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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-17645

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16075 by Kevin Stewart on 6 April 2023, which confirmed that no Dundee taxi drivers had been successful in applying for the Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund due to their vehicles' unsuitability for retrofitting, what additional support it will provide for taxi drivers in Dundee in 2023-24.

The Scottish Government provides annual funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST) an independent organisation working to address the climate emergency, to provide a range of services including delivery of the Switched-on Taxi Loan on behalf of Scottish Ministers.

The Switched-on Taxi loan provides an interest-free loan with a repayment term of up to 6 years to support both private and hackney taxi owners and operators with the purchase of zero and ultra-low emission vehicles.

Since 2019 taxi drivers and operators in the North East of Scotland electoral region have received interest free loans worth almost £800,000. Currently the Switched-on Taxi loan is closed and Scottish Ministers are considering the position for the current financial year. Taxi drivers and operators can register their interest with Energy Saving Trust should future rounds of funding become available.

Question reference: S6W-17646

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 11 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with taxi driver union representatives in Dundee to discuss grants and funding for the purchasing of electric vehicles, in order to help them meet their obligations in relation to the new Low Emission Zone (LEZ) in the city.

The Scottish Government has not held specific discussions with taxi driver union representatives in Dundee to discuss loan funding for the purchase of electric vehicles in relation to compliance with the Low Emission Zone.

The Scottish Government provide annual funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST), an independent organisation working to address the climate emergency, which delivers a range of schemes on behalf of Scottish Ministers, including the Switched-on Taxi loan.

EST on behalf of Scottish Ministers has engaged directly with taxi owners and operators. This includes providing impartial and independent advice including information on the Switched-on Taxi loan, and vehicle reports comparing running costs of petrol/diesel taxis with Ultra Low Emission Vehicles. Last year EST ran several taxi forums bringing together taxi owners/operators and licensing authorities to discuss best practice approaches to decarbonisation across the industry.

Question reference: S6O-02242

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many fines have been issued by courts to companies for breaches of health and safety rules, resulting in workers’ deaths, in the last five years.

Question reference: S6O-02164

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the Energy Skills Passport for offshore energy workers.

Question reference: S6W-15956

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it proposes to support any tenants in social housing who are now being notified by their landlords of significant increases to their rent payments from April 2023.

At the end of 2022 the Scottish Government reached agreement with social landlords that average rent rises across the social sector in Scotland for 2023-24 would be around 6%, recognising the balance to be struck between acute cost pressures faced by tenants and the need for social landlords to cover the costs of services and invest in new and improved homes. Whilst most social sector landlords expected to raise rents below this level it was recognised that there may be individual circumstances where a higher increase would be made.

In practice, social landlords have kept rent increases below the agreed level with an increase of around 5% on average and well below inflation. Individual landlords will have rents above or below that average, depending on their own service and investment plans and their own consultation with tenants.

The Scottish Government recognises the pressure on household budgets which is why last year and this, we have allocated almost £3 billion to support policies which tackle poverty and protect people as far as possible during the ongoing cost of living crisis. This includes £68.1m to fully mitigate the bedroom tax, helping over 91,000 households in Scotland to sustain their tenancies. We would encourage anyone struggling with rent or other costs to visit our website for information about the help available Cost of Living Support Scotland and to contact their landlord who can provide them with specific support and advice.

Question reference: S6W-16124

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14445 by Neil Gray on 7 February 2023, what discussions it has had with officials at Aberdeen City Council to try and maintain the six libraries scheduled for closure at the end of March 2023, and what its position is on how any such closures would impact Aberdeen City Council's ability to fulfil its statutory duty to secure the provision of adequate library facilities for all persons resident in its area.

Library policy is devolved to local authorities, who have a statutory duty to ensure there is adequate provision of library services for their residents.

Scottish Government officials work closely with the Scottish Library and Information Council (SLIC), which provides leadership and advice to Scottish Ministers, local authorities, and the wider libraries sector. SLIC is in ongoing conversations with Aberdeen Council on this issue.

Any decision around public libraries must be considered extremely carefully and we would encourage local authorities to work in partnership with communities to explore ways of delivering services, based on need.

Question reference: S6W-16155

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 24 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the UK Government's Spring Budget announcement regarding the provision of funding support for swimming pools in England, whether it plans to provide similar financial assistance for swimming pools in Scotland, and, if so, what specific support can be directed at pools such as Bucksburn swimming pool in Aberdeen, which is reportedly due to close.

Question reference: S6W-16123

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 11 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15236 by Neil Gray on 1 March 2023, what support it will provide to Aberdeen City Council, in light of the announcement that it proposes to close six libraries by the end of March 2023.

We are aware of Aberdeen Council’s decision and acknowledge how difficult this is for the libraries, their staff and the communities they serve. The Scottish Government places great importance on public libraries and we believe everyone should have access to library services. As set out in response to S6W-16124 , l ibrary policy is devolved to local authorities, who have a statutory duty to ensure there is adequate provision of library services for their residents.

We recognise the financial challenges that local government are facing and the difficult choices they had to make to balance their budgets. In the most challenging budget settlement since devolution the Scottish Government is providing nearly £13.5 billion in the 2023-24 Local Government Settlement. Following the flat-cash position set out in the Resource Spending Review, we have listened to councils and are now increasing the resources available to Local Government next year by over £793 million.

In 2023-24, Aberdeen City Council will receive £436.9 million to fund local services, which equates to an extra £27.1 million to support vital day to day services or an additional 6.6 per cent compared to 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-16075

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 6 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many taxi drivers in Dundee were successful in applying for Energy Saving Trust's (a) Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund and (b) Switched on Taxis Loan.

The Scottish Government provides annual funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST) who are an independent organisation working to address the climate emergency. EST then administer the Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund and the Switched-on Taxi Loan on behalf of Scottish Ministers.

For the Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund no funding has been paid to taxi owners/operators in Dundee. This is due to the taxi vehicles operating in Dundee mainly comprising of make/models that are unsuitable for retrofitting.

Since 2019 until the 28 February 2023 the Switched-on Taxi Loan has supported 12 taxi owners/operators in Dundee by providing interest free loans to support the purchase of new taxis.

Question reference: S6W-16074

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 3 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the closure of the 2022-23 round of the Low Emission Zone Retrofit Fund for taxis, what further funding it plans to provide to support the retrofit of taxis impacted by the introduction of Low Emission Zones, and by what date any such funding will be made available.