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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-08309

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the recent visit of the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands to Catalonia, what the method of international travel was, and how any carbon emissions resulting from this travel were offset.

Myself and officials used a low cost carrier to travel from Scotland to Catalonia for the visit.

Travel is an essential part of official Government business and Ministers take their responsibility to travel sustainably very seriously and aim to use more sustainable forms of transport wherever possible.

A carbon emission levy is collected against air travel on a journey by journey basis. The levy aims to compensate for the carbon that our business travel generates. It raises funds that are put into projects that will remove the same amount of carbon from the atmosphere.

The carbon emissions levy is applied to all journeys undertaken by air as follows:

Domestic – £5 per journey

European – £6 per journey

International – £15 per journey

Question reference: S6W-08337

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has conducted into oxo-degradable plastics and their inclusion in Scotland's single-use plastic ban.

The Scottish Government is committed to align with or exceed the standards of the EU Single-Use Plastics Directive including banning oxo-degradable plastics under Article 5 of that Directive.

Oxo-degradable plastics were included in the suite of impact assessments performed for the creation of the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021.

However, this is an area of significant complexity and rapid change and it is important that we make a decision based on the most up to date information.

Therefore, we have commissioned James Hutton Institute to undertake further analysis to demonstrate environmental impact of oxo-biodegradable products. This research is expected to be completed shortly and will help inform the scope of the planned ban on oxo-degradable plastic products in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-08346

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the next annual update of the Material Flow Accounts published by Zero Waste Scotland in May 2021 will be published.

Question reference: S6W-08327

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what projects will be launched in 2022 as part of the Climate Justice Fund.

In 2022, under the Climate Justice Fund, the Scottish Government will launch programmes to support the three pillars of distributive, procedural and transformative climate justice. These were identified as priorities by the independent evaluation of the Climate Justice Fund, as well as via stakeholder engagement, as central to achieving effective and sustainable climate justice.

We are in the process of finalising the procurement process, with the programmes due to be launched in Summer 2022. Additional details, including eligibility criteria, will be published on ScotGov’s website shortly.

Question reference: S6W-08343

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 12 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05492 by Lorna Slater on 20 January 2022, what the remaining parts of the Zero Waste Scotland research to analyse the steel market in Scotland are, and when those reports will be available.

Zero Waste Scotland advises us that the steel research project will include four reports. These are:

An update to the published carbon assessment comparing the impacts of exporting steel with recycling steel using an Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) located in Scotland;

A market analysis to estimate the size of the scrap steel market in Scotland;

An economic analysis that examines the business case for an EAF in Scotland; and

An assessment of the role of Scottish steel in the energy transition.

The intention is to publish the series of reports at the same time, however Zero Waste Scotland does not yet have a confirmed date for publication.

Question reference: S6O-01095

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on using Scottish Water's reserves to fund a £100 rebate for customers.

Question reference: S6O-01096

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it will respond to the UK Government’s consultation, launched on 9 May, regarding the proposed expansion of its Warm Home Discount scheme.

Question reference: S6O-01087

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to improving data gathering and data management across government as part of the development of policies relating to the recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6O-01104

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting farmers to utilise new technological advances.

Question reference: S6O-01108

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many grants have been awarded through the Croft House Grant scheme in the Western Isles since 2007.