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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: S6W-05317

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it necessitated that it take ownership of the Dalzell steelworks for a short period in 2016, and what prevented Tata Steel selling the asset directly to Liberty House.

Question reference: S6W-05313

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish the information it holds on the total potential environmental remediation cost of the Dalzell steelworks.

A soil and groundwater contamination liability assessment covering the Lanarkshire steelworks was prepared for the Scottish Government in 2016.

A copy of the report with redactions in line with FOISA exemptions is available from the Scottish Government website here:

( https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/foi-eir-release/2021/07/foi-202100216003/documents/foi202100216003---information-released-2/foi202100216003---information-released-2/govscot%3Adocument/FOI202100216003%2B-%2BInformation%2Breleased%2B2.pdf ).

Question reference: S6W-05305

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government on what date (a) its officials first identified and (b) the Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, or his predecessor, was first informed of (i) the existence of the liability in relation to the facilitation of the sale of the Dalzell steelworks and (ii) issues with this potentially breaking state aid rules.

There is no liability in relation to the facilitation of the sale of the Dalzell steelwork.

Initial advice was provided to Ministers of concern on the grounds of potentially non-compliant State aid on 17 August 2021 and Officials were asked to undertake further investigation including obtaining additional specialist advice.

I was provided with a further update on a potential issue concerning non-compliant State aid on 25 October 2021 following further investigation.

Final advice was provided to Ministers on 8 December 2021.

Question reference: S6W-05311

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has (a) conducted and (b) commissioned on the total potential environmental remediation cost of the Dalzell steelworks.

A soil and groundwater contamination liability assessment covering the Lanarkshire steelworks was prepared for the Scottish Government in 2016.

A copy of the report with redactions in line with FOISA exemptions is available from the Scottish Government website here

Question reference: S6W-05324

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the possible breach of state aid rules, in relation to the facilitation of the sale of the Dalzell steelworks, will damage or have any other implications for its (a) existing relationships with businesses and (b) reputation among businesses that it is considering entering into a relationship with.

Question reference: S6W-05327

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what risk assessment it has undertaken of whether Tata Steel will initiate legal proceedings against it in relation to the facilitation of the sale of the Dalzell steelworks.

Question reference: S6W-05329

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what evidence it has to support the view stated by the Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise, during his ministerial statement on 15 December 2021 on Dalzell Historical Industrial Transactions, that “the circumstances upon which it [the indemnity] would be called upon are unlikely to materialise”.

Question reference: S6W-05323

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans, for any reason, to refer the issue of the possible breach of state aid rules, in relation to the facilitation of the sale of the Dalzell steelworks, to the Court of Justice of the European Union.

Question reference: S6W-05328

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what review it has conducted of other contracts in relation to (a) state aid rules and (b) assuming liabilities such as environmental remediation, in light of the results of its review of the facilitation of the sale of the Dalzell steelworks.

We have considered the compliance and disclosure risks associated with significant and complex transactions. This includes the high-profile interventions that the Scottish Government has supported in recent years as outlined in 2020-21 Annual Accounts.

These transactions have been reviewed and, on the basis of information available it remains the case that there was no state aid present in any of the transactions. We have also obtained assurances in respect of the appropriate recognition and disclosure of contingent liabilities.

Question reference: S6W-05309

Asked by: Willie Rennie, MSP for North East Fife, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what due diligence it conducted prior to facilitating the purchase of the Dalzell steelworks by Liberty House from Tata Steel, and whether it (a) employed any consultants and (b) commissioned any external advice in relation to this matter.