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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-24540

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent (a) representations it has made to and (b) discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding (i) securing the reported £60-80 million investment in the hydrocracker and (ii) whether any action could be taken to enable Petroineos Grangemouth to refine a greater volume of crude oil from the North Sea, and if doing so could potentially extend the life of the oil refinery beyond 2025.

Question reference: S6W-24532

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether retaining the oil refinery operations at Petroineos Grangemouth is one of its strategic policy objectives, in light of reports that retaining this element of the business would reflect the importance of the site as a national economic asset.

We recognise the important role that the Grangemouth refinery plays in meeting current fuel demand in Scotland and we know the wider cluster will be key to meeting fuel demand in the future.

It is our preference that refining should continue for as long as possible and Ministers are considering every realistic option to extend the life of the asset. This would provide the critical time and space for the refinery business to expedite transition opportunities at Grangemouth and protect as many existing jobs as possible.

The Scottish Government has committed to working with operators across the Grangemouth cluster to bring forward new low carbon projects at Grangemouth, in technologies such as CCUS, hydrogen and bio-refining. These projects will take time to be brought forward, however they do offer an opportunity to transition the site and cement the cluster’s role long into the future.

Question reference: S6W-24618

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns regarding the indefinite detention of some prisoners in Scotland, whether it is reviewing the application of the Order for Lifelong Restriction introduced in 2008, particularly in relation to reported cases where prisoners sentenced for minor offences have been detained for over 15 years without a release date; what measures are in place to ensure that (a) social workers and (b) psychologists involved in any such cases are accountable for their recommendations and decisions regarding such prisoners, and what steps are being taken to ensure (i) transparency of and (ii) accountability for any decisions affecting such prisoners, particularly in light of the reported removal of courses previously offered to work towards release.

Orders for Lifelong Restriction (OLRs) are a long-standing valuable sentencing option for courts to use for the most dangerous offenders. The OLR is an exceptional risk based sentence which is only used by the most senior judges in Scotland in the High Court following a risk assessment process carried out by accredited experts.

In order for the High Court to impose an OLR, they must be satisfied on the balance of probabilities that the nature of, or the circumstances of the commission of, the offence of which the convicted person has been found guilty - either in the circumstances themselves or as part of a pattern of behaviour - are such as to demonstrate that there is a likelihood that he or she, if at liberty, will seriously endanger the lives, or physical or psychological well-being, of members of the public at large.

Decisions on the release of OLR prisoners are taken by the Parole Board for Scotland. New rules were introduced last year which require that the latest Risk Management Plan (RMP) or the Risk Assessment Report is available to the Board when consideration is made for the release of a person subject to an OLR. The Board will only direct release when they are satisfied that imprisonment is no longer necessary for the protection of the public but in circumstances where their decision differs from the recommendations in the RMP, they must provide a reason for that decision.

The Risk Management Authority (RMA) have a legislative responsibility around the evaluation and approval of RMPs and can make recommendations around the role of social work and psychologists involved in those cases. The RMA have produced evidence-based Standards and Guidelines for Risk Assessment and Management to support criminal justice partners in consistent risk practice. Last year, they also published extensive research into the Order for Lifelong Restriction sentence, a report which is available on their website, and the Scottish Government continues to reflect on these findings.

Professional standards bodies such as the Scottish Social Services Council sets out national standards of conduct and practice that apply to all social service workers and their employers.

Over the last few years, there have been changes to pilot delivery of two new national offender programmes, an expanded Self-Change programme to address intimate partner violence and sexual offending and a redesigned Moving Forward to Change (MF2C) sex offender programme. It is expected that MF2C will support a greater throughput of prisoners through the programme, optimising access to it.

Question reference: S6W-24536

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy will assume the chair of the Grangemouth Future Industry Board.

Question reference: S6W-24542

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Net Zero Nation's proposed project for a Net Zero Pilot Accelerator involving 20 SMEs “to help decarbonise the Grangemouth supply chain”, as referred to in the Grangemouth Future Industry Board minutes of 11 August 2022.

Net Zero Nation launched their first Pilot Accelerator programme in Grangemouth in June 2023. This was funded by the Grangemouth Future Industry Board. The launch of this event was hosted by Forth Ports, who collaborated with Net Zero Nation to identify businesses in the Grangemouth area to recruit onto the Accelerator programme. The organisation successfully recruited 20 local SMEs onto the programme in 2023 and have plans to launch their Accelerator 2.0 Programme with a second cohort of Grangemouth businesses in early 2024.

The Accelerator programme provides businesses with advice on developing carbon reduction plans as well as access to CBN Expert carbon accountancy software, allowing them to record and report their carbon emissions in compliance with SECR and PPN 06/21 standards. The programme also facilitates networking opportunities for businesses to share their experience, with a goal of fostering collaboration between businesses who are seeking to decarbonise their operations.

Question reference: S6W-24538

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy can take to secure the reported £60-80 million investment in the hydrocracker at Petroineos Grangemouth, in order to extend the life of the oil refinery beyond 2025.

Question reference: S6W-24541

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) Petroineos Grangemouth, (b) Unite the Union, (c) Falkirk Council and (d) other relevant stakeholders regarding the reported need to secure £60-80 million investment in the hydrocracker at Petroineos Grangemouth in order to extend the life of the oil refinery beyond 2025.

Question reference: S6W-24533

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 26 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it can take to co-ordinate any necessary (a) investment and (b) action to help sustain the refinery operations at Petroineos Grangemouth.

The Scottish Government chaired the Grangemouth Future Industry Board Industrial Leadership Forum on 18 January which included representation from the UK Government and Petroineos to explore all options regarding the future of the refinery site. I am encouraged that, at this meeting, the UK Minister of State for Energy Security and Net Zero confirmed the UK Government's willingness to consider any proposals that support a long-term and sustainable future for the refinery business, recognising its strategic importance to the economy of the whole of the UK.

Question reference: S6W-24545

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 25 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much was raised by the public health supplement in each year that it was in operation.

Question reference: S6O-03027

Asked by: Ash Regan, MSP for Edinburgh Eastern, Alba Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, as part of its work to further the case for Scottish independence, what its position is on whether it could hold a referendum on the powers of the Scottish Parliament.