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-01400

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what research informed its setting a target of 21% of Scotland being covered in forest by 2032.

Question reference: S6W-01581

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 16 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect and restore Scotland’s ancient and long-established woodlands in light of the report, State of the UK's Woods and Trees 2021, which found that these woods are important carbon stores and are shown to hold, on average, 31% more carbon per hectare compared to the average for all woodland types.

The Scottish Government takes the protection of its ancient woodlands seriously and there are several existing areas of legislation and policies in place to provide that protection.

NatureScot use the planning system to protect ancient woodland through their engagement with the preparation of development plans. Furthermore, protection for all woodland is in place via felling regulations under the Forestry and Land Management (Scotland) Act 2018 and the Scottish Government’s Control of Woodland Removal Policy , where there is a strong presumption against removing ancient semi-natural woodland.

Anyone wishing to fell trees in Scotland must apply for a Felling Permission and thiswill only be granted if it complies with the principles of sustainable forest management, as set out in the UK Forestry Standard .

The National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Position Statement , sets out our expectation that NPF4 will strengthen our approach to protecting and restoring the health and quality of Scotland’s natural environment, including considering how we can promote nature based solutions and strengthen policy on woodland protection in association with development, aligned with new provisions on forestry and woodland strategies.

Scottish Forestry and NatureScot are working together to deliver those key recommendations in the Scottish Government’s official response to the Deer Working Group Report relevant to forestry. This includes developing a vision for woodland deer management based on protecting public interests within the context of the climate emergency and biodiversity crisis, and developing actions to deliver these aims through the Wild Deer National Approach.

We are also committed to establishing a National Register of Ancient Woodlands and will work with owners and agencies to maintain and protect them.

Question reference: S6W-01398

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that additional forests will take 20 years to cancel the carbon impact of cultivating them.

The majority of new woodlands created in Scotland will, over a 20 year period, sequester more carbon than is released during cultivation, and will continue to absorb carbon for the rest of their growing period. Scotland’s forests are predicted to remain a net sink through the period to 2045 and beyond.

In certain circumstances, where tree growth is expected to be moderate and where the soil is of a particular type carbon accounting can be less predictable and in those situations, greater attention is paid to the method of ground preparation as required through our new cultivation guidance. Scottish Forestry has engaged Forest Research (FR) to examine the impact of carbon release caused by forestry ground cultivation in organo-mineral soils, and is using that evidence to put in place methodologies that will ensure that growing trees will reabsorb carbon released from cultivation as quickly as possible.

Scottish Forestry will no longer approve high impact cultivation techniques, including shallow ploughing and other forms of linear cultivation on peat soils which are over 10cm in depth. Research evidence from FR demonstrates that by doing so there will be no net loss of carbon over a 20 year period, and afterwards the growing trees will continue to sequester and absorb carbon for the rest of the forest rotation.

Question reference: S6O-00089

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the impact parental smoking has on child poverty.

Question reference: S6O-00093

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to enshrining a rule in the National Planning Framework 4, where, for every new building, 1% of the cost is given to the arts.

Question reference: S6O-00091

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle the antisocial use of quad bikes, trail bikes and other off-road vehicles.

Question reference: S6O-00092

Asked by: Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to help protect people participating in football activities, particularly children and young people, in light of research suggesting a link between repeated heading of footballs and dementia later in life.

Question reference: S6O-00094

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its programme for mental health within the NHS Recovery Plan.

Question reference: S6O-00090

Asked by: Clare Adamson, MSP for Motherwell and Wishaw, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to implement the recommendations in Scotland’s Drowning Prevention Strategy.

Question reference: S6O-00084

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the future of farm support payments.