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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-14049

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates the Scottish Prison Service will publish its revised mental health strategy for people in custody.

Question reference: S6W-14048

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 January 2023
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the findings in the report, Still Nothing to See Here?, on prison deaths and fatal accident inquiry outcomes, and whether it accepts the report’s findings regarding the Scottish Prison Service’s suicide prevention strategy, Talk To Me.

The report from Glasgow University covers a range of distinct topics which can be considered individually.

The safe treatment, health, and wellbeing of all those in custody is a priority for this Government and it is vital that people who live in our prisons are supported. It is imperative that when problems do occur, individuals receive the necessary treatment, care and respect, in a timely manner.

Preventing suicide and supporting people who self-harm are key areas for the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), including in developing its Health and Wellbeing Strategy. We continue to work closely with NHS Boards, SPS and the National Prison Care Network to implement the healthcare recommendations from the Independent Review of Deaths in Custody. We are also engaging closely with SPS as we implement the new Suicide Prevention Strategy Creating Hope Together and the first 3-year action plan, which includes a focus on key settings where suicide risk is higher, such as prisons.

‘Talk to Me’ (TTM), the SPS Suicide Prevention in Prison Strategy, was developed in partnership with experts in suicide prevention and aims to care for those ‘at risk’ of suicide by providing support based on individual needs and promoting an environment where people in custody can ask for help. The strategy is currently subject to a planned review and the Scottish Government and SPS are committed to making improvements to care and help prevent suicide in custody and the community.

Fatal Accident Inquiries (FAIs) are an independent, judicial process. The Crown Office has significantly reformed its processes to reduce the time taken to investigate deaths and to bring FAIs to court more quickly.

Question reference: S6O-01863

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work of the ferries task force with Orkney Islands Council.

Question reference: S6W-13112

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £32 million Local Bridge Maintenance Fund was distributed, broken down by each (a) local authority and (b) successful application.

Question reference: S6W-13113

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to reopen the Local Bridge Maintenance Fund.

While there are not any plans to reopen the Local Bridge Maintenance Fund at this time, the Scottish Government will continue to meet with COSLA and individual local authorities on a regular basis to discuss the issues affecting local government.

The Scottish Government has increased funding to local government by over £570 million in 2023-24, including an additional £147 million of capital funding.

Question reference: S6W-13111

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 5 January 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available for local bridge and causeway maintenance.

The vast majority of funding available to councils is provided by means of a block grant from the Scottish Government. It is then the responsibility of individual local authorities to manage their own budgets and to allocate the total financial resources available to them, including on maintenance of local roads and bridges, on the basis of local needs and priorities, having first fulfilled their statutory obligations and the jointly agreed set of national and local priorities.

The Scottish Government has provided an additional £570 million to local government in 2023-24, 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.

Question reference: S6W-13120

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to make use of carbon credits to meet its net zero targets, and, if so, what proportion of its targets it aims to achieve through the use of carbon credits.

Question reference: S6W-13121

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 12 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update its interim greenhouse gas emissions targets in line with the latest advice from the Climate Change Committee, and, if so, whether it will seek advice on future target levels in order to avoid changes in estimation methodologies affecting the achievability of the targets.

The Scottish Government is considering the Climate Change Committee’s (CCC) latest advice on greenhouse gas emissions targets and will respond as soon as possible. Under the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, the CCC’s advice on future target levels must be sought at least every five years to ensure they are still in line with, among other things, current international carbon reporting practice.

Question reference: S6W-12800

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 19 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-16968 by Humza Yousaf on 12 June 2018 and S6W-11891 by Jenny Gilruth on 22 November 2022, for what reason it is no longer able to provide a breakdown of operating subsidies on an airport-by-airport basis.

Question reference: S6W-12674

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04901 by Mairi McAllan on 24 December 2021, whether it will provide an update on which of the 42 formal flood protection schemes or engineering works are (a) under construction and (b) at the planning or other stage of development, broken down by (i) the expected completion date, including the reason for any date being beyond the 2021 timeframe, (ii) the number of properties that will be protected and (iii) the (A) initial forecast and (B) final expected cost of each.

