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: S5W-03697

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has allocated to flood prevention schemes in each local authority since April 2016.

Question reference: S5W-03873

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing domestic legislation to ensure continued protection for protected food names in Scotland, in light of the UK’s vote to leave the EU.

Question reference: S5W-03874

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government on the continuation of food name protection, including Protected Designation of Origin, Protected Geographical Indicators and Traditional Speciality Guaranteed in order to retain these protections in the domestic market following the UK’s exit from the EU.

The Scottish Government are engaged at ministerial and official level with the UK Government to ensure the best outcome for Scotland following the EU referendum. The UK Government have confirmed that they are looking at options for when the UK formally leaves the EU, including a potential British protected food name status scheme and the Scottish Government continues to engage with Defra on options for Geographical Indications, including protected food names.

Question reference: S5W-03677

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will issue a response to the Concluding Observations of the Sixth Periodic Report on the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, which was published by UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights on 14 July 2016.

The Scottish Government participated actively in the June 2016 examination conducted in Geneva by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

In addition to the Scottish Government contribution to the formal state party report submitted on behalf of the UK in advance of the examination, a full Scottish Government position statement was published in March 2016 in response to the List of Issues identified by the Committee in November 2015. Further information can be found at:

http://www.gov.scot/Topics/Justice/policies/human-rights/internationaltreatyobligations/ICESCR

The Committee's 2016 Concluding Observations cover a broad range of policy areas, encompassing both reserved and devolved matters, and the Scottish Government is giving careful consideration to the recommendations. Many of these interface with existing government initiatives and commitments in areas such as gender equality, fair work, social security and child poverty.

A response will be issued in due course.

Question reference: S5W-03346

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 31 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether NHS Scotland has been listed as exempt from the Comprehensive Economic and Trade Agreement (CETA).

Question reference: S5W-03678

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how the work of the Farm Advisory Service will support its ambition to be a world leader in green farming and help farmers reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Access to the best and most up-to-date advice is essential to any business. Aimed specifically at farmers and crofters across Scotland the new Farm Advisory Service, provides a faster and less complicated entry point to a range of relevant practical advice, information and tools including business efficiency, green farming and climate change advice.

Full details are available at: https://www.fas.scot/

Question reference: S5W-03170

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 27 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes the Non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive to businesses.

The Scottish Government actively promotes the GB-wide non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) scheme. Keen to maximise its up-take and its benefits to business, we provide a wide range of support programmes aimed specifically at Scottish businesses.

Resource Efficient Scotland (RES) provide free advice and support to businesses looking to implement energy and resource efficiency measures, to reduce costs and increase economic competitiveness. Loans of up to £100,000 are available through the Resource Efficient Scotland SME Loan scheme, providing finance for the installation of energy and resource efficiency measures and renewable energy technologies. The Green Network for Businesses gives SMEs the opportunity to visit green businesses within their area and experience first-hand the installations that help cut energy costs. Administered by Energy Saving Trust (EST), the District Heating Loan Fund offers low-interest loans to local authorities, registered social landlords, small and medium sized enterprises and energy services companies to support the development of district heating networks in Scotland.

Additionally, we recognise the role of a strong supply chain in facilitating the up-take of renewable technologies. EST delivers our Supply Chain programme, helping Scottish businesses to participate effectively in the supply chain for energy efficiency and renewable measures. This is helping to strengthen the market for renewable technologies, supporting more installations and accreditations under the non-domestic RHI.

The UK Government has recently proposed a number of changes to both domestic and non-domestic RHI schemes, which has resulted in some uncertainty among Scottish businesses, with many delaying capital investment until clarity is given. Despite this, Scotland continues to punch above its weight in its share of both domestic and non-domestic RHI accreditations, accounting for 20% and 19% of UK totals respectively.

Question reference: S5W-03676

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to implement the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights' recommendation for a framework plan to protect and progress the right to food.

The Scottish Government participated actively in the June 2016 examination conducted in Geneva by the UN Committee on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and welcomes the emphasis placed by the Committee to the need for practical action to protect and progress the right to food.

The Scottish Government’s response to the report of the Independent Short Life Working Group on Food Poverty will be published in the near future.

Question reference: S5O-00258

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of increased winter mortality, what action it is taking to prevent fuel poverty this winter.

It is a priority for this Government to ensure everyone has access to a warm and affordable home and we are committed to tackling fuel poverty and improving energy efficiency. By 2021 we will have committed over £1 billion pounds to tackling fuel poverty and improving energy efficiency, building on the over 1 million energy efficiency measures delivered to almost 1 million Scottish households since 2008. In addition we will be carefully considering the recommendations of the Strategic Working Group and the Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force which will inform our new fuel poverty strategy.

Question reference: S5W-03176

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 September 2016
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 24 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the effectiveness of the voluntary measures in the agriculture sector to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The 2016 Scotland's Rural College (SRUC) Technology survey showed that only 4% of farmers had engaged with the programme. This evidence suggests that the programme has a strong record on delivering for those farmers who have taken part. Our focus now lies on helping more farmers access practical advice on sustainable and profitable voluntary measures.

The UK Climate Change Committee have recommended further steps to assess the effectiveness of Farming For a Better Climate, and we are in discussion with them regarding this.