- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6T-02027 by Màiri McAllan on 4 June 2024 and her statement that “we are not dropping targets”, whether it will clarify whether this means that it is still committed to meeting both its outstanding 2013 and 2020 household recycling targets as currently set.
Answer
The Scottish Government continues to work towards meeting 2013 and 2020 household recycling targets.
To help us meet our targets, the Circular Economy Bill and draft Circular Economy and Waste Route Map set out further measures to improve and modernise local recycling services and drive up reuse and recycling rates.
This Bill also includes a commitment – in line with advice from the Climate Change Committee – to set new circular economy targets from 2025 so they are future proofed, support our work to tackle the climate emergency and help us measure progress in reducing emissions.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will urgently allocate the reported £450 million of European structural and investment funding, due to be returned to the European Commission by the end of the current financial year, to so-called shovel-ready bids within currently suspended capital programmes, including the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund and Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme.
Answer
The media reports suggesting that £450 million of European Structural and Investment Funds will be returned to the European Commission by the Scottish Government are wrong. As I stated in Parliament on Thursday 13 June, all projects supported by this funding must have concluded by December 2023 to be eligible. The criteria for projects supported by European Structural and Investments Funds is set by the European Commission - it cannot be used to replace core government funding. For further information, I include a link to the related Scottish Government webpages which provide more detail on how these funds have been administered in Scotland: https://www.gov.scot/policies/european-structural-funds/
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how much compensation was paid by CalMac to passengers across all ferry routes in the latest reporting period.
Answer
CalMac Ferries Ltd considers claims by customers under the Passenger Rights when travelling by Sea and Inland Waterways Regulations. They have paid £500,341 to customers in Financial Year 2023-24 in refunds or compensation claims in respect of Passenger Rights.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assurances it can provide that there will be no reduction in number of sailings or passenger capacity on the Ardrossan to Brodick ferry route as a result of MV Alfred now departing and arriving from Troon.
Answer
The overall passenger and vehicle capacity on the main Arran route is reduced during the current period of disruption when compared to the normal service. The Scottish Government continues to task CalMac with making best use of available vessel and port resources to serve our island communities. The services currently operated by the MV Isle of Arran from Ardrossan and MV Alfred from Troon is expected to remain in place until the return of the MV Caledonian Isles. CalMac have recently added a further return sailing by the MV Alfred on Friday afternoon’s following a successful trial in May 2024.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what it can do to extend the scope of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 to cover all public procurement of goods and services.
Answer
The Scottish Government cannot extend the coverage of the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012 as it applies to England and Wales only.
The Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 applies a sustainable procurement duty on Scottish public bodies which whilst similar to the general duty found in the Public Services (Social Value) Act 2012, is more far reaching The sustainable procurement duty requires a Scottish public body to consider and act on opportunities to: improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of its area; facilitate the involvement of SMEs, third sector bodies and supported businesses; and promote innovation.
The legislation in Scotland also includes provisions for oversight, requiring public bodies with an annual procurement spend of £5 million or more to set out in annually reviewed procurement strategies how they will comply with the Act and to publish annual procurement reports setting out how they have complied with their strategies. The content of these reports forms the basis of the Scottish Ministers Annual report on procurement activity in Scotland. For example - Procurement activity: annual report 2021 to 2022 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 13 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact on colleges of the 4.8% reduction in revenue funding in its Budget for 2024-25, in light of the Scottish Funding Council figures that were issued on 30 May 2024.
Answer
The teaching funding available to each college/region has been maintained and is unchanged from the funds made available for Academic Year 2023-24. We recognise the range of financial challenges which colleges and universities are managing, and have sought to minimise the impact on frontline allocations for learning and teaching and support for students.
- Asked by: Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds regarding the value of each local authority's reserves in real terms in 2023-24, and how this compares with the equivalent value in (a) 2003-04 and (b) 2013-14.
Answer
The following table shows the cash and real terms value of Local Authority General Fund reserves at 31 March 2014 (final audited) and 31 March 2024 (budget estimate). Please note that the information requested on reserves is not held prior to 2007.
Adjustments for inflation have been made using the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) deflators for March 2024 (available at: GDP deflators at market prices, and money GDP - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) ).
Figures for 31 March 2024 will be superseded on 25 June 2024 by data published in Local Government 2023-24 Provisional Outturn and 2024-25 Budget Estimates.
Further information on Local Government Finance Statistics can be found at: Local government finance statistics - gov.scot (www.gov.scot).
