Chamber and committees

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-26464

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19781 by Lorna Slater on 21 July 2023, whether it still plans to publish an update to its Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan.

Question reference: S6W-26465

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it expects to publish the results of its consultation on Scotland’s Strategic Framework for Biodiversity.

A 14 week consultation on Scotland’s Strategic Framework for Biodiversity closed on 14 December 2023. We received over 600 responses - approximately 30% of these were from organisations and 70% were from individuals. We are very grateful for the time and effort stakeholders have taken to provide responses to what was a very substantial consultation on the key elements of our approach to tackling the nature crisis. We are working through the analysis and will continue to engage with our stakeholders, on the final publication of the strategy and delivery plan. These will be published later this year alongside the consultation analysis report and Scottish Government’s response to it.

Question reference: S6O-03302

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in implementing its Diabetes Improvement Plan.

Question reference: S6W-26369

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards the creation of an offshore training and skills passport.

Through its Just Transition Fund, t he Scottish Government has supported industry-led development of a practical Skills Passport that works for the different offshore energy industry sectors, recognising the cross-sector skills of workers, and the importance of supporting a fair and managed transition.

We understand that the key industry bodies leading on the Passport's delivery intend to make a statement in relation to next steps on the project shortly . We will have a clearer understanding of when we can look forward to an initial version of the Passport being available for workers to access after this announcement.

Question reference: S6W-26036

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what impact its proposals for energy performance certificate (EPC) reform will have on its proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill.

We responded to a series of recommendations from the Committee for Climate Change on the need to reform Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) by running a consultation during 2023.

The consultation proposed to revise the information displayed on domestic EPCs, expanding the current suite of ratings to introduce a fabric energy efficiency rating and displaying relevant information relating to the heating system. This aims to improve EPCs so that they provide a more holistic view to current and potential homeowners and tenants.

EPC reform is also needed to respond to changes to the underlying methodology implemented by UK Government, and the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, published in November 2023, made clear that a reformed EPC could have a supporting role in providing evidence in relation to the heat and energy efficiency standards proposed by that consultation.

Given this important relationship between the two consultations and sets of proposals, we want to ensure that responses to both are considered together. We therefore intend to publish our response to the EPC reform and Heat in Buildings Bill consultations at the same point later this year.

Question reference: S6W-26037

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing targets for public sector organisations to make their buildings energy efficient.

Our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, which closed on 8 March, asked how we can help our public sector buildings to lead the way on heat decarbonisation, by requiring all public sector buildings to be using clean heating systems by 2038. We will now analyse the responses to determine the best course of action.

Any energy efficiency standard for non-domestic buildings, including public buildings, would need to carefully consider how to take account of the wide variety in size, construction and functionality.

Question reference: S6W-26014

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the UK Government regarding electricity grid development in Scotland, and what was discussed.

The Scottish Government meets regularly with the UK Government regarding electricity networks in Scotland. The Scottish Government is represented on the Electricity Networks Delivery Forum, which has been established to oversee the implementation and delivery of the UK’s Transmission Acceleration Action Plan (TAAP) and the Connections Action Plan (CAP). The first meeting of the Electricity Networks Delivery Forum was on 30 January, and it is expected it will meet on a quarterly basis. We are continuing to use this forum, and our wider engagement with all relevant stakeholders, to continue to push for reform and ensure that the proposals in the TAAP and the CAP are robust, fit for purpose and work for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-26016

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 18 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the level of investment in (a) electricity and (b) gas grid investment in Scotland that is funded through energy standing charges.

Legislation and regulations relating to electricity and gas networks are reserved to the UK Government, with the Electricity System Operator (ESO) responsible for the strategic approach to transmission investment, working with Transmission Owners across Great Britain. Regulation of the electricity and gas networks including approval of investment on infrastructure is carried out by the independent energy regulator Ofgem. Ofgem conducts analysis on the impact of standing charges on consumer bills across Great Britain and sets the framework for investment in the electricity and gas networks through the RIIO price controls. The Scottish Government has no role in networks regulation, apart from our statutory consenting process, however we work closely with the networks companies to promote consideration of Scottish Government policies and ambitions in their business plans and wider activities.

Question reference: S6W-26035

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Ofgem, and what was discussed.

I met with Ofgem CEO Jonathan Brearley and Chair Mark McAllister on 8 February to discuss Ofgem’s work to review standing charges for consumers, protections for prepayment meter (PPM) customers and opportunities for data sharing to facilitate better targeting of support to those that need it the most.

My officials regularly engage with Ofgem to influence policymaking and advocate the interests of Scottish energy consumers.

Question reference: S6W-26015

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the UK Government regarding (a) electricity and (b) gas standing charges in Scotland, and what was discussed.