- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will create a support mechanism for the wave and tidal energy industry to work alongside the UK Government’s revenue stabilisation mechanism, as recommended in the Scottish Renewables publication, Beyond COP26: Next steps for Scotland’s clean energy revolution.
Answer
The Scottish Government will set out a strengthened framework of support in the forthcoming Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan in 2022, to support the growth of the marine renewables and offshore wind sectors, focused on funding for the infrastructure these sectors need, such as port upgrades.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 2 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set a target of heating 45% of homes and 25% of commercial, industrial and public buildings from renewable sources by 2030, as recommended in the Scottish Renewables publication, Beyond COP26: Next steps for Scotland’s clean energy revolution.
Answer
The Heat in Buildings Strategy sets out that, to meet our emissions reduction targets, by 2030 the vast majority of the 170,000 off-gas homes that currently use fossil fuel heating systems, as well as at least 1 million homes currently using mains gas, must convert to zero emissions heating. Together these amount to around half of domestic properties, on top of the 11% of homes that currently use zero emissions heat. In addition, the equivalent of 50,000 non-domestic buildings, around a quarter, must also switch from fossil fuels to zero emissions heating, which will bring the total using zero emissions heat to around three quarters.
Our existing commitments are therefore broadly equivalent to those recommended by Scottish Renewables in terms of numbers of heating system conversions. However, at this time we have not adopted these as specifically renewable heat targets, in order to accommodate other sources of decarbonised heat. We will review our provisional minimum renewable heat target of 22% in the Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan which we will publish for consultation in spring next year.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 December 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 9 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on the roll-out of superfast broadband in Orkney.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 9 December 2021
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that booster vaccinations are recorded on COVID-19 vaccine certificates.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-04128 on 30 November 2021. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 19 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to respond to the reported recommendation of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry that building evacuation alert systems should be fitted in new and existing high-rise buildings over 11 metres in height.
Answer
On 1 October 2019, the Scottish Government introduced evacuation alert systems in new high rise domestic buildings with a floor over 18m. The government also published Practical Fire Safety Guidance for Existing High Rise Domestic Buildings. The guidance promotes using a risk based approach to determine the fire safety measures required. Therefore, upgrading existing high rise domestic buildings with evacuation alert systems may be implemented where the level of fire risk is justified, taking into account the time, cost and disruption to building occupants involved.
We are not aware of any recommendation from the Grenfell Inquiry Phase 1 report relating to evacuation alert systems to be installed in new and existing high rise buildings over 11 metres in height.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 19 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it intends to require the installation of evacuation alert systems in new buildings that are between 11 and 18 metres in height.
Answer
The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a requirement for evacuation alert systems to be installed in new buildings between 11 and 18 metres in height. See answer to S6W-04133 on 19 November 2021.
All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 November 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Orkney regarding the COVID-19 booster vaccination programme.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 24 November 2021
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has taken any action to alert fire safety companies to the requirements on evacuation alert systems contained in British Standard 8629:2019.
Answer
In support of changes to Building Regulations and technical guidance on 1 October 2019, dissemination events were held to provide information to all stakeholders including fire safety companies. These events included information on new requirements for evacuation alert systems to be installed in all new and converted high rise domestic buildings in accordance with British Standard 8629: 2019.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government and the National Fire Chiefs Council in relation to the fitting of evacuation alert systems, including any contribution it has made to the evacuation alert systems project, and what outcomes it hopes this will result in.
Answer
The Scottish Government provided support and funding to develop British Standard for evacuation alert systems and engaged with the National Fire Chiefs Council, Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and the UK Government in that work.
The National Fire Chiefs Council and UK Government comprise the Stay Put Technical Steering Group which is overseeing research on means of escape from a design, management and operational perspective. The Scottish Government and Scottish Fire and Rescue Service awaits the research findings, as they are key to informing any potential improvements and future approaches.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 October 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Keith Brown on 17 November 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-36076 by Humza Yousaf on 24 March 2021, whether it will provide figures for each month from March 2021 to date.
Answer
I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Interim Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:
SPS is unable provide information on the breakdown of the average monthly occupancy rates as the data is not collected in this format. The table below provides details of the weekly data collated on single cell occupancy across the prison estate.
