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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: S5W-22942

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 9 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much it estimates it will cost in directly foregone tax revenue if Air Departure Tax was implemented on the basis of a 50% reduction on the current level of Air Passenger Duty.

Following the First Minister’s declaration of a climate emergency - and the decision to propose new emissions reduction targets for Scotland - the Scottish Government is committed to looking across our whole range of responsibilities and increasing action where necessary.

While the Scottish Government remains committed to taking on Air Departure Tax (ADT), we have taken the difficult decision that reducing the tax is no longer compatible with our new emissions reduction targets.

The Scottish Government welcomes the efforts of Scotland’s tourism sector and aviation industry to reduce carbon emissions and will continue work with them to support the sector in a sustainable way.

Question reference: S5W-22742

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 8 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its commitment in response to the Equalities and Human Rights Committee report, Hidden Lives: New Beginnings, by what date it will publish its anti-destitution strategy.

Question reference: S5O-03191

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the 2016 SNP manifesto commitment, whether it will legislate in the current Parliamentary session to bring gender recognition law up to international best practice.

Question reference: S5W-22743

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with implementing its commitments in the document, Ending Homelessness Together: High Level Action Plan, which related to migrant homelessness and no recourse to public funds.

As set out in the Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan, we are committed to reporting annually to Parliament on our progress towards delivering all the actions and outcomes in the Plan. The first report will be submitted at the end of 2019.

We will also consider opportunities to prevent and respond to migrant homelessness amongst people with no recourse to public funds as part of the anti-destitution strategy, which we have committed to produce in response to the Equalities and Human Rights Committee report, Hidden Lives – New Beginnings.

Question reference: S5W-22745

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 1 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a summary of its legal understanding of "no recourse to public funds" in the UK Immigration Rules.

Immigration is reserved to the UK Government. The UK Government has published guidance on how it makes decisions about what public funds third country nationals can claim and which benefits count as public funds for the purposes of the UK Immigration Rules: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/public-funds--2/public-funds

The Scottish Government has funded an update to the Scottish guidance on No Recourse to Public Funds following a recommendation by the Scottish Parliament’s Equalities and Human Rights Committee in 2017. The new guidance was commissioned by COSLA and provides information for local authorities to allow them to understand the complex legal frameworks that shape eligibility for public services, and the obligations of local authorities in relation to legislation and human rights duties: http://www.migrationscotland.org.uk/migrants-rights-entitlements/introduction/1-1-how-use-guidance .

Question reference: S5W-22744

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment by the housing minister, in June 2018, and First Minister, in November 2018, what progress it has made on implementing the recommendation by the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Action Group (HARSAG) on short-stay/emergency accommodation with integrated services for people with no recourse to public funds.

The Scottish Government and COSLA have jointly published guidance on No Recourse to Public Funds to set out the legal framework within which local authorities have to make decisions about support provision, including accommodation, in this complex area. While there are limited powers for the Scottish Government to mitigate the impact of immigration legislation, which is a source of destitution and homelessness for people with no recourse, we want to prevent rough sleeping and homelessness for everyone. We will continue to pursue solutions as part of the implementation of the Ending Homelessness Together Action Plan and the anti-destitution strategy.

Question reference: S5W-22747

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 1 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the provisions in the Housing (Scotland) Act 2010, whether a public limited company that trades for profit can set up, within its structure, a registered social landlord in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-22514

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Liam McArthur on 30 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it considers that a corporate exhibition held by representatives of the oil and gas industry, which promoted the industry's views on greenhouse gas emission targets and related issues, and held on the day of the stage 1 debate on the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Bill on 3 April 2019, breached the rule in the Events and Exhibitions Criteria, which states that events must "respect the wide range of existing channels for influencing parliamentary business, by not lobbying on parliamentary business under current consideration".

All applicants for Member-sponsored exhibitions must complete an Exhibitions Request Form that is agreed by the sponsoring Member.

Member-sponsored exhibitions are allocated by the Events and Exhibitions Team twice a year - in April (covering the September to December period and in September (covering the January to June period). As there are a limited number of exhibitions spaces available (two each sitting week) all the available slots are allocated well in advance.

The Member-sponsored exhibition by Oil & Gas UK was allocated in September 2018 and was described in the Request Form as a general awareness-raising exhibition about the oil and gas industry. If there had been any explicit reference to any parliamentary business under current consideration the exhibition would not have been permitted under the guidance.

Question reference: S5W-22512

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Liam McArthur on 30 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it considers that a lobbying event organised by environmental NGOs or campaigners, which promoted the environment movement's views on greenhouse gas emission targets and related issues, held on the day that a bill relating to an environment issue relating to the same issues was being considered by the Parliament, would have breached the rule in the Events and Exhibitions Criteria, which states that events must "respect the wide range of existing channels for influencing parliamentary business, by not lobbying on parliamentary business under current consideration".

All applicants for Member-sponsored events must complete an Event Request Form that is agreed by the sponsoring Member.

Member-sponsored events are approved according to the SPCB’s criteria for Member-sponsored events by the Events and Exhibitions Team twice a year - in April (covering the September to December period and in September (covering the January to June period) – and throughout the year.

On receipt of the Event Request Form, it is checked against the criteria to ensure there is no explicit reference to any parliamentary business under current consideration. If there was any explicit reference, then the event would not take place at the time requested. The Events and Exhibitions Team would then work with the organisers to secure another date when the event could take place.

Question reference: S5W-22513

Asked by: Patrick Harvie, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Liam McArthur on 30 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body how it enforces the rule in the Events and Exhibitions Criteria which states that events must "respect the wide range of existing channels for influencing parliamentary business, by not lobbying on parliamentary business under current consideration".

All Member-sponsored events are approved according to the SPCB’s criteria for Member-sponsored events by the Events and Exhibitions Team. On receipt of a completed Event Request Form, it is checked to ensure there is no explicit reference to any parliamentary business under current consideration. If there was any explicit reference, then the event would not take place at the time requested. The Events and Exhibitions Team would work with the organisers to secure another date when the event could take place.