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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-02880

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, following the first meeting of the National Smart Ticketing Advisory Board, what progress has been made towards introducing a national smart ticketing scheme.

Question reference: S6W-23256

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to mandating financial rewards to communities that host critical energy generation or transmission infrastructure.

Electricity regulation, generation, transmission and distribution are reserved to the UK Government. This means that mandating financial benefits for communities through the consents process is beyond the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament. However we have pressed the UK Government to take action in this area on many occasions, in terms of transmission and generation infrastructure.

While we welcome the UK Government’s announcements on providing energy bill discounts and wider community benefit from upgrades to the electricity transmission network, Scottish Ministers will continue to press the UK Government to explore making such benefits for transmission and generation mandatory, subject to full consultation. I have written to the UK Secretary of State this week to urge the UK Government to ensure there is meaningful engagement with the Scottish Government as these proposals are developed.

Despite the powers to mandate being reserved, community benefits are well-established in Scotland with our national Community Benefits Register indicating that over £25 million worth of community benefits were committed from renewable energy projects in the last 12 months. We continue to explore different avenues within devolved powers that will build on the successes of our Good Practice Principles, the Onshore Wind Sector Deal, and work to develop a solar deployment ambition.

Question reference: S6W-23257

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of investment zones as a method of reducing any shortage of skilled workers for the energy transition.

The Scottish and UK Governments are currently working collaboratively with regional partners to develop proposals with distinct sectoral focus to maximise cluster building, innovation and economic growth.

The proposals – which are in the early stages of development – will link to existing regional economic strategies, recognising the pipeline of skills required for priority sectors, and will include an attractive package of levers aimed at encouraging new businesses to locate in the regions providing opportunities for talent attraction, which will contribute positively to meeting current and future skills requirements.

Question reference: S6W-23254

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 4 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to ban gas flaring.

Where flaring and venting is required as an operational safety feature in onshore industrial activities, the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) act as independent regulators at regulated sites in Scotland. SEPA requires operators to prevent, or where that is not possible, to reduce emissions due to flaring and venting by the use of best available techniques.

Policy in relation to flaring and venting on offshore oil and gas platforms is reserved to the UK Government. The North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) acts as the regulator with the relevant legislation requiring offshore operators to have the correct consents in place for the flaring and venting during production operations. The NSTA has a goal of reaching zero routine flaring by 2030 or sooner.

Question reference: S6O-02790

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christine Grahame (on Behalf of the Scottish Parliament Corporate Body on 23 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what consideration it has given to allowing events to start in the Parliament building while Members' Business debates are ongoing.

To enable all Members to take part in events and recognising that parliamentary business needs to take precedence, events do not take place at the same time as parliamentary business in the chamber.

However, the SPCB recognises that events involve a great deal of advance planning and that individuals may travel some distance and give up their time to be able to attend.

So when business runs late, parliamentary officials will work with the event organisers to ensure refreshments are served to event guests and they can go to the room where the event is taking place and meet with Members, where possible. However, speeches should only take place once parliamentary business is concluded so all Members have the opportunity to hear them.

This pragmatic approach appears to be working but we continually keep this under review.

Question reference: S6O-02810

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what services people experiencing poor mental health can access this winter.

Question reference: S6W-22928

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 November 2023

To as the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to evaluate the outcomes of Project CAVForth, and what its anticipated next steps are for autonomous buses.

Transport Scotland's involvement in Project CAVForth demonstrates the Scottish Government's belief that a modern transport system is fundamental to sustainable and inclusive economic growth and has the potential to deliver economic and societal benefits.

Transport Scotland’s involvement in Project CAVForth, as a partner, came to a conclusion at the end of July 2023 when the funding period for the project ended. The project aim of delivering an autonomous bus service was successfully achieved and my officials obtained considerable operational knowledge relating to the steps required to support the safe implementation of such a service. The trial service will continue until March 2025 under a successor project and the ongoing evaluation of the project and the next steps are being taken forward by Stagecoach as the operator of the service. In Transport Scotland’s role as roads authority for the majority of the route my officials will continue to support the project where possible.

My officials are also continuing to engage with the DfT around UK Government plans to introduce new legislation to support self-driving vehicles.

Question reference: S6T-01642

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the chief executive of Ferguson Marine is still entitled to a bonus despite the First Minister saying that he thought the practice should end.

Question reference: S6W-22629

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve awareness of home energy upgrades and retrofit schemes, in light of reported data from the Chartered Institute of Buildings, which found that two in five residents cannot afford these upgrades and that 39% of those surveyed had not heard of any Scottish Government incentive schemes.

Our home energy upgrade and retrofit schemes provide high levels of support. For example, eligible households can access up to £15,000 in grants and interest free loans to install clean heating systems and energy efficiency measures. Up to £18,000 is available for those households living in rural areas.

We run regular marketing campaigns to promote awareness of the support available and to raise awareness of the need to take action to reduce emissions and contribute toward net zero objectives. Earlier this year we ran a marketing campaign promoting the support on offer via our newly launched Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan scheme. During the campaign we saw a 23% increase in applications compared to the previous month.

Currently we are running a nationwide marketing campaign promoting the offer of support available from Home Energy Scotland. In the new year we will launch a new targeted awareness raising campaign targeting households who are able to consider installing a heat pump. This will be complemented by bolstered activity under our Let’s Do Net Zero marketing campaign which will highlight the benefits of making changes such as installing insulation or a climate friendly heating system.

The Energy Savings Trust, who manage Home Energy Scotland, also regularly promote the Loans and Grants scheme through their own channels including digital promotion via the advice centre network.

By the end of this year we will publish our Heat in Buildings Public Engagement Strategy setting out how we will work with stakeholders to increase public awareness and understanding of clean heating systems, the different technological options available and how to access advice and support.

Question reference: S6W-22810

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 16 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to change the reference point for mobile home pitch fees from retail prices index (RPI) to consumer prices index (CPI), in light of the UK Mobile Homes (Pitch Fees) Act 2023.

Following the necessary consultation , the Scottish Government confirmed in June 2023 that it intends to update the Mobile Homes Act 1983 to change the presumed basis of pitch fee uprating from the Retail Prices Index to the Consumer Prices Index, for both existing and future contracts. We also propose to make a further change so that the statistical basis for uprating pitch fees can be amended by secondary rather than primary legislation in the future. We will bring forward the necessary legislation at the earliest opportunity.