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-20274

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 16 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it was ever informed by Circularity Scotland of "any material change in the information provided", under regulation 16(1)(c) of the Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020, and, if so, what changes it was informed of.

In July 2023, in accordance with Regulation 17(1)(c) of the Deposit and Return Scheme Regulations 2020, Scottish Ministers decided to withdraw scheme administrator approval for Circularity Scotland Ltd (CSL) following notification that they had entered administration. If CSL's representatives do not ask for a review of this decision, the company ceases to be scheme administrator with effect from 17 August 2023.

Question reference: S6W-20095

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its announcement of the successful projects for year one, whether it will provide further detail on the allocation of the Just Transition Fund to ensure transparency and value for money.

The £500 million Just Transition Fund for North East and Moray has allocated £75 million to date, including a multi-year capital programme supporting 24 projects. The open and competitive bidding round assessed projects against published criteria in line with public finance guidelines. Details of successful projects are published here: Just Transition Fund: year one projects - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . I have committed to regular updates on progress towards a just transition to net zero to Parliament and the Just Transition Commission.

Question reference: S6W-20100

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much private sector investment has been secured, to date, for Scotland’s transition to net zero, as part of the Green Growth Accelerator programme.

Question reference: S6W-20057

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19560 by Lorna Slater on 18 July 2023, on what specific date the Scottish Government first informed the UK Government that Circularity Scotland was likely to go into administration.

Scottish Government officials were in regular discussions with UK Government officials regarding the Internal Market Act (IMA) exclusion process for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Throughout these discussions officials made it clear that not providing a timely and complete exclusion would jeopardise the future of the DRS in Scotland and by extension the viability of Circularity Scotland. Scottish Ministers and officials wrote to UK Ministers a number of times throughout April and May highlighting the risk to the scheme and to Circularity Scotland due to the uncertainty around the IMA exclusion. This included letters from myself on 19 May and from the First Minister on 22 April and 3 May 2023.

Question reference: S6W-20053

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19222 by Lorna Slater on 18 July 2023, whether it will specify the mechanisms that it has in place to assess and monitor the "range of risks relating to the delivery of the Deposit Return Scheme".

Question reference: S6W-20058

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S6W-19560 by Lorna Slater on 18 July 2023, on what date it began to assume that Circularity Scotland was likely to go into administration.

Question reference: S6W-20087

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the academic environmental research, Delivering net zero in the UK: twelve conditions for success, which was published on 10 July 2023, in particular in relation to any implications for net zero policy in Scotland of the research’s findings that (a) deploying low-regret solutions on a large scale, (b) engaging with communities, (c) taking an interdisciplinary and whole systems approach and (d) upskilling and capacity building in the workforce and government are among the conditions for success.

The Scottish Government welcomes this research and agrees with the need for Net Zero to be implemented in a manner that achieves maximum benefit for all of society. Through our Just Transition Planning and publication of the next Climate Change Plan we will ensure that we act quickly to achieve our Net Zero ambitions in a manner that assures inequalities are tackled in partnership with Scotland’s local communities.

Question reference: S6W-20091

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not responded to the letter from the Chair of the Just Transition Commission to the then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition and the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, entitled Further Advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which was published on 17 April 2023, in light of its aim to respond within 12 weeks from the date of the publication, as stated in the Memorandum of Understanding, which was published on 24 March 2023.

In response to the Just Transition Commission’s letter providing further advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan published on 17 April 2023, the Scottish Government issued a reply on the 9 May 2023. The letter acknowledged the Commission’s extensive recommendations and committed to a more detailed response to these, alongside consideration of responses to the formal consultation.

The reply adhered to the 12-week timeframe as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding and can now be found online here: Just Transition: letter to Just Transition Commission 9 May 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Question reference: S6W-20090

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the letter from the Chair of the Just Transition Commission to the then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition and the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, entitled Further Advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which was published on 17 April 2023, and when it will publish a response to the Commission.

In response to the Just Transition Commission’s letter providing further advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) published on 17 April 2023, the Scottish Government issued a reply on 9 May 2023. This can be found online: Just Transition: letter to Just Transition Commission 9 May 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We are currently awaiting independent analysis of the large volume of responses received from the public consultation held on the draft ESJTP. We are fully considering stakeholder views including those of the Just Transition Commission and will engage with them further as we finalise the ESJTP.

Question reference: S6W-20088

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 14 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in relation to the work of the Climate Change Plan Advisory Group (CCPAG) and what policy outcomes can be reported as a result of the input from the CCPAG.

The Climate Change Plan Advisory Group has undergone 4 of 7 plenary meetings and has so far elicited wide ranging input from diverse stakeholders into the next draft Climate Change Plan. This input includes on topics such as our vision for the future of Scotland, just transition work and energy use, with a Sub- Group meeting on the topic of heat in buildings planned in September.

The Scottish Government will produce an Outcomes Report regarding the policy outputs from the Climate Change Plan Advisory Group after the final meeting in October 2023. Policy outcomes from the group will be used to inform development of the upcoming draft Climate Change Plan.