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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.

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Question reference: S5W-34011

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S5W-32552 and S5W-33181 by Joe FitzPatrick on 10 and 25 November 2020 respectively, whether it will provide the information requested regarding when it last met representatives of the (a) Scottish Football Association, (b) Scottish Professional Football League, (c) Scottish Amateur Football Association, (d) Scottish Premiership club chairmen and (e) Scottish Football Supporters Association.

The Scottish Government last met with the:

Scottish Football Association on 16 December 2020

Scottish Professional Football League on 10 December 2020

Scottish Amateur Football Association on 4 December 2020

Scottish Football Supporters Association on 25 November 2020

We routinely meet with the Chairmen – and senior representatives like Chief Executives – of SPFL Premiership clubs, the last discussion was with the Chairman of Ross County on 18 November.

Question reference: S5W-34010

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 5 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the sources from whom it has received advice on the potential risks of allowing fans to return to stadium football matches; when that advice was last received, and when it will next seek to update it.

Our approach and principles remain those we set out in our Framework for Decision-Making , based on clinical evidence, expert advice, and a balanced assessment of the risks.

Ministers, clinicians and officials regularly consider the latest advice and information and reflect this in the decisions we take in managing the return of spectators. Given that the situation with the virus remains fragile – with many cases and continuing pressure on the NHS – we are taking a cautious approach.

Question reference: S5W-34080

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 December 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32941 by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 November 2020, what proportion of the £70 million will be committed specifically to target local authorities showing a decline in recycling rates.

The £70 million recycling fund provides a significant opportunity to improve local authority recycling collection infrastructure in order to drive further progress towards Scotland’s ambitious waste and recycling targets.

Through the joint Scottish Government & Local Government Strategic Steering Group on Circular Economy and Waste, we are continuing to work with Cosla, SOLACE, representatives from the Waste Management Officer’s Network and Zero Waste Scotland to agree an approach to the fund and identify opportunities to maximise its impact. As yet, no decisions have been made on how the fund will be distributed.

Question reference: S5W-34063

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 23 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32908 by Fiona Hyslop on 9 November 2020, whether it will provide an update on the COVID-19 Restrictions Fund, including details of how many applications have been received for each of the funds, broken down by local authority area, and how many of these (a) have been approved, (b) have been declined and (c) are awaiting a decision.

Question reference: S5W-34083

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33603 by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 December 2020, whether it will provide the information that was requested regarding how often it has engaged with (a) each local authority and (b) other statutory bodies since 2014 to better understand the impact of anti-litter enforcement practices.

Since 2014, the Scottish Government has engaged with local authorities and other key partners on litter issues through various mechanisms, including the Litter Managers’ Network, which meets regularly. Enforcement practices have been further discussed in the enforcement sub-group of the Litter Managers’ Network which has met six times since 2018, as outlined in S5W-33603 and S5W-34082 on 23 December 2020; as well as in the steering group that was tasked with reviewing the National Litter Strategy.

Question reference: S5W-34081

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 December 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33142 by Roseanna Cunningham on 18 November 2020, whether it will confirm the five local authorities that were selected to provide the compositional household waste data.

The UK waste compositional study referred to in S5W-33142 was conducted by the Waste and Resources Action Programme (WRAP). Information on the five local authorities that were selected is not held by Scottish Government. However, Zero Waste Scotland expect to begin fieldwork for a revised analysis of the composition of household municipal waste in Spring 2021, and publication of the full results is expected in 2022.

Question reference: S5W-34082

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 23 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33603 by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 December 2020, when the enforcement sub-group of the Litter Managers Network was set up, and on what dates it has met.

Question reference: S5W-34079

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 December 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32571 by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 November 2020, in light of the Zero Waste Scotland report, The climate change impacts of burning municipal waste in Scotland, whether SEPA is in discussions with energy from waste (EfW) plant operators regarding collecting detailed data in the future and, if so, what (a) the status is of these discussions and (b) information has been requested.

SEPA already collects a range of data from Energy from Waste operators including on waste throughput, energy production and stack emissions. SEPA has not requested any additional data in light of the Zero Waste Scotland report.

We will continue to work with Energy from Waste operators and developers to consider opportunities to further improve the efficiency of plants, and we have recently held initial discussions with SEPA and representatives from across the waste industry.

Question reference: S5W-33996

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 18 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what effect the COVID-19 pandemic has had on the number of pets and other animals being abandoned.

Question reference: S5W-33605

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what baselines have been established to monitor and track the litter reduction interventions set out in its strategy, Towards a litter-free Scotland: a strategic approach to higher quality local environments.

Local Environment Audit and Management System (LEAMS) has been used since 2003 to collect data on local environmental quality. This data is collected by Local Authorities and administered by Keep Scotland Beautiful.

Zero Waste Scotland is working with Keep Scotland Beautiful, Association for Public Service Excellence, Local Authorities, the Improvement Service and SOLACE to implement a new Litter Monitoring System that will collect more granular information to contribute to the national picture of litter in Scotland and help to inform targeted responses.