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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: S5W-26749

Asked by: Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 December 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Michael Russell on 19 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish a detailed democratic case for a transfer of power from the UK Parliament to the Scottish Parliament to allow for an independence referendum.

Question reference: S5O-03936

Asked by: Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it supports communities in tackling inequality.

Question reference: S5F-03741

Asked by: Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2019

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is recognising this year’s Carers Rights Day.

Question reference: S5O-03747

Asked by: Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how the new Fireworks Review Group, announced as part of the Fireworks Action Plan, will ensure that the interests of veterans are represented.

Question reference: S5W-26194

Asked by: Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 6 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in reporting on Fair Start Scotland.

Fair Start Scotland (FSS), Scotland’s devolved employability support service is helping people, including those who are further removed from the labour market, to find work and stay in work.

Today we have published the first Fair Start Scotland Annual Report. It gives an overview of the first year of operation, highlighting the difference that the service is making to employers and communities, and more importantly, the people choosing to take advantage of the support Fair Start Scotland offers. The report sets out what is working well and also identifies improvements which the Scottish Government and its partners are working towards to further develop the support Fair Start Scotland offers.

We are also publishing Fair Start Scotland Evaluation Report 2: Overview of year 1. This is the second FSS evaluation report, and details the research that supports the first year of service delivery up to 31 March 2019.

In addition, we continue to publish statistical data relating to Fair Start Scotland on a quarterly basis. These publications are available on the Scottish Government website.

Question reference: S5T-01874

Asked by: Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Affairs Committee’s report recommendation to introduce legislation to lawfully pilot a supervised drug consumption facility in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-25995

Asked by: Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 October 2019
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 29 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the actions that it is taking to deliver its target to meet 11% of non-electrical heat demand from renewable sources by 2020.

I am pleased to announce that I have laid a report in Parliament today that provides an update on the actions that the Scottish Government is taking to reach our renewable heat target. The report is now available on the Scottish Government website (at https://www.gov.scot/9781839602726 )

An estimated 6.3% of non-electrical heat demand was met by renewable sources in 2018, an increase of 14% from 2017 figures. Renewable heat capacity also increased by 4%.

Since 2013, the Scottish Government has invested around £40 million in renewable heat schemes through the Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme and the District Heating Loan Fund, helping to reduce emissions and tackle fuel poverty. It is encouraging to see that a number of projects have recently come on line and there are a number in the pipeline, which will contribute to an increasing proportion of our heat coming from renewable sources in the next few years. However, investment in renewable heat in Scotland slowed down as a result of UK Government changes to the Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) which have caused uncertainty within the sector.

The Scottish Government recognises that we must go further to support and encourage the uptake of renewable heat. We recently launched the £30 million Scottish Low Carbon Heat Funding Invitation for local and industrial heat projects and are committed to working with stakeholders to develop regulations to ensure that new homes consented from 2024 use renewable or low carbon heat. We are now almost three quarters of the way towards our ambition to connect 40,000 homes to heat networks by 2020. Next year we will bring forward legislation for a Heat Networks Bill which will stimulate the market for heat networks, de-risking investment and increasing consumer awareness and acceptance.

In addition, next Summer we will publish a Heat Decarbonisation Policy Statement setting out a new pathway for reducing emissions associated with heating our buildings, in line with our climate change targets.

In addition to the report I laid today, the Energy Savings Trust have published the report Renewable Heat in Scotland 2018 , which provides further insight into these figures. The Energy Savings Trust report is now available at ww.energysavingtrust.org.uk/renewable-heat-scotland-2018 .

Question reference: S5O-03698

Asked by: Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 31 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the economy in the Renfrewshire South constituency.

Question reference: S5F-03635

Asked by: Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 October 2019

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government is marking Challenge Poverty Week.

Question reference: S5O-03617

Asked by: Tom Arthur, MSP for Renfrewshire South, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many fire stations have been supplied with pet oxygen masks by the organisation, Smokey Paws.