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-04194

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 05 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much it expects to spend on reserved policy areas in 2021-22, with itemised details for each expenditure line.

Question reference: S6W-04648

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to introduce a domestic replacement for the EU school milk subsidy scheme, in light of the rollover of funding expiring at the end of the current academic year, and what plans it has to consult with stakeholders on the details of any new scheme.

Prior to October 2020, Scottish local authorities could claim for subsidy from the EU School Milk Scheme to put towards their local school milk schemes. Following the United Kingdom's exit from the European Union, the Scottish Government committed to providing funding to allow Scottish local authorities to continue offering subsidised milk in their schools.

This funding arrangement will continue for the remainder of the 2021-22 school year during which time we will be working with our local authority partners to develop a free school milk scheme which provides for children’s dietary needs. Stakeholder engagement will take place appropriately during that process.

Question reference: S6W-04618

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what business expansion grants are available for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

Scottish Government provides expansion grants to SMEs primarily through our 3 Enterprise Agencies (Scottish Enterprise, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, and South of Scotland Enterprise) and the Local Authorities. These can be found in detail – including how to apply – on the ‘FindBusinessSupport’ portal which also provides information about what advice, grants and other forms of finance are available to help SMEs. SMEs can also access free business advice – including on the availability of expansion grants - access to market intelligence, and an extensive network of contacts, from Business Gateway which has local offices all over Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-04502

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04175 by Mairi Gougeon on 12 November 2021, how many applications, following appeal, were (a) approved and (b) not approved, in each year since 2015.

Question reference: S6W-04584

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will create a support mechanism for the wave and tidal energy industry to work alongside the UK Government’s revenue stabilisation mechanism, as recommended in the Scottish Renewables publication, Beyond COP26: Next steps for Scotland’s clean energy revolution.

Question reference: S6W-04551

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the proposed changes to the assessment process for adult disability payment (ADP), how many people in receipt of personal independence payment (PIP) it expects will request the rate of the mobility support that they receive to be reviewed following transfer to ADP, and what modelling and analysis it has used to determine this.

Forecasts relating to future requests for award reviews and reassessments are set out by the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC). The most recently published forecast of 26 August 2021 stated that 8,700 additional people could request that their award be reviewed due to their circumstances changing over the course of case transfer.

On the assumption that around 72% of these individuals could request their mobility award is reviewed, based on the current share of PIP award types, such requests could therefore be around 6,300 people following transfer to ADP from PIP.

Question reference: S6W-04580

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish an energy skills and services export target, as recommended in the Scottish Renewables publication, Beyond COP26: Next steps for Scotland’s clean energy revolution.

Question reference: S6W-04655

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many premises are unable to access (a) superfast broadband and (b) full fibre ultrafast broadband, broken down by local authority area.

Through a combination of the £600 million Reaching 100% (R100) contracts, the R100 Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme and continued commercial coverage, every premises in Scotland will be able to access a superfast broadband connection.

We do not hold data on full fibre coverage across Scotland. However, Ofcom provides this data as part of the interactive report they produce alongside their Connected Nations updates. Their latest published information, including local authority area breakdown, can be found at https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/multi-sector-research/infrastructure-research/connected-nations-update-summer-2021/interactive-report .

Question reference: S6W-04564

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 22 November 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that workers in the ferry industry are trained to (a) operate and (b) re-fuel hydrogen-powered ferries.

Question reference: S6W-04398

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 November 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) action it is taking and (b) funding it is providing to reverse the reported historic deforestation of native woodland ecosystems.

Scottish Government a) will increase the annual native woodland creation target from 3000 to 4000 hectares and commit to setting evidence-based targets for both native woodlands and natural regeneration as part of the 2022 Biodiversity Strategy.

Scottish Government are supporting this action through provision of SRDP grant for both planting of new woodland, and management of herbivores to encourage natural woodland expansion.