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-26410

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 March 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 22 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the Fair Fares Review will be published.

The Scottish Government is pleased to announce that today we will publish the Fair Fares Review.

The Review sets out a range of actions to be taken in the short, medium and long term to make our public transport system more available, accessible and affordable to the people of Scotland, and ensure that it is of high quality, whilst maintaining its long term financial sustainability.

I wish to take this opportunity to thank those stakeholders and delivery partners who have engaged with Transport Scotland on the Review. I look forward to working with them as we progress the Review`s recommendations and actions and make public transport the preferred choice for most people in Scotland.

The Fair Fares Review can be found at:- www.transport.gov.scot/fairfaresreview

Question reference: S6W-25794

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 19 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22254 by Gillian Martin on 30 October 2023, whether it will provide an update on what measures have been implemented to manage non-native gamebird releases where there is potential for highly pathogenic avian influenza transmission from infected gamebirds to (a) native wild birds, (b) other wildlife, (c) dogs and (d) the shooting community.

On 11 August 2023, Ministers launched the Wild Bird HPAI Response Plan that sets out how the Scottish Government and its partners will respond to any further outbreaks of HPAI in wild birds in Scotland, and this plan remains a live one, with the aim of incorporating evolving science and advice from epidemiologists, virologists and wildlife experts.

Instances of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) H5N1 amongst captive birds and wild birds have reduced significantly in Scotland. Since the beginning of the current HPAI outbreak season on 1 October 2023, there have two infected premises in Scotland (both in November 2023) and seven positive findings of the virus in wild birds (with only one finding in 2024).

However, we are aware of the virus continuing to circulate in other parts of Great Britain and Europe, and the risk level for the virus associated with wild birds remains at medium across Great Britain, whereas it is low for kept birds. The Scottish Government continues to promote best practice biosecurity measures to all involved in the game industry, through various forms of media, including regular biosecurity and industry stakeholder meetings.

Question reference: S6W-25832

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 5 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it encourages the installation of solar photovoltaic and battery energy storage.

Actions which we have taken and are undertaking to enable greater deployment of solar in Scotland are provided in Annex G of the draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

Through our Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme, domestic owner occupiers in Scotland can claim funding for solar PV and energy storage systems. More information can be found on the HES website - Home Energy Scotland Grant and Loan: overview · Home Energy Scotland .

As part of its programme, the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) provides rolling funding which supports communities, charities, and faith organisations to decarbonise their buildings and reduce energy bills. This includes solar PV and energy storage, where decarbonised heating has also been installed. Let's Do Net Zero Community Buildings Fund · Local Energy Scotland

To support the development of battery energy storage solutions (BESS), the Scottish National Investment Bank (SNIB) has already invested £6.6 million in Aberdeen-based firm Verlume, whose multi-use BESS technology uses intelligent energy management to deliver a constant output of power from renewable sources.

Question reference: S6W-25230

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB) on 5 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, as an employer located in the zone, how it is preparing for the enforcement of the Edinburgh Low Emission Zone.

As an employer located in the Edinburgh Low Emission Zone (LEZ), there are several steps we are taking to prepare for its enforcement:

Understanding the LEZ regulations: We have familiarized ourselves with the specific regulations of the Edinburgh LEZ, including which vehicles are affected, emission standards, and any exemptions or grace periods. The SPCB as a body is not exempt and the basement car park can only be accessed by vehicles traveling through the LEZ , therefore all vehicles (except those exempted such as blue badge holders and emergency vehicles) using the Parliament car park will need to be compliant. Our car park is small compared to the number of people who access the Parliament each day with only 65 spaces, 47 of which are bookable (including 6 accessible bays and 6 electric charging spaces). More information about the LEZ is available on the City of Edinburgh Council website: Low Emission Zone – The City of Edinburgh Council.

Our fleet vehicle: The SPCB has one fleet vehicle used for visiting constituency offices. This vehicle has been identified as not compliant with the LEZ, so will be replaced with an electric van.

Promoting Sustainable Travel: The SPCB Sustainable Travel Plan available here encourages passholders and visitors to adopt sustainable travel patterns and details alternative ways such as public transport, walking, cycling and wheeling or carpooling, to commute and visit Holyrood. We have good rates of sustainable travel to the building, in 2022 21% of building users walked to work, 10% cycled and 45% came by public transport.

Hybrid working: Since the pandemic the Parliament operates flexible work arrangements with telecommunication facilities. This allows employees to work from home or adjust their work schedules to avoid peak traffic times, opening up more public transport options and reducing the need for commuting into the LEZ.

Communications Programme: We are planning a suite of communications in the run up to the start date of the LEZ (1^st June) which will inform passholders about the LEZ regulations and how they can comply. There will be communication to all those that book parking spaces in the car park at Holyrood and to the wider staff body that access the Parliament building.

By taking these proactive steps, the SPCB can ensure compliance with the Edinburgh Low Emission Zone regulations.

Question reference: S6W-25307

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 4 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how the bathing water site designation process will be revised.

Scotland now has the highest number of designated Bathing Water sites ever, with the vast majority classified as good or excellent and 98% overall achieving the bathing water quality standards. Under the Bathing Water (Scotland) Regulations 2008, Scottish Ministers are required to designate an area of surface water (coastal or inland) as a bathing water where they expect a large number of people to bathe, having regard to past trends and infrastructure and facilities provided, or other measures taken to promote bathing.

The Scottish Government is not currently planning on revising the bathing water site designation process and continues to work with Environmental Standards Scotland in line with the Summary Report on Designation of Bathing Water Sites published by Environmental Standards Scotland published on 4 December 2023.

Question reference: S6W-25193

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 29 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the guidance for conducting transport assessments for planning applications will be updated in line with the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4).

Question reference: S6O-03131

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Scottish Prison Service’s work to address reported noise disturbance at HMP Stirling.

Question reference: S6O-03090

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its response to its consultation on the licensing of activities involving animals.

Question reference: S6W-24788

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to request advice from the Climate Change Committee regarding the appropriate value of the multiplier to be applied to greenhouse gas emissions from aviation, as required by section 2C(3)(h) of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 as amended.

As required under section 2C of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009, the Scottish Government plans to request advice from the Climate Change Committee (CCC) on the appropriate value of the international aviation multiplier, and other advice about emissions targets, within 5 years of the last request for this advice on 19 April 2022. In response to the most recent request, the CCC’s first five-yearly review of Scottish emissions targets, published in December 2022, does not recommend the use of a multiplier to reflect the non-CO2 climate change impacts of emissions at altitude from international aviation.

Question reference: S6O-03004

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the support that is available for people living with, or affected by, dementia.