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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: S6W-10626

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been convicted of motoring offences where being unfit to drive due to alcohol or drugs was the main charge in each year since 2017.

Information is available from the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland 2020-21 statistical publication.

Table 4(b) in the main tables provides information on the number of convictions for 'Driving under influence'; and the additional dataset titled 'Drink and Careless driving' provides further information on the number of convictions for causing death by careless driving when under influence of drink/drugs.

These can be found under the 'Supporting documents' at this link - Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2019-20 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Question reference: S6W-10442

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an updated estimate on the annual cost of operating the Deposit Return Scheme in a "steady state" as set out in the full business case addendum, which was published on 16 March 2020.

Question reference: S6W-10443

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide the full operational costs of Circularity Scotland in (a) 2020-21 and (b) 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-10903

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether any resources have been allocated (a) within its Health and Social Care directorate and (b) to NHS boards to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in children.

The Scottish Government allocates funding to the Managed Service Network (MSN) for Children and Young People with Cancer on an annual basis for both children and teenagers and young adults services. This funding provides support for administrative and strategic roles within the MSN, and some clinical posts within NHS Boards to ensure that all children and young people in Scotland receive the right diagnosis, aligned with the right treatment, delivered by the right team in the right place.

The MSN works in partnership with charities and third sector organisations to raise awareness of the signs and symptoms of cancer in children and young adults. Examples include working with Children's Cancer and Leukaemia Group on the Childhood Cancer Diagnosis Study and spearheading the Headsmart campaign with The Brain Tumour Charity.

Question reference: S6W-10717

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Islands Energy Strategy.

As stated in the answer to S6W-10716 on 20 September 2022, work to develop an Islands Energy Strategy was delayed during the pandemic. In the interim period there have been significant changes to the policy landscape, including commitments to take forward an Energy Strategy Just Transition Plan for Scotland and the Carbon Neutral Islands Project. An Islands Energy Strategy will follow and build on these pieces of work in 2023 allowing alignment with Scotland's national plans. Stakeholder engagement on is ongoing. 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 .

Question reference: S6W-10904

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a progress update to its cancer strategy for children and young people 2021–2026.

Question reference: S6W-10630

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 20 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has allocated to improve the energy efficiency of (a) business buildings, (b) local authority buildings (excluding housing), (c) social housing and (d) domestic housing in each year from 2020 to 2022.

Funding the Scottish Government has allocated to improve energy efficiency of buildings 2020 to 2022

	2020 - 2021	2021 - 2022	2022- 2023
(a) Business buildings	£8,000,000	£8,750,000	£8,000,000
(b) Local authority buildings	£1,590,000	£3,085,000	£4,500,000
(c) Social housing	£20,000,000	£30,000,000	£30,000,000
(d) Domestic housing	£103,000,000	£137,000,000	£161,000,000

* The Schemes and funding included in the figures: (a) Business Buildings - SME Loan Scheme and SME Cashback, (b) Local authority buildings - Public Sector Energy Efficiency Loan Scheme, (c) Social housing - Zero Emission Housing Fund and “Fabric First” Energy Efficiency Projects, (d)Domestic housing - Home Energy Scotland Loan, Home Energy Scotland Cashback, Area Based Schemes and Warmer Homes Scotland. The schemes and funding cover both heat and energy efficiency and can't be separated. The Domestic housing figures do not include Social Housing funding.

Domestic housing figures do not include Social Housing funding.

Question reference: S6W-10213

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 8 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the US State Department's Trafficking in Persons Report July 2022, which states that "Observers in Scotland noted an increase in the proportion of criminally exploited children who were charged with crimes and underscored that more trafficking victims faced criminal justice processes than traffickers".

Child trafficking and exploitation is abuse. When there is reason to believe that a child may have been trafficked or exploited an immediate child protection response is required and an inter-agency referral discussion (IRD) should be undertaken. In cases where a child or young person has been subject to any form of exploitation or trafficking their safety and protection is paramount. Child trafficking and exploitation victims must be cared for and supported within the context of Scotland’s child protection system and the national Getting it right for every child (GIRFEC) approach.

In September 2021 Scottish Government published the revised National Guidance for Child Protection which includes detailed advice for all practitioners who support children and families on identifying and supporting victims of human trafficking and exploitation, including criminal and sexual exploitation.

The Human Trafficking and Exploitation (Scotland) Act 2015 required the Lord Advocate to issue instructions regarding the prosecution of persons who are, or appear to be, the victims of trafficking, slavery, servitude or forced or compulsory labour and who have allegedly committed a criminal offence. The instructions set a strong presumption against prosecution of child victims who have committed an offence in the course of, or as a consequence of, being trafficked or exploited.

The Scottish Government will continue to work with operational partners to better understand what child protection procedures are followed in cases of trafficking and exploitation, and ensure that child protection procedures are activated immediately.

Question reference: S6O-01363

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Orkney Islands Council to discuss its budget settlement.

Question reference: S6W-10628

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 26 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when 4G masts in Rackwick and Stronsay in Orkney, as part of the Scottish 4G Infill Programme, will go live.

Construction of the masts at Rackwick and Stronsay is complete. Both masts are being developed in collaboration with the Home Office’s Emergency Services Network (ESN). 4G service will, ultimately, be provided on these sites by mobile network operator EE. To move these sites to activation requires the Home Office to execute a Change Request as part of their ESN programme. The Scottish Government is aware of a substantial delay in the Home Office enacting this Change Request which is preventing these masts from moving to service activation.

All efforts are being made by the Scottish Government to expedite this issue which, once resolved, will enable a number of masts including Rackwick and Stronsay proceed to activation.