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-13803

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of disclosures being made at the discretion of the police, what measures are in place to ensure that Right to Ask requests are assessed fairly across Police Scotland.

The Disclosure Scheme for Domestic Abuse Scotland (DSDAS) is a Police Scotland scheme and its operation is a matter for Police Scotland.

Police Scotland have advised that disclosures under the DSDAS scheme are agreed at a multi-agency Decision Making Forum and it is important to recognise that this decision to disclose, or otherwise, does not rest solely with Police Scotland.

Police Scotland have advised that they monitor the use of the scheme nationally and regularly discuss it with external partners at the National Domestic Abuse Forum, which sits quarterly and enables any observations or concerns to be raised. In addition, in December 2017, the Police Scotland Domestic Abuse Working Group commenced a review of the process, seeking to share best practice from areas of the country where there are more requests for information. They are also considering the levels of disclosures made across each local policing division to ensure it remains consistent and equitable.

To ensure transparency and fairness in the process, individuals identified in Police Scotland who either manage applications or attend Decision Making Forums, receive training which sets expectations of them. The inclusion of partner agencies as part of the Decision Making Forum further ensures transparency and fairness.

Question reference: S5T-00881

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 22 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to ensure everyone in police custody can exercise their right to legal advice from 25 January 2018.

Question reference: S5W-13809

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 January 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-08565 by Roseanna Cunningham on 13 April 2017, in light of calls from the UK Parliament's Environmental Audit Committee for a 25p charge to be set on disposable cups, whether it will provide an update on its position regarding the introduction of any such charge.

Question reference: S5W-13594

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 11 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what percentage of Police Scotland officers have been trained each year in the Lord Advocate's S164 code of practice regarding disclosure.

Question reference: S5O-01675

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 17 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure there are appropriate levels of accommodation available for higher education students attending courses at campus.

Question reference: S5W-13648

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what support it has given to local planning authorities to help ensure that the environmental impacts of new and existing aquaculture proposals on the natural marine environment are being adequately considered.

Marine and freshwater fish farms (both shellfish and fin fish) are consented by Local Authorities who will give regard to Scotland's National Marine Plan (NMP), produced by Marine Scotland, when considering planning applications. The NMP manages increasing demands on the marine environment, encourages economic development of industries and incorporates further environmental protection into decision-making. Alongside existing regulatory controls including Environmental Impact Assessment, the NMP provides a framework which aims to minimise and mitigate the environmental impacts of developments through, among other things, appropriate siting of farms in relation to protected species and wider biodiversity interests.

Prior to determining any aquaculture planning application, the local authority will conduct a detailed assessment of the potential impacts of the proposal on the environment, including marine protected areas, and will seek advice from statutory consultees (including SEPA, SNH, the local district salmon fishery board and Marine Scotland).

Question reference: S5W-13649

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has provided, or plans to provide, to local planning authorities to help them complete robust habitats regulations appraisals of operational and proposed aquaculture developments that could have a significant effect, in isolation or in combination with other plans or projects, on any of the suite of proposed marine Special Protection Areas and Special Areas of Conservation.

A Working arrangement document detailing the requirements of Statutory Consultees (Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Scottish Natural Heritage, Marine Scotland Science and the District Salmon Fisheries Boards) and the consultation protocol for marine aquaculture planning applications is available at http://www.gov.scot/Resource/Doc/295194/0106302.pdf This includes the information necessary to assess impacts and comply with the Habitats Directive.

This document is currently being revised through the Marine Scotland Capacity Working Group.

Question reference: S5W-13650

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Friday, 22 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 January 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what research it is undertaking, or plans to undertake, to improve understanding of the environmental implications of the growing aquaculture sector on environmentally sensitive locations.

Marine Scotland Science are carrying out research to further understand the interactions of sea lice including the Scottish Aquaculture Research Forum (SARF) project ‘Piloting a network for determining spatial and temporal variation in marine survival of Atlantic salmon and effects of anti-sea lice agents’. Details are available at http://www.gov.scot/Topics/marine/Salmon-Trout-Coarse/Freshwater/Research/Aqint

Question reference: S5W-13174

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government which stakeholders it has met in the last 12 months to discuss proposals for national fixed pricing on electricity distribution networks; when the meetings took place, and whether it will publish details of the discussions.

Question reference: S5W-13173

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 December 2017
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 20 December 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on proposals for national fixed pricing on electricity distribution networks; what discussions it has had with the UK Government in the last 12 months to examine such proposals, and whether it will publish details of these discussions.

Distribution network pricing is an area of policy reserved to the UK Government. On 31 October 2016, the Deputy First Minister chaired a meeting of the Conventions of the Highlands and Islands (COHI) to discuss national network pricing with National Grid and Ofgem. The minute of this meeting will be approved at the next meeting of COHI in March and made available on the Scottish Government’s website.

On 23 November 2016, the Deputy First Minister wrote to Baroness Neville-Rolfe as the UK Energy Minister, inviting her to attend the following COHI to discuss network charging. She was unable to attend; this invite is being re-issued to the new UK Energy Minister for the next meeting of COHI in March 2018.

The Scottish Government recognises that the GB energy market does not always work in the interests of all consumers - we want a fair deal for all Scottish energy consumers.

For rural and remote communities across Scotland, a fair network charging regime is a crucial factor – but other factors like energy efficiency and raising household incomes are equally important. We are working to reduce overall energy costs for Scottish consumers by improving energy efficiency, promoting Scottish engagement in the energy market to lower energy bills and raising household incomes.

We commissioned the Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force to examine the full range of issues around fuel poverty in rural areas, including national network charging proposals. We are currently consulting on proposals for a new fuel poverty strategy. As part of its development, we will look to take forward recommendations made by the Scottish Rural Fuel Poverty Task Force and continue to engage with the UK Government and Ofgem to secure effective regulation of the changing energy market.