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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-10723

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 29 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what commitments it has given to support Scotland’s wave and tidal energy sector.

The Scottish Government has provided consistent support for Scotland’s marine energy sector for more than a decade. As a result, Scotland is the most advanced hub in Europe for the testing and demonstration of marine energy technologies and is ideally placed to both shape and benefit from the potential global market for marine energy while helping deliver a net-zero economy.

This support has included the Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund, which provided £3.4 million to Orbital Marine Power to build and deploy the O2 tidal stream turbine and £1.545 million to Simec Atlantis Energy to design, fabricate and install a subsea hub for the MeyGen project in the Pentland Firth. This support enabled both Orbital Marine Power and Simec Atlantis Energy to benefit from the recent introduction of ring-fenced support for tidal stream energy projects in the UK Government’s Contracts for Difference (CfD) scheme. In addition, the Scottish Government has, since 2014, invested almost £50 million in Wave Energy Scotland and continues to support this internationally renowned programme, which has made significant progress in driving the development of wave energy technology towards readiness for commercialisation.

The Scottish Government will continue to engage with the marine energy industry in Scotland and is committed to supporting the further development of the sector.

Question reference: S6W-10659

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-09711 by Michael Matheson on 23 August 2023, when it last undertook a (a) cost-benefit and (b) life-cycle carbon analysis comparing a nuclear model with the renewables-plus-storage model of electricity generation, based over a nuclear asset's lifetime; and, if such analysis has been done, whether this was undertaken for a site comparable to Hinkley Point nuclear power station, or for a small modular reactor (SMR) model, or for both.

Question reference: S6W-10724

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it has given to the energy sector, including the European Marine Energy Centre, to create funding opportunities to replace the research and development funding landscape that was accessible prior to the UK leaving the EU.

The Scottish Government is committed to working with the energy sector and continues to provide support in a number of ways. For example:

£5 million provided through the Saltire Tidal Energy Challenge Fund to support tidal energy innovation and deployment.
£18.25 million funding to support the current Wave Energy Scotland technology programme, the biggest wave energy technology development programme in the world.
£10 million hydrogen innovation scheme under the Emerging Energy Technologies Fund, which will focus on innovation in hydrogen production, storage and distribution technology.
£75 million Just Transition fund to support the energy sector, including testing and promoting emerging technologies such as EV battery recycling technology, offshore green hydrogen and commissioning.

The Scottish Government has provided consistent support for Scotland’s marine energy sector for over a decade. As a result, Scotland is the most advanced hub in Europe for the testing and demonstration of marine energy technologies and is ideally placed to both shape and benefit from the potential global marine energy market. We will continue to support the sector as it grows, and Marine Scotland will continue to address evidence gaps through the Scottish Marine Energy Research Programme.

Question reference: S6W-10772

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 29 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what loss reserve measures are in place for the Deposit Return Scheme and how much public funding has been committed to those measures.

Question reference: S6W-10683

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 29 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the First Minister has engaged in any discussions about criminalising ecocide.

There are strong protections in Scots law for wild animals and habitats. The Scottish Government has made clear our commitment to play a full role in the international effort to tackle the twin global crises in climate and nature. We have recently consulted on our new Biodiversity Strategy and will respond to the conclusions of the forthcoming Conference of Parties of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity. We plan to introduce a Natural Environment Bill putting in place key legislative changes and statutory targets to restore and protect nature. We will introduce a right to a healthy environment as part of our proposals for an ambitious Human Rights Bill.

Question reference: S6W-10682

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 29 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will set clear and robust targets to protect, restore and expand native woodland habitats.

Scottish Government has delivered its native woodland creation targets as set in the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and more recently the Bute House Agreement, and is committed to supporting further expansion of our native woodland resource. As part of the work to develop the next Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, and underpinning Delivery Plans, we are reviewing the current targets for native woodland expansion and setting evidence based targets for future years. We recently invited views on the next Scottish Biodiversity Strategy though a recent consultation exercise. The creation and management of new native woodlands will continued to be underpinned by the UK Forestry Standard, and supported through our Forestry Grant Scheme.

Protection for woodland is in place via the felling regulations under the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018. Where felling permission is not applicable, the Control of Woodland Removal Policy only permits removal of existing woodland where it would achieve significant and clearly defined additional public benefits including habitat restoration or public safety. Scottish Planning Policy 2014 (SPP) seeks to protect and enhance ancient semi natural woodland, together with individual trees, and encourages the creation of new woodland and planting of native trees in association with development.

Question reference: S6O-01440

Asked by: Bob Doris, MSP for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what contribution colleges make to widening access to higher education for students living in the most deprived areas.

Question reference: S6O-01436

Asked by: Stuart McMillan, MSP for Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the Competition and Markets Authority regarding the impact on Scotland of its investigation into the variation of prices across the UK in relation to the supply of road fuel.

Question reference: S6O-01439

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to revive the bus industry following a slump in passenger numbers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-01442

Asked by: David Torrance, MSP for Kirkcaldy, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 6 October 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to grow and encourage primary Gaelic-medium education.