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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: S6W-30373

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 17 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many journeys have been taken by young people under the age of 22 in (a) Inverclyde, (b) North Ayrshire, (c) West Dunbartonshire and (d) East Dunbartonshire using the concessionary bus travel scheme since its launch.

As of the end of day 30 September 2024, the amount of journeys made by young people under the Young Persons’ (under 22) Free Bus Travel Scheme since its launch, was (a) Inverclyde – 2,578,637, (b) North Ayrshire – 4,719,775, (c) West Dunbartonshire – 2,986,088 and (d) East Dunbartonshire – 2,251,144.

Journeys are based on the local authority in which the card was issued, therefore some journeys will have been undertaken outwith the local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-30306

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 17 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many residential properties for which a right of lease in land is registered and granted for a period of more than 175 years were not converted to ownership under the Long Leases (Scotland) Act 2012.

The Scottish Government does not hold this information.

The Scottish Law Commission (SLC) Report on Conversion of Long Leases (2006). Report on Conversion of Long Leases (Scot Law Com No 204) provides several tables on the number of leases and the variations of length and duration. A survey of long leases was undertaken by the SLC see paragraph 1.14 and Appendix C for the results broken down into various categories.

Question reference: S6W-30305

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 17 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to bring forward legislation or regulation in respect of the legal status of residential properties for which a right of lease in land is registered and granted for a period of more than 175 years and were not converted to ownership under the Long Leases (Scotland) Act 2012.

The Scottish Government has no plans to bring forward legislation on long leases at this time.

The Long Leases (Scotland) Act 2012 converted certain ultra-long leases (over 175 years long) with an unexpired duration of 100 years (on the appointed day) into outright ownership. These periods were chosen based on research carried out by the Scottish Law Commission and is set out in its Report on Conversion of Long Leases (2006). Report on Conversion of Long Leases (Scot Law Com No 204)

The Scottish Government requires to ensure that any legislation that is put before the Scottish Parliament is compatible with the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). These provisions were considered to be consistent with Article 14 and Article 1, Protocol 1 of the ECHR.

Question reference: S6W-30376

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 October 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-25444 by Lorna Slater on 22 February 2024, whether it will provide an updated breakdown of how much funding has been allocated through the Recycling Improvement Fund to each local authority to date.

To date, over £63 million of funding has been allocated through the Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF) and the Fund’s Small Grant Scheme.

As noted in the answer to S6W-25444, a list of local authority projects allocated funding from the RIF is available on the Zero Waste Scotland website: www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/recycling-improvement-fund

Additionally, a list of local authority projects allocated funding through the RIF Small Grant Scheme is available on the Zero Waste Scotland website: www.zerowastescotland.org.uk/resources/recycling-improvement-fund-small-grant-scheme

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6O-03838

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what would be required for the frequency of service on the Milngavie rail line to return to quarter-hourly throughout the day, as was the case before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6W-29886

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 25 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government further to the answer to question S6W-27753 by Mairi McAllan on 3 June 2024, by what date it expects to (a) receive and (b) publish the full report from Petroineos regarding the ground investigation into the pipeline leak in Glen Fruin in January 2024.

The ground investigation report is being prepared by Petroineos for the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The Scottish Government would not expect to receive it formally and has no plans to publish it, as this is an operational matter for SEPA.

We are advised that the ground investigation work has concluded that the contamination is localised and SEPA continue to work with Petroineos and their consultant Adler and Allan to ensure the physical remediation works, which have commenced, can be delivered timeously. Once the remediation has concluded SEPA will be in a position to publish a statement regarding the environmental condition of the site.

Question reference: S6W-29566

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the relative value of issuing bonds versus borrowing via the National Loans Fund.

Question reference: S6W-29571

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government who it has sought advice from on the policy of issuing bonds to fund additional spending.

The Scottish Government sought advice from the Investor Panel on how we can attract investment to Scotland that supports our transition to net zero, and bring investor intelligence to policy and regulatory development early in the process. One of the recommendations in their report, 'Mobilising international capital to finance the transition to Net Zero', was to use existing devolved powers to issue debt, i.e. bonds. Further information can be found in the Scottish Government response to the report: Investor Panel recommendations: Scottish Government response - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).

Question reference: S6W-29565

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 19 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to begin issuing bonds, as announced by the previous First Minister.

The Scottish Government remains committed to taking forward a Bond issuance subject to ongoing due diligence.

This will be done in line with our Capital Borrowing strategy and the objectives we published in December 2023 in the Memorandum available at Scottish Government capital borrowing and bonds: memorandum - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

I will say more about our future borrowing plans in the upcoming Scottish Budget.

Question reference: S6O-03778

Current Status: Withdrawn