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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: S6F-01377

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6T-00893

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the UK Government's fiscal statement last week.

Question reference: S6T-00876

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to promote participation in Scotland’s Climate Week 2022, which runs from 26 September to 2 October.

Question reference: S6W-10859

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the consequences are for passengers who consume alcohol and breach the ban on ScotRail trains.

Question reference: S6W-10995

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 26 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take in (a) 2022 and (b) 2023 to tackle isolation.

The Scottish Government recognises that Social Isolation and Loneliness is a public health issue, which has been exacerbated because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and will continue to be affected by the ongoing cost crisis.

As part of the COVID response, £1 million was allocated by the Directorate for Equality, Inclusion and Human Rights to organisations working to tackle social isolation and loneliness up to the end of March 2022. This funding has supported work including helplines, befriending, and practical support. The Scottish Government is also providing funding to 48 organisations through the Equality and Human Rights Fund (2021-2024); many of these organisations make a valuable contribution to tackling social isolation.

In addition, £21 million has been spent in 2021-22 via the Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, which helps to tackle priority issues including social isolation and loneliness. This fund has been continued for 2022-23 with a further £15 million.

A total of £48 million has been spent via the Connecting Scotland programme to improve connectedness through digital inclusion.

Tackling social isolation and loneliness is a shared responsibility across government and the wider public sector, as well as the private and third sectors. There is a range of work being carried out across Scottish Government which will also make a positive impact on social isolation and loneliness in the short, medium and longer term. This work will be referenced in the forthcoming Social Isolation and Loneliness Plan.

I have continued to meet regularly with the Social Isolation and Loneliness Advisory Group during 2022. The Advisory Group has been instrumental in developing the Social Isolation and Loneliness Plan referred to above. Engagement with the Advisory Group, and work to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 and the cost crisis on groups most adversely affected by social isolation and loneliness, will continue during 2023 and beyond.

Question reference: S6W-10819

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 26 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce emergency legislation to address the cost of living crisis.

The Scottish Government recognises the huge pressures the cost of living crisis is placing on households, particularly on those who rent their home. That is why we have committed to protecting tenants by freezing rents and imposing a moratorium on evictions – at least until 31 March. Our intention is also to take action to prevent immediate rent increases.

We are working at pace to agree expedited processes to deliver any legislation necessary to achieve this with the Scottish Parliament and the UK Government, to ensure these crucial changes are brought about as soon as possible. We will engage with stakeholders and others, as we develop the emergency Bill.

We are taking urgent action to protect tenants in Scotland, well ahead of rest of UK. Our PfG announcements for emergency legislation, is part of our ambitious reform programme for the New Deal for Tenants.

The amendment put forward by Labour back in June was not workable and would have been at much higher risk of legal challenge. We have taken the time needed to ensure that the legislation we bring forward to freeze rents and introduce a moratorium on eviction is legally robust and will ensure tenants are protected.

Our emergency legislation must, by definition, be temporary. But given the huge uncertainty as to what the next 6 months holds, we intend to review very carefully whether and how any measures might be extended; and how what we do now paves the way for longer term reform – which we have already committed to.

A Housing Bill in the year ahead will give new and strengthened rights to tenants, improve affordability, and deliver key policies relating to short term lets and the prevention of homelessness.

Meanwhile, in Wales, the one part of the UK where Labour could actually act as the Scottish Government is acting, we see very little sign of the ambition we have outlined this week or indeed of the ambition to reform renting as we have in Scotland over the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6W-10812

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding the potential impact on Scotland, to reports that the UK Government plans to ban the sale of horticultural peat for use in the amateur gardening sector.

The Scottish Government welcomes UK Government plans to ban the sale of horticultural peat for use in the amateur gardening sector in England. This is a positive step for environmental protection which aligns with our own commitment to take forward work to consult on a ban on the sale of peat related gardening products as part of our wider commitment to phase out the use of peat in horticulture (21-22 Programme for Government). The UK Internal Market Act, which was imposed by the UK Parliament without the consent of the Scottish Parliament, could undermine the policy effect of a ban in one part of the UK. Given this, we are considering how best to implement our devolved policy effectively.

Question reference: S6W-10934

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its response to the Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform Committee’s December 2020 report on regional marine planning, following Marine Scotland’s internal review.

Question reference: S6W-10964

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 26 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its 10-year islands connectivity plan, and what assessment it has made of any impact of not having done so on people in remote and island communities, particularly in relation to the adequacy of ferry services.

Question reference: S6W-10839

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 September 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of peatland have been restored through its initiatives in each of the last 15 years.

Official annual restoration totals are only available from 2012-13 when the Scottish Government began funding Peatland ACTION, the national peatland restoration programme delivered by NatureScot. However, data from the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology is available prior to this time and around 60,000 hectares of degraded peatland have been put on the road to recovery since 1990.

We are committed to further increasing the annual area of peatland and have committed £250 million to restoring 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030.