Local authorities are responsible for the development and delivery of flood protection schemes. The 2015-2021 Flood Risk Management Strategies included 42 formal flood protection schemes. Local authorities were expected to start work on development of these schemes by 2021. However as flood protection schemes can have significant impacts on individuals, communities and the environment, and so require careful and detailed planning and consultation, it was recognised that construction work may not be completed within the 2015-2021 timeframe.

Schemes (a) under construction are as follows:

Scheme	(ii) Properties protected	(i) Completion Date	(iii A) Initial cost (£ million) (1)	( iii B) Estimated final cost (£ million) (2)
Upper Garnock	600	2023	15.5	18.5
Hawick	970	2023	37.4	78.6
Stonehaven	376	2023	19.9	27.5
Caol and Lochyside	296	2023	8.4	15.7
Arbroath	530	2023	1.4	13.5
Campbeltown	770	2023	9.3	15.2

Schemes (b) under development are as follows:

Scheme	Stage	(ii) Properties protected	(iii A) Initial cost (£ million) (1)	( iii B) Estimated Final Cost of Scheme (2)
Kilmacolm – Glenmosston Burn	Confirmed (3)	Not held	0.5	0.5
Comrie	Confirmed (3)	189	15.7	28.4
Millport Coastal	Confirmed (3)	657	12.1	48.6
Dumbarton - Gruggies Burn	Confirmed (3)	370	14.5	20.0
Quarrier’s Village	Confirmed (3)	60	0.2	0.4
Dumfries - Whitesands	Confirmed (3)	166	18.9	37.5
Water of Leith (Coltbridge, Gorgie, Saughton) Phase 3	Confirmed (3)	75	Not held	Not held
Mill Burn Millport	Confirmed (3)	124	1.1	1.7
Musselburgh	Under development	2500	8.9	95.9
Milnathort	Under development	79	1.9	2.2
Stranraer	Under development	350	0.4	1.2
Langholm	Under development	200	2.0	15.5
Newton Stewart/ River Cree	Under development	270	7.5	18.5
South Kinross	Under development	Not held	3.2	3.8
Bridge of Allan	Under development	Not held	4.4	17.3
Callander	Under development	30	2.4	4.7
Haddington	Paused (5)	320	8.5	8.5
Stirling	Paused (5)	810	26.2	86.6
Grangemouth FPS	Paused (5)	2980	111.5	420 (4)
St Andrews - Kinness Burn	Paused (5)	133	3.2	3.2
South Fords	Paused (5)	58	1.4	1.4
Scone	Paused (5)	44	0.7	0.8

(1) Note: Initial costs as provided by local authorities in 2016-17.

(2) Note: Final Scheme costs are the latest estimates provided by local authorities. Differences between these latest estimates and initial cost estimates arise because flood protection schemes are put forward for prioritisation at various stages of their development to fit with Flood Risk Management Planning cycle set out in the FRM Act. Costs are revised over time as designs are finalised and more detailed investigations are carried out and as new information emerges.

Schemes will only be taken forward for construction if they receive the necessary statutory and regulatory approvals so the expected completion date is not yet known.

More detailed information on each of the schemes can be obtained from the relevant local authorities whose responsibility it is to develop and deliver flood protection schemes and who are best placed to answer specific questions on each of the schemes.

(3) Note: Formally confirmed under Flood Risk Management Act (2009).

(4) Note: The reasons for cost variations set out in Note 2 also apply to Grangemouth Flood Protection Scheme. The presence of critical national infrastructure (port, refinery and fuel distribution) and the scale of the overall project (27km of defences) means that the variation may be larger than other flood protection schemes.

(5) Note: In July 2021 COSLA recommended to Scottish Ministers that the flood protection schemes prioritised in the first cycle which were not yet “legally committed” were paused and that a review of projects was undertaken to examine the status of each project and carry out an assessment of whether the project is still suitable to proceed. Six schemes remain paused and an SG/COSLA working group is now investigating ways to progress with the paused schemes and proposed schemes put forward for cycle 2.