- Single Occupancy – number of people accommodated alone in a cell intended to accommodate one person
- Single Occupancy Double Room – number of people accommodated alone in a cell that is designed to be double occupancy
- Double Occupancy Single Room – number of people accommodated with another person in a cell intended for one person
- Double Occupancy Double Room, Multiple Occupancy and Single Occupancy Dorm – number of people accommodated in a cell, or dormitory, intended for more than one person
- Total Population – The total number of individuals in custody that evening.
- Single Cell Occupancy % - The percentage of the total population of that evening who are accommodated in single cell accommodation.
Date | Single Occupancy | Single Occupancy Double Room | Double Occupancy Single Room | Double Occupancy Double Room | Multiple Occupancy | Single Occupancy Dorm | Total Population | Single Cell Occupancy % |
22-03-2021 | 4992 | 258 | 1252 | 892 | 22 | 0 | 7416 | 70.8% |
29-03-2021 | 4957 | 242 | 1232 | 942 | 19 | 1 | 7393 | 70.3% |
05-04-2021 | 4937 | 248 | 1308 | 918 | 25 | 3 | 7439 | 69.7% |
12-04-2021 | 4929 | 253 | 1306 | 898 | 31 | 0 | 7417 | 69.9% |
19-04-2021 | 4933 | 267 | 1312 | 868 | 28 | 1 | 7409 | 70.2% |
26-04-2021 | 4927 | 258 | 1286 | 874 | 30 | 3 | 7378 | 70.3% |
03-05-2021 | 5015 | 274 | 1212 | 852 | 32 | 0 | 7385 | 71.6% |
10-05-2021 | 5071 | 282 | 1122 | 844 | 33 | 1 | 7353 | 72.8% |
17-05-2021 | 5072 | 280 | 1154 | 838 | 32 | 1 | 7377 | 72.6% |
24-05-2021 | 5072 | 269 | 1142 | 838 | 35 | 1 | 7357 | 72.6% |
31-05-2021 | 5133 | 260 | 1132 | 842 | 34 | 0 | 7401 | 72.9% |
07-06-2021 | 5135 | 273 | 1128 | 862 | 28 | 3 | 7429 | 72.8% |
14-06-2021 | 5056 | 269 | 1204 | 898 | 31 | 0 | 7458 | 71.4% |
21-06-2021 | 5070 | 262 | 1262 | 884 | 30 | 1 | 7509 | 71.0% |
28-06-2021 | 5001 | 265 | 1314 | 884 | 35 | 2 | 7501 | 70.2% |
05-07-2021 | 5017 | 257 | 1316 | 892 | 33 | 0 | 7515 | 70.2% |
12-07-2021 | 4982 | 251 | 1362 | 876 | 33 | 1 | 7505 | 69.7% |
19-07-2021 | 4995 | 266 | 1384 | 870 | 31 | 1 | 7547 | 69.7% |
26-07-2021 | 4971 | 248 | 1426 | 892 | 30 | 1 | 7568 | 69.0% |
02-08-2021 | 4960 | 274 | 1454 | 868 | 33 | 1 | 7590 | 69.0% |
09-08-2021 | 4919 | 280 | 1504 | 864 | 30 | 1 | 7598 | 68.4% |
16-08-2021 | 4922 | 266 | 1468 | 910 | 33 | 1 | 7600 | 68.3% |
23-08-2021 | 4964 | 252 | 1420 | 910 | 36 | 2 | 7584 | 68.8% |
30-08-2021 | 4952 | 248 | 1452 | 906 | 38 | 1 | 7597 | 68.5% |
06-09-2021 | 4934 | 256 | 1426 | 898 | 35 | 1 | 7550 | 68.8% |
13-09-2021 | 4959 | 260 | 1406 | 914 | 31 | 1 | 7571 | 68.9% |
20-09-2021 | 4957 | 254 | 1442 | 922 | 31 | 1 | 7607 | 68.5% |
27-09-2021 | 4941 | 255 | 1444 | 916 | 33 | 1 | 7590 | 68.5% |
04-10-2021 | 4901 | 250 | 1464 | 902 | 35 | 1 | 7553 | 68.2% |
11-10-2021 | 4908 | 251 | 1472 | 894 | 33 | 0 | 7558 | 68.3% |
18-10-2021 | 4872 | 248 | 1518 | 900 | 34 | 0 | 7572 | 67.6% |
