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-08622

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 1 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its proposed timetable is for delivering its commitment to establish a National Register of Ancient Woodlands.

Question reference: S6O-01152

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what role local authority scrutiny will have in relation to the recently published consultation document on police complaints, investigations and misconduct legislation.

Question reference: S6O-01148

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its analysis is of the latest transmission charging forecasts from National Grid ESO, in light of Transmission Network Use of System charges reportedly increasing in Scotland by between 39% and 73% while charges are decreasing in the majority of zones in England.

Question reference: S6O-01090

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 May 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what role a COVID-19 booster vaccination programme this winter will play in its Covid Recovery Strategy.

Question reference: S6W-08078

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 10 May 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that harms from drugs and alcohol, which were cited in the Budget 2022-23 as "twin public health emergencies", are being addressed with equal urgency and importance.

Alcohol and drug-related harms are important public health issues in Scotland, which is why we established a national mission to improve and save lives. At the core of which is ensuring that every individual is able to access the treatment and recovery they choose.

We are working to ensure people with alcohol use disorder continue to receive the same quality of care as those with drugs misuse. The forthcoming Alcohol Treatment Guidelines will provide support for alcohol treatment, similar to the Medication-Assisted Treatment Standards for drugs. We are also developing alcohol treatment targets alongside Stage Two of the Drugs Targets Implementation in 2024.

We announced £100 million of additional investment to increase the availability of residential rehabilitation, that will benefit people experiencing alcohol and/or drug addiction.

On 06 December 2021, we launched a campaign to address stigma experienced by people with problematic alcohol and drug use. The campaign ran across multiple media platforms.

Question reference: S6W-07361

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 01 April 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the impact on households in Scotland, particularly in rural areas, what (a) action it is taking to mitigate the effects of increases in the price of kerosene heating oil and (b) discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding any consideration of a potential price cap for heating oil, similar to the electricity price cap.

I know that many rural households, living in off gas grid areas and reliant on heating oil, are likely to be facing difficulties as the price of kerosene has soared in recent months. We are doing all we can within our powers to assist those worst affected and have recently allocated a further £10 million to our Fuel Insecurity Fund (FIF). The FIF is delivered through trusted third sector partners including the Fuel Bank Foundation and Advice Direct Scotland, who administer our Home Heating Support Fund. Both these organisations are able to provide direct assistance to households who rely upon solid, or liquid fuels such as kerosene, for their heating.

Following on from recent discussions with the heating oil trade body, UKIFDA, my officials have engaged with the UK Government to raise concerns about the recent unprecedented rises in heating fuel costs for off-gas-grid customers in parts of Scotland. However the UK Government has indicated that there are no plans to regulate the sector.

Question reference: S6O-01009

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 April 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to support the pig farming industry in response to reported rises in the cost of feed, electricity, diesel, labour and haulage.

Question reference: S6W-07505

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 22 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the most recent levels of average Council Tax Band D in Scotland, and how that compares with (a) England and (b) Wales.

Question reference: S6O-00957

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 31 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation will be undertaken in preparing the Wellbeing Economy Monitor and the Wellbeing Economy Framework, recently highlighted in Scotland's National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

The Wellbeing Economy Monitor and Framework are being developed as tools to help realise the Scottish Government’s vision to build a wellbeing economy in Scotland.

The development of these tools has been informed by the consultations we conducted on the National Strategy for Economic Transformation, as well as previous consultations including the Citizens’ Assembly of Scotland, the Social Renewal Advisory Board, and that which informed the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery.

These tools are also being informed by engagement with key stakeholders and the Wellbeing Economy Governments group, as well as our Wellbeing Economy Pilot Project with Clackmannanshire Council.

We will continue to welcome views on these tools as they develop.

Question reference: S6W-07362

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 March 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 31 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the most recent data for the number of affordable homes per head of the population in Scotland, and how this compares with (a) England and (b) Wales.

Across the 4 year period to 2020-21, Scotland has seen an annual average of 15.6 affordable homes delivered per 10,000 population. This is 62% more than the 9.6 homes per 10,000 in England, and 71% more than the 9.1 homes per 10,000 in Wales. Over the same time frame the annual supply of social rented housing per head of population in Scotland has averaged 10.8 homes per 10,000 population, over nine times the 1.1 homes per 10,000 population in England.

Comparator figures for the current financial year 2021-22 are not available yet. The Scottish figures for 2021-22 will be published in June this year but the other UK financial year figures might not be published until later in the year, and as some of these are financial year rather than quarterly, it is not possible to calculate within-year comparisons.