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: S6O-03289

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support tenants, in light of reports of accelerating rents.

Question reference: S6W-26009

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 15 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to introduce legislation that would prevent any person who is subject to sexual offender notification requirements from being a councillor.

The Scottish Government recognises the importance of building and preserving a society where the rights and freedoms of individuals are respected and communities can trust their elected representatives.

The Scottish Government has set out its plans, on preventing individuals included on the sex offenders register from being councillors or MSPs, to the Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee who are currently considering the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Bill.

Question reference: S6W-25759

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 11 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether the Scottish Prison Service will commence work on the replacement of HMP Greenock in 2025-26.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) are committed to modernising the prison estate to deliver a world leading custodial environment, which supports rehabilitation and a safer Scotland.

The decisions made by the UK Government to reduce capital funding in real terms year on year, alongside construction supply chain issues, labour shortages and recent high inflation means that the Scottish Government is having to make difficult decisions in terms of prioritisation of infrastructure projects. Replacing HMP Inverness and HMP Barlinnie remain the current prison infrastructure priorities and work on the replacement for HMP Greenock is unlikely to commence in 2025-26.

Question reference: S6T-01838

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what steps it is taking to resolve industrial action in the further education sector.

Question reference: S6W-25647

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of the (a) closure of the Irish Berth at Ardrossan and (b) transfer of the Arran service from Ardrossan to Troon on the Performance Regime in Part 3, Schedule 15, of the current Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services contract with CalMac Ferries.

Question reference: S6W-25646

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how much Peel Ports Group has received in harbour dues relating to Ardrossan Harbour, since the company acquired the harbour in 2003.

The Scottish Government do not hold full details of the dues paid by CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) to Ardrossan Harbour Company Limited (AHCL). The monthly grant subsidy paid to CalMac covers all the agreed costs of operating services across the network as per the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract. However, it is understood that harbour dues paid by CFL to AHCL in CHFS contract year seven (October 2022 to September 2023) totalled around £1.7 million. Further information on AHCL can be found through their published accounts.

Question reference: S6O-03170

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support ferry users, in light of reports that MV Caledonian Isles will be out of action for four more months.

Question reference: S6W-25000

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what data it has on cases of intentional paracetamol overdose.

Data is not held centrally specifically on intentional paracetamol overdose . However, the following table shows the most recent data on inpatient and day-case admissions to hospital as a result of intentional paracetamol poisoning, which includes overdose cases.

Financial year	Number of admissions
2018-19	4808
2019-20	5132
2020-21	4976
2021-22	4997
2022-23	4104

Source: Public Health Scotland

Not all paracetamol overdose cases result in hospital admission, as they can be effectively responded to by the Scottish Ambulance Service or in other healthcare settings. Data is not available on these cases due to recording and reporting practices across services.

Question reference: S6W-25417

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether any fire safety documentation, such as a fire strategy report, fire risk assessment, evacuation strategy, fire safety drawings and a fire safety manual, was presented to its Energy and Climate Change Directorate before consent was given to the proposed battery storage facility at Hunterston, North Ayrshire.

An application was made to Scottish Ministers under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 by FlexibleGridPower2 Ltd for the electricity generating station known as Hunterston Grid Services Complex at Campbelton Farm on 17 August 2021.

The Scottish Government was aware from the application that a significant provision of work was planned relating to fire safety at the proposed battery storage facility. This includes a Planning Statement which comments on fire safety at section 2.5.

Paragraph 9 of the decision letter notes from the Planning Statement that “the proposed Development will include safety features including cooling and thermal monitoring with fire detection and suppression equipment. A fire strategy report, fire risk assessment, evacuation strategy, fire safety drawings and a fire safety manual will all be produced prior to construction of the proposed Development.”

As set out in the answer to question S6W-25418 on 22 February 2024, there is no legal requirement for fire safety documentation to be included with applications made under these regulations. Therefore, these were not presented to the Scottish Government prior to Scottish Ministers’ direction that planning permission was deemed to be granted.

In determining the application in question, Condition 6 was applied to the section 36 consent, requiring the development to be undertaken in accordance with the application. This includes the provision of work that was planned relating to fire safety. Once granted, the enforcement and monitoring of the planning permission for Hunterston Grid Services Complex became the responsibility of North Ayrshire Council, the planning authority.

The decision letter including all conditions may be viewed at https://www.energyconsents.scot/ApplicationDetails.aspx?cr=ECU00003319 under ‘Documents / Determinations’.

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-25418

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what fire safety documentation applicants are required to provide when seeking consent for a development from its Energy and Climate Change Directorate.

Applicants are not required to submit any supporting fire safety documentation when seeking consent for a development. This is because fire precautions and matters relating to health and safety are not relevant to planning, as they are covered by other legislation.

The Electricity (Applications for Consent) Regulations 1990 apply to all applications to construct and operate electricity generating stations under section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989. There is no legal requirement for fire safety documentation to be included with applications made under these regulations.

Matters relating to fire risk are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive, Britain’s Health and Safety regulator. Their remit includes health and safety in the workplace as well as public assurance on safety matters. Health and Safety is a reserved matter, with applicable UK legislation including the Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres Regulations 2002, the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, and the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999. HSE considers there to be a robust regulatory regime covering the fire risks associated with battery energy storage systems.

As a matter of routine, the Scottish Government will consult the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and Health and Safety Executive on any new battery storage applications received and take into account any responses received.