Chamber and committees

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-22051

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 23 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government who pays for a public local inquiry into onshore wind farm planning applications exceeding 50 megawatts; how many of these public local inquiries there have been in the last 10 years, and how much each of these inquiries cost.

In the period 10-10-13 to 9-10-2023 there have been 43 public local inquiries held by the Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) in respect of onshore wind farm proposals exceeding 50 megawatts which require consent under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989.

Parties involved in planning proceedings are expected to meet their own costs. DPEA meet the costs of the reporter and administrative staff; advertisement of the case and the cost of the inquiry venue if necessary; and the general administrative costs of the case. DPEA do not record staff costs as reporters and administrative staff normally deal with a number of different case types at the same time.

DPEA began recording venue and advertisement costs from April 2019. The costs of inquiries from that date onwards are provided in the following table.

*The pattern of meeting types detailed in the information below reflects inquiries which took place during covid-related restrictions which meant that DPEA had to introduce virtual events. As covid restrictions have lifted, DPEA has transitioned back to holding some events in-person, some virtually, and some a mix of the two

Case reference	Name and Location	*Meeting type	Venue Costs	Advert Costs	Total
WIN-370-4,5 & 6	Craiginmoddie, Carrick & Knockcronal Windfarms - Dailly & Straiton, South Ayrshire	In-Person & Virtual	4,766	1,598	6,364
WIN-130-6	Narachan Hill Wind Farm, Land East Of Tayinloan, Argyll & Bute	Virtual	0	401	401
WIN-270-16	Cairn Duhie Wind Farm, Ferness, Nairnshire	Virtual	0	963	963
WIN-270-15	Kintradwell Wind Farm, Brora/Golspie	In-Person & Virtual	1,200	543	1,743
WIN-110-3	Glendye Wind Farm, Fasque & Glendye Estates, Arnhall, Aberdeenshire	In-Person & Virtual	431	519	950
WIN-170-2007	Faw Side Community Wind Farm, Castleweary, Hawick	In-Person & Virtual	2,533	781	3,314
WIN-110-2	Clashindarroch ii Wind Farm, Clashindarroch Forest, Near Huntly	Virtual	0	124	124
WIN-270-14	Kirkan Wind Farm, Garve, Highland	Virtual	0	1,023	1,023
WIN-130-5	Sheirdrim Wind Farm, Achaglass & Gartnagrenach Estates, Argyll & Bute	Virtual	0	282	282
WIN-110-1	Fetteresso Wind Farm, Stonehaven	Virtual	0	976	976
WIN-170-2006	Sanquhar ii Community Wind Farm, Sanquhar	Virtual	0	1,538	1,538
WIN-270-13	Limekiln Wind Farm Extension, South East Of Reay, Caithness	Virtual	0	1,710	1,710
WIN-170-2005	Shepherds Rigg Wind Farm, Carsphairn	Virtual	0	985	985
WIN-370-3	Clauchrie Wind Farm, Barrhill, South Ayrshire	Virtual	0	1,570	1,570
WIN-270-12	Strathy Wood Wind Farm, Strathy Forest, Sutherland	Virtual	0	542	542
WIN-370-2	Arecleoch Wind Farm Extension, Barrhill, South Ayrshire	Virtual	0	1,667	1,667
WIN-270-11	Glenshero Wind Farm, 8 Km West Of Laggan	Virtual	0	7,317	7,317
WIN-130-4	Blarghour Wind Farm, Inveraray/Portsonachan	Virtual	0	1,197	1,197
WIN-300-4 & 5	Clash Gour Wind Farm, Forres & Rothes iii WF, Rothes	In-Person & Virtual	10,230	5,911	16,141
WIN-140-8	Crystal Rigg iv Wind Farm, Crichness, Scottish Borders	In-Person	1,102	523	1,625
WIN-300-3	Paul's Hill ii Wind Farm, Knockando	In-Person	790	1,451	2,241
WIN-170-2004	North Lowther Wind Farm, Sanquhar	In-Person	683	444	1,127
		Totals	21,735	32,065	53,800

Question reference: S6O-02640

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the work that it is doing to support the reopening of Insch War Memorial Hospital.

Question reference: S6W-21844

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Onshore Wind Sector Deal for Scotland excludes any reference to the WSP publication, A Review of Noise Guidance for Onshore Wind Turbines: Project Report, which was published in October 2022 on behalf of the UK Government Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy.

Under the lead of the UK Government, the ETSU steering group (which comprises of the four Governments of the UK) are considering how best to take forward the recommendations of the WSP report. Whilst these next steps are being agreed, there are no specific actions for inclusion in the Sector Deal.

Once the next steps have been agreed, the Scottish Government will engage with industry.

Scottish Government officials continue to engage with UK Government officials on this work.

Question reference: S6W-21431

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 2 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is a requirement for CCTV in state hospitals to capture or record audio, and, if not, whether there are plans to require this in the future.

Under the Mental Health (Safety and Security) (Scotland) Regulations 2005 there is no requirement for CCTV in The State Hospital to capture or record audio.

The Scottish Government does not currently have any plans to require that CCTV captures or records audio. Should there become a clear need for this requirement that cannot be addressed through other methods we will consider whether it would be appropriate to introduce this.

Question reference: S6O-02587

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 September 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to improve the durability of Scottish crops over the coming years.

Question reference: S6W-21251

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities are liable for damages to vehicles caused by potholes where a pothole has been identified for repair but has not been fixed, and the local authority has failed to warn road users of the pothole.

The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places statutory responsibility for local roads on local authorities. It would not be for the Scottish Government to comment specifically on a local authority’s liability for damages to vehicles.

However, in general a local authority may compensate for damages to vehicles caused by road defects if the road defect is deemed as a hazard that would create a significant risk of an accident to a careful road user and it can be shown that the local authority was a fault for failing to deal with the road defect in line with its procedures.

Question reference: S6W-21252

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether there are any requirements for local authorities to repair potholes identified for works within a certain timeframe.

The Roads (Scotland) Act 1984 places statutory responsibility for local roads, including the timeframe for repairing defects on local authorities. As such it is the responsibility of the local authority to determine how best to meet its duties on local roads in their respective areas.

SCOTS (the Society of Chief Officers of Transportation in Scotland) is responsible for implementing best practice on local road maintenance and has published a best practice guide detailing recommended repair times for different categories of road defects: Road Asset Inspections: A Risk Based Approach - Road Asset Safety Inspection Strategy (scotsnet.org.uk)

Question reference: S6W-20886

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 29 August 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any opt-out clauses were included in the R100 contract with Openreach to allow work to be awarded to other providers in the event that Openreach is unable to meet delivery dates, and, if so, whether it will provide details of any such clauses.

There are no opt-out clauses included in the R100 Contracts. These are grant funding agreements which subsidise the supplier (Openreach) to deliver its own network to specific contracted premises.

The Scottish Government continues to support other providers to extend their broadband networks via the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme but this is focused on premises that will not be connected commercially or via the R100 contracts.

Question reference: S6O-02575

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what road safety improvement works have been planned for the A96 near Huntly.

Question reference: S6W-21164

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 September 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20478 by Jenny Gilruth on 5 September 2023, when the Strategic Board for Teacher Education will report on its study into issues around the recruitment and retention of teachers.

The Strategic Board for Teacher Education met on 4 September to consider their workplan including recruitment and retention issues. This work is ongoing and will be complemented by the project I am commissioning on education workforce modelling and research, which will be completed by the end of the year. The SBTE will use findings from the education workforce modelling and research project provide me with further advice on initial teacher education programmes.