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-07614

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what the principal drivers are of unfavourable conservation status in sites designated under the EU Habitats Directive for Scotland's Celtic Rainforest.

Question reference: S5W-07617

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of sites designated under the EU Habitats Directive for Scotland's Celtic Rainforest that have unfavourable conservation status will be targeted for financial support under the forthcoming national approach for rhododendron control.

Question reference: S5W-07613

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 14 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what proportion of Special Areas for Conservation, which are designated under the EU Habitats Directive for Scotland's Celtic Rainforest with habitat code 91A0 as a primary feature, have an unfavourable conservation status, and how many of these are unfavourable and (i) unchanged and (ii) deteriorating.

The term Celtic Rainforest has no official designated status. The Habitat Code 91A0 refers to Sessile Oak Woods. There are a total of twenty six woodland features associated with this habitat in Special Areas of Conservation. Of these features five or 19% are considered as Unfavourable, and 9 or 35% are identified as Unfavourable Declining.

The principle causes of unfavourable condition in these Sessile Oak Woods (Habitat Code 91A0) are herbivore overgrazing, invasive non-native species such as rhododendron and invasive native species such as bracken.

Question reference: S5W-07181

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 7 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that its landfill tax policy is compliant with the EU waste framework directive’s waste management hierarchy with regard to non-hazardous contaminated soils attracting the lower rate of landfill.

Scottish Landfill Tax is designed to reduce landfill volumes and move material up the waste hierarchy in line with the terms of the EU waste framework directive. Sub-soils contaminated with material not present in, The Scottish Landfill Tax (Qualifying Materials) Order 2016, do not qualify at the lower rate of tax.

The Scottish Government is satisfied that all aspects of Scottish Landfill Tax are compliant with EU and domestic law, and are consistent with Scottish Government waste management policy.

Question reference: S5O-00675

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what advice and support it offers to farmers to encourage regenerative farming.

The Scottish Government provides advice and support to farmers to encourage regenerative farming across a range of programmes and activities. I want to highlight 3 of these and I'd be happy to write to the member with a full list of direct and indirect activity.

Farming For a Better Climate is based on nine Climate Change Focus Farms around Scotland which undertake a three-year programme to implement best practice and showcase it for other farmers, with around a thousand farmers attending such events each year.

We are currently expanding the Soil Nutrient Network from 3 to 12 farms, to demonstrate the economic, biodiversity, conservation and climate change benefits of using soil analysis and nutrient management to improve soil health and condition.

Organic farming can be a means of regenerating soil, and has been supported in Scotland by £4 million on maintenance and conversion payments since 2015 through the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme under the Scottish Rural Development Plan.

Question reference: S5W-06875

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many tonnes of non-hazardous contaminated soils are being recycled.

Question reference: S5W-06876

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many tonnes of recyclable non-hazardous contaminated soils have been landfilled since the Scottish Landfill Tax came into force.

Question reference: S5F-00924

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 February 2017

To ask the First Minister, in light of the verdict, whether the Scottish Government considers that it was worthwhile for it to spend £136,000 on legal fees in the recent Brexit case at the Supreme Court.

Question reference: S5W-06558

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Maureen Watt on 6 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that there is a wide representation of people with autistic spectrum disorders on (a) the Scottish Strategy for Autism Governance Group and (b) similar groups.

The Scottish Government is committed to improving services so that people with autism can live healthier lives, have choice and control over the services they use, and be active and independent citizens The Strategy’s aim is that people with autism should be afforded the same rights as all citizens to contribute to a fair, equal and prosperous Scotland.

The Scottish Government works closely with people with autism to ensure the Scottish Strategy for Autism is fully implemented. Membership of the Strategy’s Governance and Working Groups includes people with autism, and the Government will continue to ensure autistic people’s voices are heard.

The National Co-ordination Project team will continue to work with local authorities to ensure people with autism are fully engaged with, and involved in, the development and implementation of local autism strategies, ensuring the needs of autistic people are reflected in local policies and plans.

Question reference: S5W-06556

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 3 February 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reviewing the penalties for offences committed under the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, including extending the term limits of bans on owning animals.

The Scottish Ministers announced, on 4 October 2016, that it would undertake a full review of penalties under existing animal health and welfare legislation. Initial communication has taken place with key stakeholders and enforcement agencies with a view to consulting in due course on proposed amendments to aid deterrence of offences, and to provide for better enforcement and prosecution of any offences committed.

Scottish Courts are empowered, under Section 40 of the Animal Health and Welfare (Scotland) Act 2006, to disqualify a convicted person from being in possession of an animal for any time period that the Court determines.