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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-25001

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its long-term aspirations are regarding Regional Land Use Partnerships, and when it will provide the (a) communities and (b) stakeholders involved in them greater certainty regarding (i) funding and (ii) strategic policy importance.

Question reference: S6W-25328

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 14 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the 6-fold urban rural classification system was chosen for the Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan as opposed to the 8-fold classification.

The Rural and Islands Housing Action Plan supports the delivery of the Scottish Government’s commitment to deliver 110,000 affordable homes, 10% of which will be in rural and island areas. The Scottish Government use the 6-fold urban rural classification when categorising homes delivered through the Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP), based on information provided by AHSP grant applicants.

Question reference: S6W-24696

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any plans by Scottish Water to create new woodlands or restore peatland; if so, how much of the land owned by Scottish Water in total will be used to (a) plant trees and (b) restore peatland, and over how many years; what the (i) size and (ii) location is of each piece of such land, broken down by local authority area; what annual budget it will make available for any such (A) planting of trees and (B) restoration of peatland; whether Scottish Water plans to apply for any Scottish Government grants to assist with any such (1) tree planting and (2) peatland restoration costs; what reports it has commissioned on any such (aa) tree planting and (bb) peatland restoration potential; what the carbon credits potential is from any such (AA) tree planting and (BB) peatland restoration, and whether it will make any related reports public.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, and the Scottish Government does not hold this information, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Circa 684 Hectares (Ha) (as identified to date) of Scottish Water land is planned for peatland restoration and the work has been phased over three years – 23-24, 24-25 and 25-26. Locations identified are Lintrathen and Backwater (100Ha – Angus Council), Afton (190Ha – East Ayrshire Council) and Loch Katrine (394Ha – Stirling Council).

The annual budget will be based upon the current industry average price of restoration, some £1600 per hectare and therefore the annual budget is estimated to be £384,000 in 23-24, £464,000 in 24-25 and £262,400 in 25-26. Scottish Water will apply to the Scottish Government for grants to undertake peatland restoration. Each area has been subject to a feasibility study, ecological survey and archaeological survey in line with Peatland ACTION processes and as required for the planning application and other elements of undertaking a peatland restoration project. Scottish Water works with tenants, graziers and other interests to ensure it will deliver multiple benefits from this programme.

Scottish Water has also screened the vast majority of its landholdings for tree planting potential. This has considered water quality and water resources, land that might be needed for asset expansion, suitability of the land for tree planting and to ensure that tenant farmers activities are not adversely impacted. Potential projects are also subject to environmental and ecological assessments.

Loch Katrine represents the biggest single project across Scottish Water’s estate. Forestry and Land Scotland have submitted a Land Management Plan to Scottish Forestry for approval for the restoration of a natural woodland/open ground mosaic landscape. This will cover a 10-year period and see some 4,600 hectares of woodland creation, predominantly through natural regeneration, in addition to the 394Ha peatland restoration. The project is estimated at £4.8m over 10 years to the early 2030s and SW estimates it may to deliver up to 1 million tonnes of carbon benefit across this century through reduced losses from poor peatland and improved capture in vegetation and trees. It will also deliver improved water quality, catchment resilience to climate change and biodiversity gain.

Scottish Water’s other woodland creation is much smaller scale, predominantly associated with reservoirs and catchments. The gross cost of projects delivered to date is £650,000, which includes £123,000 funding from accessing woodland creation grants. The estimated cost of current projects is £1.3m with £480,000 woodland grant contribution expected.

Collectively across all of Scottish Water’s woodland creation projects it estimates the 60-year benefit to be circa 160,000 tonnes of carbon with additional climate resilience, water quality and biodiversity benefits.

Scottish Water’s publishes updates on its activities at https://www.scottishwater.co.uk/-/media/ScottishWater/Document-Hub/Key-Publications/Energy-and-Sustainability/211223Biodiversityreport23FINAL.pdf and https://scottishwaternetzero.co.uk/ .

Question reference: S6W-24704

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of any economic analysis undertaken by South of Scotland Enterprise (SoSE) on any economic benefits of attracting private investment capital into tree planting, peatland restoration and nature bio-diversity, and, if so, whether any such analysis considered (a) both the short-term direct employment and local spend gains and multipliers and any longer-term effects in drawing resources out of the SoSE area through the returns on external private investment requiring to be paid, (b) how much of the flows of finance from carbon trading would leave the SoSE area and how much would be retained and (c) the effect of private external finance on (i) local land values and (ii) the number of farm enterprises in the region.

Question reference: S6W-24706

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessments have been undertaken by, or with the involvement of, any of its agencies regarding projects seeking to utilise private investment in nature, woodland creation and peatland restoration, and whether it will publish any such assessments.

Question reference: S6W-24703

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what changes (a) have been made and (b) are being considered to the Memorandum of Understanding between NatureScot, Lombard Odier Investment Managers, Hampden & Co and Palladium, in light of the changes to the originally envisaged participation by Lombard Odier Investment Managers.

Question reference: S6W-24705

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 26 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any progress on the development of the Natural Capital Market Framework announced in its Programme for Government 2023-24; what consultation has taken place on this to date; what further consultation is planned on the proposed contents of the framework, and who it plans to consult.

Scotland’s Market Framework for natural capital markets aims to guide the development of responsible, high-integrity and values led natural capital markets in Scotland by setting out a clear long-term vision, a policy framework and guidance for market participants.

The project is currently in its discovery phase; desk-based research has been undertaken to collate existing evidence. We are also developing our engagement plan to help support and empower people to actively participate in the definition, design and delivery of the framework.

In the Spring, the project will enter its engagement and co-development phase. Stakeholders with a known interest will be approached within their existing networks. We will also host a series of open workshops for those with a general interest and ensure there is an opportunity for stakeholders to submit their reflections in writing.

Question reference: S6O-03033

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to tackle any police staffing shortages and operational capacity issues in the Highlands and Islands.

Question reference: S6W-24400

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to make regulations under section 4 of the Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2020 to enable pre-existing marriages to become civil partnerships.

Section 4 of the Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2020 (legislation.gov.uk) provides the Scottish Ministers with a regulation-making power to enable marriages to become civil partnerships, if the parties so wish. The Scottish Ministers have not yet made regulations under section 4 as the Scottish Government wishes to ensure that couples who change their marriage to civil partnership have full rights and responsibilities, including in relation to reserved and cross-UK border matters. There are potential points arising on aspects of pensions (which are generally reserved) and on the recognition in England and Wales and Northern Ireland of marriages changed to civil partnerships in Scotland.

In line with usual practice, we have, therefore, been in discussions with the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (OSSS) on making an Order under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998 (legislation.gov.uk) on UK consequential legislation following the 2020 Act.

On 17 November 2022, officials in the OSSS advised Scottish Government officials that “the UK Government is not yet in a position to make a decision on the recognition of converted Scottish civil partnerships in England and Wales.” Following this, Scottish Government officials sent the OSSS on 21 December 2022 a revised policy proposal for a section 104 Order relating to changing marriages to civil partnerships covering the reserved law of Scotland only. There has been no substantive progress on this proposal in 2023.

I have written to the Secretary of State for Scotland to ask about progress in taking forward the proposal we sent to them on 21 December 2022. I also said in my letter to the Secretary of State that if the UK Government does not consider the December 2022 proposal is an appropriate way forward, it would be useful if he could outline what would be appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-24104

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has confirmed that the new ferries for the Uig-Tarbert/Lochmaddy route will be able to dock at (a) Uig, (b) Tarbert and (c) Lochmaddy Harbour.