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-27267

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many beavers have been translocated to Scotland’s national forests to date, broken down by the number of locations.

Question reference: S6W-27243

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the timeline and process towards delivering its commitment to introducing Low Emission Zone (LEZ) schemes in (a) Edinburgh, (b) Aberdeen, and (c) Dundee.

Low Emission Zones (LEZs) were formally introduced in Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow on 31st May 2022, with grace periods beginning at this point.

Enforcement in Glasgow began on 1 June 2023 (with an additional year for residents within the zone). Enforcement in Dundee will begin on 30 th May 2024 and in Aberdeen and Edinburgh on 1 June 2024.

Transport Scotland continues to work closely with local authorities and DVLA to ensure consistency in the approach to LEZ enforcement.

Transport Scotland is confident that these measures will lead to a reduction of harmful emissions in our city centres.

Question reference: S6W-27240

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20438 by Fiona Hyslop on 29 August 2023, whether it will provide a progress update on the National Speed Management Review.

The National Speed Management Review is due to be completed in the coming weeks and we will then consider the proposed outcomes.

The review process will thereafter include a stakeholder and public consultation to consider their views on whether any changes to speed limit policies and speed management measures should be introduced as part of our speed management plan. The stakeholder and public consultations will take place in the coming months.

Question reference: S6W-27239

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 May 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23523 by Angela Constance on 11 December 2023, whether it will be publishing an evaluation report on Police Scotland’s pilot of the Digital Evidence Sharing Capability (DESC) Programme in Dundee.

Question reference: S6W-27099

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 26 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 8 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any steps that sportscotland is taking to (a) assess the impact of artificial sports pitches on (i) the natural environment and (ii) human health and (b) identify long-term alternatives to artificial sports pitches.

Artificial grass pitches play an important role in the delivery of sport and physical activity across Scotland, helping the nation to lead more active, healthy lives. Well maintained artificial pitches allow for year-round, intensive use and can provide significantly more playing hours than traditional grass pitches.

There are already alternatives on the market such as cork, corn husks and olive pits amongst others. sport scotland are part of the UK Artificial Grass Pitch forum monitoring work on the long-term viability of these products. St Andrews University has already installed a full-size 3G pitch with cork infill, and there is research and development continuing across the industry with more products in the market.

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry published a wide-ranging report in April on rubber crumb infill. It is the largest study ever conducted in the US on the topic and was launched to characterise the chemicals associated with tire crumb rubber and to identify how people may be potentially exposed to those chemicals based on their activities on synthetic turf fields. In its conclusion, the report highlighted that:

‎ “As expected, a range of metals, semivolatile organic compounds, volatile organic compounds and bacteria were detected in recycled tire crumb rubber infill.
‎
‎ "Although chemicals are present in the tire crumb rubber and exposures can occur, they are likely limited. For example, only small amounts of most organic chemicals are released from tire crumb into the air through emissions and no differences in PAH metabolites in urine were observed between study participants using synthetic turf fields compared to those using grass fields.”

The full report can be read here: https://www.epa.gov/chemical-research/federal-research-recycled-tire-crumb-used-playing-fields-and-playgrounds?utm_source=brevo&utm_campaign=Friday%20News%20Roundup%2019%20April&utm_medium=email

Question reference: S6W-27086

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether SEPA has assessed any impact of flea and worm treatments used for companion animals on the environment.

SEPA have developed a new analytical technique to screen environmental water samples for a range of chemical substances, including a range of pesticides and pharmaceuticals (human and veterinary).

Through targeted screening methodology, this helps identify and provide estimated concentrations for approximately 450 chemical substances including medicines used to control parasites. Monitoring began late 2023, with initially around 100 monitoring locations (rivers and lochs) expanding to over 300 locations in 2024.

This investigative monitoring programme was designed to help SEPA understand chemical pressures on Scotland’s water environment. SEPA are finalising monitoring results for substances used in veterinary medicines to treat parasites in companion animals and will share as it becomes available, with other UK regulators and agencies through the UK cross-government Pharmaceuticals in the Environment group. In addition, SEPA are also exploring options for making this data more widely available.

Question reference: S6W-27261

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a progress update on Scottish Water’s commitment to increasing monitoring levels of Combined Sewer Overflows (CSOs).

Question reference: S6W-27085

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 7 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when SEPA last met with the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) cross-government group regarding fipronil and imidacloprid levels detected in UK surface waters, and what steps it is taking to reduce these levels in Scotland.

SEPA is a member of the Pharmaceuticals in the Environment (PiE) Group. The group last met on 31st January 2024 to continue discussions and undertake process mapping to understand the current evidence, as well as regulatory and non-regulatory tools available to inform future activities and strategy regarding levels of imidacloprid and fipronil in UK surface waters.

SEPA has designed an investigative monitoring programme to help understand chemical pressures on Scotland’s water environment.

Question reference: S6W-27270

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kaukab Stewart on 3 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what its position is on introducing ticket levy schemes at large music venues in Scotland to support small and grassroots music venues.

The Scottish Government fully values the importance of the music industry to Scotland’s culture, and the role venues play in the talent pipeline.

We have committed through the New Deal for Business to engage with industry to explore non-regulatory solutions to deliver policy objectives across Scottish Government. We are sympathetic to the needs of grassroots venues and are engaging with stakeholders to understand how we can best support industry-led initiatives.

Question reference: S6W-26877

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 24 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support the economic and creative growth of Scotland’s unscripted screen sector.

The Scottish Government remains focused on strengthening our screen sector and creating the conditions for continued growth across production, development, talent, and skills, including in unscripted production.

We have funded, and continue to fund, Screen Scotland, who over the last 3 financial years have supported a total of 138 unscripted productions, including many through the Broadcast Content Fund (BCF), which is supported by Scottish Government Grant-in-Aid funding.

Screen Scotland’s Unscripted team continue to support the development and production of unscripted projects, and support talent development, skills and training opportunities for people working in the unscripted sector.

As well as supporting the annual unscripted film talent development programme, ‘Docscene’, delivered by the Scottish Documentary Institute, Screen Scotland also work closely with partners such as the BBC and Channel 4, on a range of projects and initiatives to support the production of unscripted factual and entertainment content.

They have also worked closely with production companies and local training providers to help incorporate freelancers from unscripted production into scripted training programmes and productions, for those seeking to transition their careers or broaden their portfolios.

In March 2024, Screen Scotland published their Strategy to 2030-31 which outlines their plan of work across skills and training, audience development, support for Scottish creatives and international collaboration to ensure that all those working in the screen sector, including in unscripted production, have a wide range of opportunities for employment and professional development.