- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government when it will announce the members of the new Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel.
Answer
Recruitment for the Scottish Fuel Poverty Advisory Panel has now been completed and we will announce the successful candidates in due course, once the necessary processes to establish this new Advisory Non-Departmental Public Body (NDPB) have been completed.
- Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to engage with the organisers of the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics ahead of or during the games.
Answer
The participation of competitors, including Scottish competitors, at the Olympics and Paralympics is a matter for the British Olympic Association and British Paralympic Association, which are required to operate independently of Government under International Olympic Committee regulations.
The Scottish Government shares the concerns which have been widely expressed in relation to China’s human rights record, including the reports of serious, widespread and systematic human rights violations being committed in Xinjiang.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed changes to the assessment process for adult disability payment (ADP), how many people in receipt of personal independence payment (PIP) it expects will request the rate of the mobility support that they receive to be reviewed following transfer to ADP, and what modelling and analysis it has used to determine this.
Answer
Forecasts relating to future requests for award reviews and reassessments are set out by the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC). The most recently published forecast of 26 August 2021 stated that 8,700 additional people could request that their award be reviewed due to their circumstances changing over the course of case transfer.
On the assumption that around 72% of these individuals could request their mobility award is reviewed, based on the current share of PIP award types, such requests could therefore be around 6,300 people following transfer to ADP from PIP.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will create a support mechanism for the wave and tidal energy industry to work alongside the UK Government’s revenue stabilisation mechanism, as recommended in the Scottish Renewables publication, Beyond COP26: Next steps for Scotland’s clean energy revolution.
Answer
The Scottish Government will set out a strengthened framework of support in the forthcoming Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan in 2022, to support the growth of the marine renewables and offshore wind sectors, focused on funding for the infrastructure these sectors need, such as port upgrades.
- Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish an energy skills and services export target, as recommended in the Scottish Renewables publication, Beyond COP26: Next steps for Scotland’s clean energy revolution.
Answer
The Scottish Government committed in the Programme for Government to develop an Export Plan for Renewables . This Plan will be developed in partnership with the industry and stakeholders, including Scottish Renewables. Consideration of an energy skills and services export target will be included as part of this process.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many people who are not already in receipt of personal independence payment (PIP) it expects to claim adult disability payment (ADP).
Answer
The most recent Scottish Fiscal Commission forecasts, published on 26 August 2021, estimate that an additional 209,000 people, who are not in receipt of Personal Independence Payment, will apply for Adult Disability Payment between 2022-23 - 2026-27.
- Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many personal independence payment (PIP) cases are being transferred from the DWP to Social Security Scotland, and by what date this will be completed.
Answer
We have started the transfer of approximately 52,000 DLA Child awards from DWP to Social Security Scotland. We will begin the transfer of approximately 300,000 awards of Personal Independence Payment in summer 2022.
Our aim is to safely and securely complete case transfer for all people in Scotland in receipt of disability and carer benefits by the end of 2025. We will do so sooner if possible, as long as we do not risk the process being anything other than safe and secure for this significantly large number of people, and will do so jointly with the UK Government as case transfer is a joint programme of work.
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that workers in the ferry industry are trained to (a) operate and (b) re-fuel hydrogen-powered ferries.
Answer
There are no hydrogen powered ferries operating as part of either the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service or Northern Isles Ferry Service. Ferry industry workers are and will be appropriately trained to operate and refuel existing and future vessels deployed across the networks.
- Asked by: Fulton MacGregor, MSP for Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 18 November 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-03267 by Michael Matheson on 11 October 2021, while decarbonisation projects of any size can progress through the Marine Scotland Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) decarbonisation plan, whether innovation projects in Scotland that are not part of the oil and gas decarbonisation programme are subject to a 100MW cap; if so, what its position is on whether this curtails such projects in Scottish waters; what specific consideration it will give to raising the cap for these Scottish innovation projects through INTOG from 100MW to 300MW, to enable such projects in Scottish waters to compete with any similar pre-commercial projects in the English and Welsh waters of the Celtic Sea that are up to 300MW in size, and what its position is on whether this would provide an opportunity for innovative Scottish stepping-stone projects to be brought forward.
Answer
As per the previous answer to question S6W-03267 highlighted, a consultation has taken place on the Planning Specification and Context Report for the Sectoral Marine Plan for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas Decarbonisation (INTOG). That consultation closed on 20 October 2021 and the Scottish Government is aiming to publish the results of that consultation alongside the Initial Plan Framework, which sets out all parameters and spatial components, shortly. This document will include definitions for both Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas components. It is, of course, the intention to ensure that projects delivered under INTOG are competitive.
- Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 December 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Caledonian Maritime Assets Ltd (CMAL) regarding the procurement of hydrogen-powered ferries and infrastructure on publicly subsidised contracts for lifeline ferry services.
Answer
Transport Scotland maintain regular engagement with Caledonian Maritime Assets Limited (CMAL) and other partners regarding future vessel projects. These discussions include appropriate consideration of design and operating options, including alternative fuels. CMAL also continues to work as part of the HySeas III consortium in its role as concept designer for potential hydrogen fuelled vessels.