities will have less waste to handle, as well as reducing litter and associated clean-up costs, which is good for residents and council budgets.

Local authorities have a statutory duty to keep land clear of litter and refuse. To fulfil this duty, local authorities should have a robust monitoring regime in place to ensure that land is maintained to an appropriate standard and if this standard is not met, that restoration will be carried out within appropriate response times. In 2018, the Scottish Government published an updated Code of Practice on Litter and Refuse to support local authorities in undertaking their duties under the Environmental Protection Act (1990).

The forthcoming National Litter and Flytipping Strategy will support ongoing work on the Litter Monitoring System, which is designed to facilitate data capture in order to assist local authorities in the planning, delivery and evaluation of litter prevention measures.

Question reference: S6W-16587

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16093 by Jenny Gilruth on 28 March 2023, whether it, Transport Scotland, CalMac or CMAL made the final decision on chartering MV Alfred for the Clyde and Hebrides network.

The charter, and preceding discussions, for the MV Alfred from Pentland Ferries for use in Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract were a matter for the operator CalMac Ferries Limited.

In line with the Contract for the Provision of Ferry Services Between the Scottish Ministers and Calmac Ferries Limited, the confirmation of funding and agreement to proceed were provided by the Scottish Ministers prior to CalMac Ferries Limited deciding to sign the charter.

Question reference: S6W-16158

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 19 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the publication of its Public Sector Pay Strategy 2023-24, whether Skills Development Scotland guidance is now to be updated to reflect that all employers should pay the real Living Wage, including in relation to apprentices (a) aged 19 and under and (b) in their first year.

The Public Sector Pay Strategy 2023-24 applies to staff in the Scottish Government and its associated departments, agencies, non-departmental public bodies and public corporations.

All organisations covered by our Pay Strategy are required to pay at least the real Living Wage rate to all their staff, including apprentices. Apprentices are employees and as such benefit from the same rights and protections offered to other employees through their employment. Skills Development Scotland will continue to encourage all employers outside our Public Sector Pay Strategy to pay apprentices at least the real Living Wage rate, including those aged 19 and under and those in their first year.

Question reference: S6W-16589

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12941 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 December 2022, whether it will provide an update on any potential implications for CalMac’s seafarer recruitment programme of the former Deputy First Minister's statement on Ferguson Marine on 16 March 2023.

Question reference: S6O-02121

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that there were 224 eviction cases involving tenants lodged with the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland in the month to 15 March.

Question reference: S6W-16023

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any discussions with (a) commercial landlords, (b) local authorities and (c) community groups regarding developing a strategy to ensure that premises rented by M&Co Trading Limited are put to productive use once they default back to their owners.

The Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth met with the appointed administrators for M&Co on 19 January 2023 and offered his support, including via Government engagement with Scottish Enterprise. He also met with Katy Clark and Neil Bibby MSPs, and offered to support engagement with local authorities if it would be helpful once there was clarity about when stores will close.

The Scottish Government continues to engage with local authorities, commercial and community partners via its Town Centre Action Plan (TCAP) Forum and its Retail Industry Leadership Group (ILG). The TCAP Forum established jointly with COSLA brings together stakeholder expertise across the public, third and private sector to help to progress key actions. The sector-led Retail ILG has been established to drive, and support delivery of the actions set out in the Retail Strategy for Scotland. Both the Action Plan and Strategy aim to put town centres at the heart of decision making.

Question reference: S6W-16588

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 5 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12940 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 December 2022, whether it will provide an update on the service continuity plan for the transfer and timetabling of services from Troon.

The service continuity plans for the Ardrossan-Brodick/Campbeltown route are currently being reviewed by CalMac following the recent announcement of the delivery date and deployment of the MV Glen Sannox to the route. CalMac are engaging with relevant partners including the Isle of Arran Ferry Committee on the Troon timetables and are expected to publish the Timetable Consultation Report (as part of a public consultation exercise undertaken in August and September 2022) in the coming weeks.

Question reference: S6W-16093

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 28 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15024 by Jenny Gilruth on 21 March 2023, whether (a) the Minister for Transport, (b) CMAL and (c) Transport Scotland officials have held meetings with representatives of Pentland Ferries, from 1 October 2022 to date, regarding the chartering of the MV Alfred for the Clyde and Hebrides network, and, if so, when any such meetings took place.

Question reference: S6W-15960

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 27 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with Circularity Scotland regarding the decision to appoint Biffa as its logistics partner for the Deposit Return Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-15957

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 27 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of whether Biffa is an appropriate logistics partner for the Deposit Return Scheme, given that the company has previously been prosecuted for breaches of environmental waste export laws.

Circularity Scotland, the scheme administrator is a private non-profit company and is responsible for operating the scheme, including logistics. Decisions regarding their contracts are for them – this is entirely appropriate for a scheme that has industry responsibility at its heart.

An extensive tender process was carried out by Circularity Scotland over a period of around 12 months and was open to businesses of all sizes. The process involved extensive due diligence by Circularity Scotland.