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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-08809

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason no maximum bidding price has been stipulated within the awards process for floating offshore wind projects looking to progress through the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) process, in light of a maximum bidding price being stipulated in the commercial-scale ScotWind leasing round.

It is for Crown Estate Scotland, As managers of Crown assets in Scotland, to set seabed leasing fees.

The INTOG leasing round, due to be launched summer 2022, is a ‘first of its kind’ and there is no direct precedent to consider when finalising the design of the leasing arrangements. The objectives for INTOG (stimulating innovation and decarbonising oil & gas) are different from those of other offshore leasing rounds and as a result some key features of INTOG, including pricing, are also different.

Due to the specific nature of the projects, the novel commercial models, and the potential risks relating to such a new type of project, Crown Estate Scotland want to give the opportunity for the market to set the appropriate price given that this is a new and untested landscape.

The ScotWind price cap was designed to ensure that projects competing for limited Plan Options were viable in the long-term, would maximise supply chain opportunities and incentivise floating wind projects, that are ideal for Scotland's deeper waters but comparatively more expensive.

Question reference: S6W-08736

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is being provided for mental health support in colleges through the Scottish Funding Council.

In this Academic Year (21-22) the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) has provided £2.423 million to the college sector to provide additional counsellors in colleges in support of our Programme for Government commitment to provide more than 80 additional counsellors in Further and Higher Education and £4.4 million for the college sector to help colleges to further support student and staff mental health and wellbeing. These funds were allocated to the SFC by the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-08721

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue it estimates (a) it and (b) Crown Estate Scotland will receive from ScotWind leases in each of the next 10 years.

The ScotWind lease option awards process has yet to be completed and the final figure raised through option agreements is still to be confirmed. Revenues received by Crown Estate Scotland from awards made to date amount to £699m.Crown Estate Scotland may raise further lease option revenues through the ScotWind clearing process, which is currently underway.

When projects enter a lease, they become operational and commence lease payments. Projects are currently at a very early stage and potential lease payment figures will become clearer as projects are further refined and progressed through the development phase. Payments to Crown Estate Scotland under lease agreements will be received by Crown Estate Scotland and transferred to the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-08609

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it received advice and information on the progress of the construction of the MV Glen Sannox prior to attending the launch event in November 2017, and, if so, what the advice and information was, and when it was received.

The Scottish Government was in regular contact with all relevant parties prior to the launch and received full updates regarding progress of the build and any impact this would have on delivery.

The then Minister for Transport met with FMEL and CMAL on 3 November 2017 to discuss delivery dates and vessel progress updates.

FMEL wrote to the then Minister for Transport and the Islands, Humza Yousaf MSP, on 7 November 2017 confirming that the delivery of the MV Glen Sannox after being launched on 21 November 2017, would be delayed until winter 2018-19. Mr Yousaf subsequently wrote to the convenor of the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee (REC) on 9 Nov 2017 with this information.

Question reference: S6W-08639

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to recent research into poverty at the end of life by Marie Curie and Loughborough University, which estimates that, in 2019, 218 people in East Ayrshire experienced poverty while in the last year of life.

The Scottish Government is committed to developing a national strategy for palliative and end of life care in partnership with key stakeholders including Marie Curie. It is envisioned that this will be a whole system, public health approach to help ensure that everyone who needs care or assistance can access it.

In the meantime, we are taking a number of actions within the social security powers devolved to the Scottish Government to ensure that people throughout Scotland can access financial support at this difficult time. These include:

Fast tracking disability assistance applications and removing fixed periods of life expectancy from our terminal illness definition, so that individuals are supported more quickly and for longer.

Prioritising the rollout of Scottish Child Payment to children aged 6 to 15 to support low income families. This currently provides £20 a week per child, but will be increased to £25 when we rollout to older children.
Guaranteeing an annual £50 payment to around 400,000 low income households each winter through our new non age dependent Low Income Winter Heating Assistance.
Committing to increasing the amount of time Scottish Carer’s Assistance is paid after the death of a cared person, from 8 to 12 weeks following it’s transfer from DWP.

Question reference: S6W-08919

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 9 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many complaints have been made against Police Scotland in each year since 1999.

The Scottish Government do not hold the data requested.

Since the formation of Police Scotland in 2013, Police Scotland’s Professional Standards Department have been responsible for investigating complaints against officers up to the rank of Chief Superintendent. Any complaints against senior officers are a matter for the Scottish Police Authority (SPA).

The SPA Complaints and Conduct Committee provide annual and quarterly reports on complaints. The most recent annual report covers the period 2020/21: https://www.spa.police.uk/spa-media/mq1jgwsq/spa-complaints-conduct-committee-2020_21-annual-report-final-dp-update.pdf

Further information, including archived reports are available on the SPA website: https://www.spa.police.uk/meetings.

You may also be interested in information published on Police Scotland’s disclosure log where responses to FOIs are published: https://www.scotland.police.uk/access-to-information/freedom-of-information/disclosure-log/

Question reference: S6O-01236

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what contribution local culture, evidenced in museums such as the Trimontium Museum in Melrose and the National Mining Museum Scotland in Newtongrange, makes to the local and wider Scottish economy.

Question reference: S6O-01238

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has now published all the legal advice it has received in relation to a second independence referendum.

Question reference: S6O-01237

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what priority it attaches to developing relationships with other European countries.

Question reference: S6O-01224

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on the level of need for accessible housing in Scotland.