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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-30349

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 22 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what public funds were involved in the construction of Maxim Business Park (Eurocentral) in Motherwell, and whether it or any of its agencies has a stake in the facility's ownership.

Question reference: S5W-30348

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 22 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it or any of its agencies have offered any financial, tax or other assistance to encourage or facilitate the decision by Aviva to move its operations to Maxim Business Park (Eurocentral) in Motherwell.

Question reference: S5W-30275

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 20 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many unsuccessful applications for COVID-19 business support grants have been reassessed in each local authority area; how many have been awarded funding as a result, and what the total value of that funding has been.

The Small Business Support Grants and Retail, Hospitality and Leisure Grants are administered and awarded by Local Authorities. The Scottish Government collects data on a weekly basis pertaining to the total number of business support grant applications made and the total number of grants awarded by each local authority. Data pertaining to the number of business grant support applications that may have been reassessed is not held centrally.

Available data is published weekly at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-business-support-fund-grant-statistics/ , and we continue to work with local authorities to best reflect scheme information.

Question reference: S5W-30224

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 7 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when Part 2 of the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019 will come into force.

The changes to basic disclosure under Part 2 of the Management of Offenders (Scotland) Act 2019 Act ("the 2019 Act") require operational changes to the system of disclosure certificates issued by Disclosure Scotland.

Disclosure Scotland activated their business continuity plan in light of Covid-19 and are focusing on their vital safeguarding role during these challenging times. This means commencement could not take place as had been planned for the summer of 2020. Disclosure Scotland and the Scottish Government have been working to set a new implementation date for the delivery of these important changes.

The Scottish Government is hopeful that Part 2 of the 2019 Act will be able to be commenced at some point in 2020, but that very much depends on the current situation. Once I am able to, I will announce when commencement of Part 2 of the 2019 Act will take place.

Question reference: S5W-29858

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what immediate support it can provide to properties owned by the National Trust for Scotland that are unable to support social distancing regulations, while the talks over long-term assistance are ongoing.

The Scottish Government is currently working with stakeholders, including the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), to produce reopening guidance for museums, galleries and heritage attractions to advise how best to implement appropriate measures which ensure their ongoing compliance with the physical distancing rules, which are necessary and proportionate to the scale of the threat we are experiencing. The guidance will be published shortly.

As I have indicated in response to the Member’s question S5W-29857 on 22 June 2020, a team from the Scottish Government and Scottish Enterprise is currently exploring, with the NTS, options for support and has asked NTS for further details.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx

Question reference: S5W-29857

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for further talks between it, the National Trust for Scotland and Scottish Enterprise, following the meeting on 26 May 2020.

Following the meeting on 26 May 2020 between Scottish Enterprise (SE), the Scottish Government and the National Trust for Scotland (NTS), Scottish Enterprise wrote to the NTS on 27 May suggesting that it produce a turnaround plan outlining its strategy for recovery including the costs and timings of reopening its properties, resuming activities and associated resourcing.

This Plan will be used as the basis for future discussions and enable the team to assess what specific support measures may be required to get the organisation to that point while minimising job losses and property closures. The NTS acknowledged that email on 29 th May and said that it would seek to provide a turnaround plan in
‎ 2-3 weeks. Once officials and SE have received this information, they will meet again with the NTS to discuss it and explore the options available.

Following discussions with Prospect, I have also written to the NTS encouraging it to apply Fair Work Principles and to involve the unions in its forward planning.

Question reference: S5W-29468

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 18 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what access business improvement districts will have to funding to help support and implement safe shopping practices across high streets and other retail locations in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

I recently announced a Towns and BIDs Resilience & Recovery Fund of up to £2 million from the Supporting Communities Fund. This will build on the £1 million BIDs Resilience Fund announced in March, but with a wider towns focus, extending support to towns which do not have constituted BIDs. BIDs and towns organisations will be able to access at least £1.7 million of this funding directly through applying to Scotland’s Towns Partnership (STP), and BIDs can access the Fund from September when the BIDs Resilience Fund expires.

Through the BIDs Resilience Fund, BIDs are providing urgent support and advice to local businesses and communities affected by the COVID-19 emergency. They are working with their local councils, partners, businesses and communities on a wide range of initiatives to support the implementation of safe shopping practices as lockdown restrictions are relaxed. These measures include enhanced CCTV and security, promoting safe practice guides for businesses and local residents, physical distancing markers for businesses, hand sanitising equipment, Perspex shields and related PPE. BIDs will continue to cascade best practice to businesses and communities as advice emerges.

We continue to work with STP to consider the impact of COVID-19 on town centres and what will be required for the recovery, as well as taking account of ambitions for net-zero, inclusive growth and place.

Question reference: S5W-29467

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 16 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Barnett consequentials arising from the UK Government Re-opening High Streets Safely Fund in response to the COVID-19 outbreak will be ringfenced for measures to support high streets and town centres in introducing social distancing provisions.

We are continuing to seek clarification from the UK Government on this. We have received no indication from the HM Treasury that we will receive consequentials from the Reopening High Streets Safely Fund.

Despite this and before the UK Government announcement, I had already outlined support for our towns with a £1m a Business Improvement Districts (BIDs) Resilience Fund. I have also recently announced a further £2 million of funding to support other towns and to further support BIDs in the recovery phase.

Moreover, the new £30 million Spaces for People capital fund being administered by Sustrans allows local authorities to put in place pop-up walking and cycling routes or temporary improvements to existing routes, providing businesses and communities with confidence regarding their safety. This covers much of the intention of the UK Reopening High Streets Safely Fund.

And we continue to work with Scotland’s Towns Partnership to consider the impact of COVID-19 on town centres and what will be required for the recovery, as well as taking account of ambitions for net-zero, inclusive growth and place.

Question reference: S5O-04424

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 June 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what priorities will guide its plans for a green economic recovery.

Question reference: S5W-29466

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 May 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 8 June 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its plans to facilitate safe shopping across high streets, town centres and other retail locations in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The Scottish Government published retail sectoral guidance on 26 May, which can be accessed at https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-retail-sector-guidance/pages/overview/ .

We have worked with employers and trade unions to ensure that this guidance is evidence-based, fair and ethical, clear and realistic.

Our guidance has been designed to be applied to cover the spectrum of different retailers in Scotland. Each business will need to translate the guidance into the specific actions it needs to take depending on the nature of their business.