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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 2300 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S4W-20591

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with (a) the UK Government, (b) the European Commission and (c) EU member states regarding the potential impact of offshore windfarms outwith Scottish waters on protected wildlife sites in Scotland, and what the reason is for its position on this matter.

The Scottish Government has ongoing discussions with the UK, European Commission and EU member states on marine issues, including renewables and protected wildlife sites. While the issue of windfarms outwith Scottish waters impacting protected sites in Scotland has not been specifically discussed, current evidence suggests that there are no significant impacts associated with this issue.

However, to ensure the Habitats Regulations Appraisal process is comprehensive, regular discussions do occur on this issue between the respective statutory nature conservation bodies.

Question reference: S4W-20590

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that offshore windfarms are monitored to ensure that they do not result in greater than predicted impacts on the environment and to inform future plans and projects.

Offshore wind farm consents issued by the Scottish Ministers contain stringent conditions which the developer must comply with. These conditions include requirements for the developer to monitor the impact on the likes of birds, marine mammals, fish and benthic communities. The Scottish Ministers will also form independent regional and strategic advisory groups (including importantly, but not exclusively, members from ornithological, fishing, fisheries and marine mammal organisations) for the purpose of advising ministers on research, monitoring and mitigation programmes. Consent conditions will require developers to contribute to these groups. An iterative sectoral plan review process ensures that the results of environmental assessments and monitoring of wind farms developments, alongside a programme of relevant scientific research, will inform future strategic plans for offshore wind in Scottish territorial waters.

Question reference: S4W-20592

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 12 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how, in making planning decisions, it has taken account of the potential cumulative impact of offshore wind developments in Scottish, UK and other European waters on protected wildlife sites, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

At the strategic plan level, a Strategic Environmental Assessment and a Habitats Regulations Appraisal of Marine Scotland’s forthcoming plans for offshore renewables, under the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 and the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations as amended, have been undertaken and have considered the potential for cumulative impacts with plans and projects outwith Scotland on Scottish wildlife sites.

The need for a cumulative impact assessment is also laid down in the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive 2011/92/EU which requires that the impacts of a project be assessed ‘cumulatively’ with other projects. When assessing an offshore wind farm application and its cumulative impact on European protected wildlife sites, the Scottish Ministers, as the competent authority, must undertake an appropriate assessment. Within this assessment, the Conservation (Natural Habitats, &c.) Regulations 1994 require that the in-combination impacts (e.g. with other developments both inside and outside Scottish waters) are fully considered. Previous examples of appropriate assessments for consented offshore wind projects can be viewed on the Marine Scotland website.

Question reference: S4W-20589

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will include clarity on surface access to Glasgow Airport in the final National Planning Framework 3 in order to influence investment decisions.

Question reference: S4W-20587

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 6 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will require carbon assessments to be carried out prior to consideration of proposals to develop on peatlands.

Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) is currently under review, but the draft SPP, published for consultation in April 2013, proposed that where peat and other carbon rich soils are present, planning applicants should assess the likely effects of development on carbon dioxide emissions (paragraph 134). The finalised SPP is due for publication in June 2014.

Scottish Ministers already require a carbon assessment to be undertaken for wind farm proposals on peatland where these applications are with Scottish Ministers for determination.

Question reference: S4W-20585

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a response to requests from stakeholders for clarity in relation to its policy on wild land in the proposed National Planning Framework 3.

At the 18 March 2014 parliamentary debate on the Proposed National Planning Framework 3, it was confirmed that Scottish Planning Policy is the appropriate place to deal with wild land with a reference to the issue in the finalised National Planning Framework.

The finalised National Planning Framework 3 and Scottish Planning Policy to be published in June 2014, will clarify our position on wild land.

Question reference: S4W-20584

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government how it will report to the Parliament the findings of the expert advice that it has sought on the proposed National Planning Framework 3.

Question reference: S4W-20588

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 6 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish its reasons for removal of projects from the proposed National Planning Framework 3.

The National Planning Framework 3 Main Issues Report, published in April 2013, explained why national development status was no longer considered to be needed for several national developments identified in National Planning Framework 2 (NPF2). The NPF2 Monitoring Report, published in 2012, also provided an update on progress in delivering all of the national developments that were included in NPF2.

Question reference: S4W-20586

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 07 April 2014
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 2 May 2014

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide guidance on unconventional gas extraction and hydraulic fracturing.

Proposals for unconventional gas extraction in Scotland will be studied on their merits. Each proposal will be considered through the normal planning process and the appropriate regulatory regimes including the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency’s guidance on the regulation of shale gas and coal bed methane published December 2012.

There are no proposals which involve the use of hydraulic fracturing techniques in Scotland at this time. The Scottish Government will follow a rigorous, evidence-based approach in the development and deployment of this technology.

Question reference: S4F-02071

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 May 2014
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 May 2014

To ask the First Minister, in light of the reported 162% increase since 2004 in the cost of providing free personal care, what action the Scottish Government is taking to ensure that local authority social work budgets can meet demand.