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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-22373

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 2 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the appropriateness of requiring 2km between wind turbines and settlement boundaries, in light of the height of wind turbine developments now regularly being above 150m, and what its position is on whether this distance should be increased where turbines are above 150m.

All applications are subject to site-specific assessments, recognising the different circumstances of individual development proposals, sites and wider locations. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) states that, when considering development proposals for renewable energy generation, potential impacts on communities, nature and other receptors will be important considerations in the decision-making process. NPF4 Policy 11 requires project design and mitigation to demonstrate how impacts on communities and individual dwellings, including residential amenity, visual impact, noise and shadow flicker will be addressed.

Question reference: S6W-22077

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the contribution of its latest Infrastructure Investment Plan to meeting Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets.

Annex C of the Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP), published February 2021, used a taxonomy approach to assess planned infrastructure spend into low, neutral and high carbon categories, drawing on the annual carbon assessment of the capital budget. The 2022-23 annual IIP progress report, published June 2023, considers Major Capital Projects within the IIP in the context of the climate change targets.

My previous answer to question S6W-21956 on 25 October 2023 sets out details of Scottish Ministers’ commitment to comply fully with the requirements of section 94A of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009.

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-22094

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 2 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the national code of conduct for local government employees.

Question reference: S6W-22078

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 06 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on (a) its position on aligning its Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP) with Scotland’s pathway for achieving net zero and (b) whether it has discussed creating a new methodology for assessing the contribution of individual infrastructure projects within the IIP to greenhouse gas reduction efforts.

Scottish Ministers are committed to complying fully with the requirements of section 94A of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 and are engaging with Environmental Standards Scotland on this matter through the informal resolution process. To this end, the Scottish Ministers intend to publish an assessment of the extent to which investment in accordance with the Infrastructure Investment Plan is expected to contribute to the meeting of the emissions reduction targets in Part 1 of the 2009 Act. In the context of the informal resolution process, it is the Scottish Ministers’ intention to share with ESS the proposed assessment prior to publication. This will be done as soon as possible and before the end of the calendar year, with publication anticipated in early course thereafter.

An enhanced taxonomy approach will be adopted and will include an assessment on whether the IIP is contributing positively to the emissions reduction targets.

As set out in the Infrastructure Investment Plan, Scottish Ministers are committed to considering developments in methodologies for assessing the contribution of infrastructure investment plans to the emission targets and this will be pursued in relation to future IIPs.

Question reference: S6O-02694

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the ability of children living in temporary accommodation to access health services, in particular in relation to current levels of treatment from mental health services.

Question reference: S6O-02688

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how its winter preparedness plan will aim to reduce pressure on the NHS.

Question reference: S6O-02686

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how its agricultural development projects will boost organic produce and improve environmental practice, as part of its work towards achieving its net zero targets.

Question reference: S6O-02690

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps are being taken to increase recruitment and retention of staff in the Scottish Ambulance Service this winter.

Question reference: S6O-02702

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to local authorities to help reduce the number of people on social housing waiting lists.

Question reference: S6O-02684

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to support farmers to protect crops, including from future flood-related damage.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

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