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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: S6O-03453

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what elements it has identified that led to it not meeting its household recycling targets in 2013 and 2020.

Question reference: S6W-26629

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 25 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the concerns raised by stakeholders in the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee evidence session on 16 January 2024 regarding the effectiveness of environmental governance, and to the recommendation made by the Environmental Rights Centre for Scotland proposing the establishment of a specialist committee or working group to revisit the question of an environmental court or tribunal.

The Scottish Government consulted on its Report into the Effectiveness of Environmental Governance last year. The report outlines the Scottish Government’s position on maintaining the balance of parliamentary, administrative and judicial roles in decision making on environmental matters. However, the Scottish Government will continue to engage with stakeholders – including those who provided evidence to the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee – on environmental governance and environmental justice.

Question reference: S6W-26527

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26076 by Maree Todd on 22 March 2024, whether it will confirm if the data provided on waiting times includes those referred to child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) for both mental health issues and neurodevelopmental issues.

As set out in the most recent Public Health Scotland (PHS) Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) waiting times quarterly publication, CAMHS is classified as multi-disciplinary teams that provide treatment and interventions for children and young people experiencing mental health problems.

Where they are awaiting an assessment for a neurodevelopmental condition such as ASD or ADHD, they may not be considered for CAMHS because they do not meet the National Referral Criteria described in the CAMHS national service specification standards. Broadly these state that if a child is presenting with mental health problems that are causing significant impact on their day-to-day lives and other approaches are not appropriate. However in some individual cases, it may be the case that patients with neurodevelopmental conditions are still reported under CAMHS as long as they fit the specification criteria.

Question reference: S6W-26632

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what vetting process is used when appointing delivery partners for Peatland ACTION.

All Peatland ACTION delivery partners are subject to relevant Scottish Contracts Legislation.

NatureScot managed Peatland ACTION funding on an annual basis until FY 2021-2022. In order to increase our restoration rates, the Scottish Government made the decision to directly fund selected delivery partners given their proven delivery of restoration work through the existing Peatland ACTION funding model.

This was intended to empower these delivery partners to meet the Scottish Government’s programme targets within their own systems of accountability and management, directing funding streams to the most efficient delivery channels to maximise restoration rates.

Question reference: S6W-26631

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of (a) public, (b) private and (c) third sector delivery partners appointed for Peatland ACTION, including their appointment date.

The Peatland ACTION direct delivery partners are: Cairngorms National Park Authority, Forestry and Land Scotland, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority, NatureScot and Scottish Water.

NatureScot managed Peatland ACTION on an annual basis until 2021 when funding was then allocated to the other Delivery Partners direct from Scottish Government.

For information on any sub-contracted delivery partners please contact the aforementioned Peatland ACTION Delivery Partners.

Question reference: S6W-26630

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether carbon impact is a material consideration when selecting contractors to carry out restoration work funded through Peatland ACTION.

All restoration work funded through Peatland ACTION is subject to Sustainable Procurement Duty outlined in Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 . Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 (legislation.gov.uk)

Operational decisions on procuring contractors to carry out restoration work are made by respective Peatland ACTION delivery partners.

For further information on their selection criteria please contact NatureScot, Cairngorms National Park Authority, Forestry and Land Scotland, Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority or Scottish Water.

Question reference: S6W-26556

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the compulsory microchipping of pet cats.

The Scottish Government’s Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats recommends that all cat owners should consider neutering and microchipping their pets as the best way of being reunited with their rightful owners, should they be separated.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s (SAWC) Responsible Cat Ownership Working Group is currently considering responsible cat ownership including microchipping and we will carefully consider the SAWC’s report and its recommendations once published before taking further action.

Question reference: S6W-26445

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26073 by Lorna Slater on 21 March 2024, how much targeted funding it has provided to SMEs in the construction sector to provide retraining and upskilling for workers.

The Scottish Government invests significantly in skills development, including through a £2.4 billion investment in the post-school education and skills system. This includes £200 million for Skills Development Scotland to deliver against Scottish Government priorities, including our net zero ambitions.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on what proportion of this support is targeted to SMEs in the construction sector.

Question reference: S6W-26446

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-26073 by Lorna Slater on 21 March 2024, what proportion of the green jobs required in the construction sector identified in the report are estimated to be as a result of its policy initiatives.

Of the 2.5m jobs in Scotland, the research mapped nearly 40% of those as green jobs. Of those green jobs, 13% were classified as ‘new and emerging’ construction sector jobs, 12% were ‘enhanced skills and knowledge’ construction sector jobs, and 25% were ‘increased demand’ construction sector jobs. The research did not seek to define how many of these were as a result of policy initiatives nor does the Scottish Government hold that information.

The full report can be found here: https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/media/q2lhg1v5/green-jobs-in-scotland-report_final-4.pdf

Question reference: S6W-26626

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 18 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what options exist to expedite court cases involving XL Bully dogs, in order to avoid any long periods of kennelling.

The Scottish Government takes animal welfare very seriously and is committed to the highest possible welfare standards. There is however a balance to be struck between protecting animal welfare and protecting public safety.

The scheduling of court cases is an operational matter for the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) who operate independently from the Scottish Government. It would therefore not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to comment or intervene on such matters.