General Fund Reserves (in £ millions) as at 31 March | | |
Sources: LFR 23 for 31 March 2014 (audited data), POBE 2023 for 31 March 2024 which is a budget estimate provided in early 2023. |
| | Cash Terms | | Real Terms (2023-24 Prices) |
Local Authority | 31-Mar-14 | 31-Mar-24 | | 31-Mar-14 | 31-Mar-24 |
| | Final Audited | Budget Estimate | | Final Audited | Budget Estimate |
Aberdeen City | 57.1 | 70.1 | | 75.2 | 70.1 |
Aberdeenshire | 57.5 | 73.8 | | 75.7 | 73.8 |
Angus | 19.8 | 45.7 | | 26.1 | 45.7 |
Argyll & Bute | 44.0 | 88.2 | | 58.0 | 88.2 |
City of Edinburgh | 123.3 | 198.7 | | 162.3 | 198.7 |
Clackmannanshire | 12.0 | 14.2 | | 15.8 | 14.2 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 58.4 | 70.2 | | 76.9 | 70.2 |
Dundee City | 8.1 | 44.2 | | 10.6 | 44.2 |
East Ayrshire | 28.0 | 38.6 | | 36.9 | 38.6 |
East Dunbartonshire | 11.3 | 28.0 | | 14.9 | 28.0 |
East Lothian | 9.2 | 16.6 | | 12.1 | 16.6 |
East Renfrewshire | 14.9 | 23.5 | | 19.6 | 23.5 |
Falkirk | 25.8 | 33.2 | | 33.9 | 33.2 |
Fife | 85.0 | 181.9 | | 111.9 | 181.9 |
Glasgow City | 32.8 | 137.6 | | 43.2 | 137.6 |
Highland | 40.3 | 72.7 | | 53.1 | 72.7 |
Inverclyde | 42.9 | 6.4 | | 56.5 | 6.4 |
Midlothian | 20.5 | 7.8 | | 27.0 | 7.8 |
Moray | 21.4 | 19.6 | | 28.1 | 19.6 |
Na h-Eileanan Siar | 18.3 | 14.2 | | 24.1 | 14.2 |
North Ayrshire | 25.2 | 109.0 | | 33.1 | 109.0 |
North Lanarkshire | 75.0 | 256.6 | | 98.8 | 256.6 |
Orkney Islands | 23.8 | 34.3 | | 31.3 | 34.3 |
Perth & Kinross | 48.2 | 39.8 | | 63.5 | 39.8 |
Renfrewshire | 52.9 | 73.3 | | 69.7 | 73.3 |
Scottish Borders | 17.1 | 34.2 | | 22.6 | 34.2 |
Shetland Islands | 13.9 | 25.8 | | 18.2 | 25.8 |
South Ayrshire | 22.9 | 11.1 | | 30.2 | 11.1 |
South Lanarkshire | 13.4 | 108.0 | | 17.6 | 108.0 |
Stirling | 13.3 | 66.0 | | 17.5 | 66.0 |
West Dunbartonshire | 10.1 | 4.6 | | 13.3 | 4.6 |
West Lothian | 22.6 | 9.7 | | 29.7 | 9.7 |
Ayrshire VJB | 0.2 | 0.4 | | 0.3 | 0.4 |
Central VJB | 0.8 | 0.5 | | 1.0 | 0.5 |
Dunbartonshire & Argyll & Bute VJB | 0.5 | 0.4 | | 0.6 | 0.4 |
Grampian VJB | 0.2 | 0.5 | | 0.3 | 0.5 |
Highland & Western Isles VJB | 0.1 | 0.1 | | 0.2 | 0.1 |
Lanarkshire VJB | - | 1.3 | | - | 1.3 |
Lothian VJB | - | 0.5 | | - | 0.5 |
Orkney & Shetland VJB | - | 0.0 | | - | 0.0 |
Renfrewshire VJB | 0.5 | 1.0 | | 0.6 | 1.0 |
Tayside VJB | 0.1 | 0.1 | | 0.1 | 0.1 |
Tay Road Bridge | 1.2 | 1.2 | | 1.5 | 1.2 |
HITRANS | 0.2 | 0.0 | | 0.3 | 0.0 |
NESTRANS | 0.0 | 2.7 | | 0.0 | 2.7 |
SESTRAN | - | 0.0 | | - | 0.0 |
SPT | 12.5 | 83.2 | | 16.5 | 83.2 |
SWESTRANS | - | 0.0 | | - | 0.0 |
TACTRAN | - | 0.0 | | - | 0.0 |
ZetTrans | - | 0.0 | | - | 0.0 |
Scotland | 1,085.4 | 2,049.6 | | 1,428.8 | 2,049.6 |
| | | | | | |
VJB = Valuation Joint Board | | | | | |
GDP Deflator | 75.97 | 100.00 | | | |
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what the oil and gas sector supply chain employment levels have been in Scotland in each of the last 10 years.
Answer
This information is not held centrally.
Offshore Energies UK (OEUK), a representative membership body for the UK offshore energy industry, estimated in their 2024 Economy and People report that the oil and gas sector supports around 206,000 jobs across the UK in total, including supply chain and wider induced activity.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish National Investment bank is operating legally, in light of reports that the advisory group that was meant to be established by the Scottish Ministers has not yet been established.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024
- Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what it is doing to ensure access to primary care in areas that have a high projected population growth.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024
