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: S5F-03316

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 May 2019

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services report’s call for a “transformative change”.

Question reference: S5W-22478

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its news release of 1 April 2019, Fighting the throwaway culture, whether it will provide a full list of the bodies that have been invited to participate in the Deposit Return Scheme Implementation Advisory Group; when the group will first meet; how regularly it will meet, and whether it will publish the group's minutes.

The organisations participating in the Implementation Advisory Group are:

British Soft Drinks Association
Federation of Small Businesses
Natural Hydration Council
Scotch Whisky Association
Scottish Beer & Pub Association
Scottish Grocers Federation
Federation of Independent Retailers
Scottish Wholesale Association
Scottish Licensed Trade Association
Scottish Retail Consortium
UK Hospitality

The group had an introductory meeting on 26 February and is scheduled to meet again on 21 May. It is likely to meet on a monthly basis thereafter, with the schedule taking into account key implementation milestones. The minutes of the group are available on the Scottish Government website.

Question reference: S5W-22477

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will lay the statutory instruments required for the implementation of a deposit return system.

Question reference: S5W-22476

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 05 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 24 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the funding increase detailed in Scotland’s Railway (Control Period 6: 2019 – 2024) will be spent in Clydesdale on (a) station opening or improvements and (b) line and track or other infrastructure improvements.

I refer to the attached link which provides Network Rail’s plans for Central Scotland in Control Period 6 (CP6). http://networkrail.createsend1.com/t/d-e-pzkin-l-r/

The key project under development in Clydesdale is the renewal of life expired signalling and track equipment in the Carstairs Junction area.

This major project will improve the reliability of cross-border and ScotRail services as well as offering opportunity for potential journey time improvements. Network Rail’s estimate for this project is currently £150 million.

Question reference: S5W-22311

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the remit of the Seaweed Review Group is, and (a) where and (b) how regularly its meeting minutes and information on its actions and visits will be made public.

During the parliamentary scrutiny of the Scottish Crown Estate Act 2019, I announced that the review would further gather evidence to help ensure that existing seaweed harvesting activity and future proposals are sustainable and Scotland’s marine environment is protected. The steering group will advise on all aspects of the review.

Initially, the group is expected to meet quarterly, starting in May 2019. At that first meeting terms of reference, forward work programme and arrangements for public reporting of progress will be agreed.

Question reference: S5W-22310

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a dedicated website for the Seaweed Review Group and, if not, whether it will consider creating one.

Question reference: S5O-03094

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made since 10 January 2019 with setting up a farming and food production policy group.

Question reference: S5W-22169

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 27 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent announcement by South Ayrshire Council to offer 10 days paid "safe leave" to staff who have experienced domestic abuse, which other local authorities have adopted a similar policy, and what national HR guidelines are available for supporting public sector staff who have been subjected to domestic abuse.

The Scottish Government commends South Ayrshire Council for their adoption of this policy, and we understand that they are the first local authority to have done so.

COSLA made a statement on International Women’s Day regarding the work of local authorities on domestic abuse, and this can be found at https://bit.ly/2JvNLex .

The Equally Safe at Work pilot accreditation scheme Close the Gap is delivering with the support of the Scottish Government includes the requirement to provide leave to support staff through domestic abuse as part of its framework, which all 32 local authorities showed interest in participating in. Currently, 9 local authorities are engaged in the pilot and a number of others form part of a ‘shadow group’ set up to keep abreast of progress.

The Equality and Human Rights Commission created a guide on managing and supporting employees experiencing domestic abuse in 2013, and SafeLives updated their guidance on for line managers, Human Resources and Employee Assistance Programmes on employees experiencing domestic abuse in 2015.

Employment law is reserved so we will write to the UK Government to ask them to consider adopting a domestic leave policy.

Question reference: S5O-03062

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it plans to provide to older carers of pensionable age providing care of over 35 hours per week.

Question reference: S5W-21716

Asked by: Claudia Beamish, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 18 February 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 7 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the Scottish Energy Strategy, by what date it will make its first annual energy statement.