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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-27709

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 March 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 11 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many people from workless households in each local authority area have been helped into employment over the last year through its programmes.

Since 2018, we have been reforming our offer with regard to employability services, with the introduction of Fair Start Scotland using newly delegated powers, and the development of our No One Left Behind agenda. No One Left Behind was developed to improve employability support in Scotland through actions including the development of a comprehensive delivery and funding arrangement with a collectively agreed national outcomes and measurement framework.

We recognise that coming from a workless household is one of the barriers to the labour market faced by participants in employability programmes supported by the Scottish Government, but the Scottish Government does not currently hold the data requested. It may be data that is collated in the future through the development of the No One Left Behind Shared Outcomes and Measurement Framework. At this early stage in delivery of No One Left Behind, it is too early to publish meaningful data. However, the Scottish Government does regularly publish a range of information on our employability services, which include local authority breakdowns. We will continue to review and assess the data we collect and publish with partners as part of our development of a shared measurement framework.

Question reference: S5W-27589

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 9 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27295 by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 February 2020, what assurance it has given councils that they will not be financially disadvantaged by any potential impact of the deposit return scheme (DRS) on waste management contracts.

As set out in the answer to S5W-27293 on 20 February 2020, Zero Waste Scotland has been working closely with local authorities to assess the likely impacts of Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) in more detail and we intend to share a summary of that work with the Environment, Climate Change, and Land Reform Committee in due course. Local authorities are likely to see significant benefits overall from DRS including reduced litter collection and disposal costs.

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-27588

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 February 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 3 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27295 by Roseanna Cunningham on 20 February 2020, which councils have enquired about financial support for renegotiating waste management contracts.

Question reference: S5W-27592

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 3 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-27341 by John Swinney on 24 February 2020, whether it will confirm which schools, and where they are located.

Question reference: S5W-27505

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what financial or technical support will be provided to businesses to adapt premises to handle potential contaminants from deposit return scheme (DRS) materials, while maintaining statutory compliance with food hygiene regulations.

We recognise that retailers, particularly those who prepare food on their premises, will need to put in place controls in order to avoid risks around food safety and related issues arising from their obligation to operate a return point under Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS).

We will work with the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland to develop guidance for retailers, particularly smaller businesses, to support them in implementing DRS in a way that is consistent with their obligations.

Question reference: S5W-27506

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what provision will be made to provide exceptions from the deposit return scheme (DRS) for premises that must adhere to statutory food hygiene regulations.

The draft Deposit Return Scheme Regulations, published on 10 September 2019, allow the Scottish Ministers to exempt a retailer from the obligation to operate a return point where:

An alternative return point located within reasonable proximity has agreed to take back containers on the retailer’s behalf, and
If the exemption is granted, this will still provide consumers with reasonable access to a return point.

We have been engaging with the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland to better understand potential risks around food safety and related issues associated with operating a return point in a retail setting and intend to share further information with the Environment, Climate Change, and Land Reform Committee in due course.

Question reference: S5O-04213

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving to varying landfill tax rates and bands during the extended period before a biodegradable municipal waste to landfill ban.

Question reference: S5W-27340

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what projections it has made of the potential differential over the next three years between funding provided to local authorities for new-build schools and revenue clawback where facilities do not meet energy efficiency outcomes.

Question reference: S5W-27342

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to a tapered model of funding reduction for local authorities where new-build schools do not meet energy efficiency outcomes.

Question reference: S5W-27343

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 24 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much weighting will be given to (a) design and construction and (b) post-construction activity when assessing energy efficiency outcomes for new-build schools.