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-29936

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much power within Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements is currently procured from community-owned energy providers.

Within the National Electricity Supply Framework no power is procured from community – owned energy providers.

The framework has been set up to supply electricity to all of the Scottish Public sector. The supplier on the framework is required to purchase power on the futures market through a risk managed hedging strategy. The strategy is owned by a Risk Management Committee who represent all of the main Public Sector bodies.

The framework supplier needs to ensure it has the capacity to secure forward purchases on behalf of all framework customers. The supplier also needs to account manage each individual customer organisation including billing, invoicing, meter reading queries, complaints, energy efficiency queries, and social value programmes within the framework. As well as managing the consumption for over 30,000 meters for electricity that are part of the portfolio. Therefore, the supplier needs to have capacity to trade large volumes and achieve Value For Money for the whole Scottish public sector.

Question reference: S6W-29937

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 24 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether local authorities are required to participate in Scotland's national electricity supply framework arrangements.

Question reference: S6W-29407

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of the economic impact of delaying the publication of its Green Industrial Strategy.

We committed to publishing the Green Industrial Strategy in summer 2024. The strategy was published on 11 September, following summer recess and the launch of the 2023-24 Programme for Government.

The strategy aims to ensure Scotland gets the maximum possible economic benefit from the opportunities created by the global transition to net zero and we are already getting on with delivering across the five opportunity areas, and wider system enablers identified in the strategy. For example, the Scottish Government is driving forward the recommendations of the First Minister’s Investor Panel to attract global capital investment around the physical infrastructure needed to achieve our energy transition. On skills, funding has been allocated to support industry-led development of the energy skills passport; to create an energy transition skills hub in Aberdeen; and launch a pilot scheme with the National Energy Skills Accelerator to determine the skills required for an energy transition. The new Planning Hub will strengthen capacity and accelerate decision making, with an initial focus on hydrogen applications.

Question reference: S6W-29403

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects a consenting decision to be reached in relation to the Berwick Bank offshore windfarm.

Question reference: S6W-29401

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with ports regarding the development of its Green Industrial Strategy.

The Green Industrial Strategy recognises ports are key enablers for the energy transition. Ports have a critical role to play in supporting the growth of Scotland’s offshore wind sector and growing our hydrogen production and export capabilities, which are two of the five priority opportunity areas identified in the strategy.

The Scottish Government is engaging and collaborating with ports on the opportunities from offshore wind and engaging with key industry bodies including the recently formed Scottish Offshore Wind Ports Alliance (SOWPA) and the British Ports Association’s Scottish Ports Group.

The Scottish Government is working closely with both Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport and Forth Green Freeport which will play a crucial role in our commitment to a just transition to net zero, by creating clusters of high-tech manufacturing excellence in low carbon sectors, including offshore wind and renewable hydrogen.

Question reference: S6W-29406

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 20 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what role it expects ports to play as part of its proposed Green Industrial Strategy.

The Green Industrial Strategy recognises ports are key enablers for the energy transition. Ports have a critical role to play in supporting the growth of Scotland’s offshore wind sector and accelerating investment in related infrastructure, manufacturing and fabrication. Ports will also play a key role in growing the hydrogen sector to facilitate the export of hydrogen and hydrogen products to external markets in the UK and in Northern Europe. Both Wind and Hydrogen are priority opportunity areas identified in the GIS.

Our two Green Freeports in Scotland have a strong focus on supporting renewable energy developments, and will play a crucial role in our commitment to a just transition to net zero, by creating clusters of high-tech manufacturing excellence in low carbon sectors, including offshore wind and renewable hydrogen. The recent announcements on investments at Nigg and Ardersier, part of the Inverness and Cromarty Firth Green Freeport, demonstrate the programme’s early impacts.

Question reference: S6W-29405

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs it expects the Forth Green Freeport deal to create.

Forth Green Freeport’s recently submitted full business case details ambitions to create 34,500 direct jobs, comprising 16,000 direct jobs and 18,500 jobs supported indirectly in supply chains and through wages, and up to £7.9 billion in investment.

The full business case is currently being appraised by Scottish and UK governments. Upon approval, it will unlock up to £25m seed capital funding to support enabling works. The commitments made by the Green Freeports in their business cases will be subject to robust monitoring and reporting requirements, enshrining their commitments across a number of key dimensions.

Question reference: S6W-29404

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 17 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any assessment of the economic impact of the reportedly increasing length of time being taken for a section 36 energy consent determination.

In respect of offshore consenting, we have been planning for an increase in offshore wind applications for some time and aim to determine offshore wind farm applications within 12 months where possible, however we have been clear that more complex applications may take longer. The average timeline to determine consents for offshore wind is currently 11 months (down from 17 months pre 2015).Each application must be considered on its own merit, balancing the needs of all maritime users and the natural environment. Maintaining this balance will continue to enhance Scotland’s place as a world-leading destination for offshore wind investment.

In respect of onshore consenting, through the Onshore Wind Sector Deal, we set an ambition to accelerate the determination of Section 36 applications for new sites by early 2025, and for the re-powering of existing operational sites, to 12 months, where there is no public inquiry, or 24 months, if there is a public inquiry. Further, we will aim to determine applications for the life extension of operational wind farms within five months, and other Section 36C applications within nine months where there is no public inquiry. The average timeline to determine new onshore renewable electricity generating station applications is currently 22.7 months (down from 38.5 months pre 2015).

Question reference: S6W-29583

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether the recent postponement to the Medium Term Financial Strategy will result in a further delay to a replacement eye hospital for Edinburgh.

There is no change to the position on NHS Capital Projects as a result of the postponement of the Medium Term Financial Strategy.

In December 2023, given the extremely challenging capital funding position, NHS Boards were instructed to pause any project development spend and instead direct capital budgets towards maintenance of the existing estate and essential equipment and digital replacement. Boards were notified that the Scottish Government does not anticipate starting construction of any new project over the next two years at least. Obviously should the UK Government change course on capital investment we have an opportunity to look at this again alongside the capital review ongoing across the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6O-03728

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to tackle antisocial behaviour in Lothian.