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-34053

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 December 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Maree Todd on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its approach to implementing the Provision of Early Learning and Childcare (Specified Children) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020, which will entitle all children whose school start is deferred to access funded early learning and childcare in their deferred year, from August 2023.

On 2 October 2019, I confirmed that the Scottish Government would introduce legislation in this parliamentary session to entitle all children whose school start is deferred to access funded early learning and childcare in their deferred year.

The legislation required, an affirmative Scottish Statutory Instrument (SSI) under the Children and Young People (Scotland) Act 2014, was laid on 7 December 2020.

To progress the implementation of this policy, the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) have agreed a Joint Implementation Plan under which five local authorities will pilot early implementation of this obligation in 2021-22. The Scottish Government has committed £3 million to support this early implementation.

The Joint Implementation Plan has been published at

https://www.gov.scot/publications/funded-early-learning-and-childcare-places-joint-implementation-plan/

The pilot authorities will be: Angus; Argyll and Bute; Falkirk; Scottish Borders; and Shetland. The Scottish Government and COSLA have committed to working to increase the number of authorities implementing the obligation fully or partially from August 2022.

An evaluation of the impact in pilot authorities will be undertaken to monitor the impact of the policy, inform assessment of likely uptake of the entitlement and inform wider implementation of this legislation.

Question reference: S5W-33489

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to provide certification for people who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.

Question reference: S5O-04797

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 November 2020
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with NHS Forth Valley regarding capacity planning at the Forth Valley Royal Hospital Intensive Care Unit, in light of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S5W-32615

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 16 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Environment Agency regarding a permit to ship 27,500 tonnes of municipal sewage sludge from the Netherlands, where sludge spreading is banned, to the UK, and whether it is aware of any plans to process this in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-32616

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 16 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 30 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for an awareness campaign on the implementation of changes to the Housing (Scotland) Act 1987 to ensure that homeowners, landlords, and those responsible for complying with the new regulations are aware of their responsibilities before 1 February 2021.

In light of the challenges caused by COVID-19, I intend to bring forward regulations shortly which, subject to Parliamentary approval, will amend the commencement date for new minimum standards to 1 February 2022, allowing more time for the work required to meet the standards and to raise awareness.

We will continue to work with partners including the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service to spread awareness of the work needed to meet the new safety standards for fire and carbon monoxide detectors before the new deadline – if it is agreed by parliament - and ensure timely, effective publicity takes place to ensure high levels of awareness and understanding.

Question reference: S5W-32737

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 October 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of the final Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy.

We intend to publish the final Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (“the Plan”) later today, in line with the commitments we set out in the Programme for Government. It will be available to view on the Scottish Government website from today here https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781800042421 .

The plan was informed by extensive stakeholder consultation which saw over 400 responses and well-attended events at 17 coastal communities right across Scotland. We would like to thank all of those who took the time to engage with us. This engagement has been invaluable in producing a framework which we believe is as ambitious as it is balanced. For example we very much appreciated the input of many fisheries and environmental stakeholders, and of community interests. Their views have helped shaped a plan which takes account of the wide range of interests and provides a framework for development designed to maximise the benefits to Scotland. The Plan also outlines further measures and requirements in areas where there is more to be done to understand the impact on the marine environment and it includes a fully inclusive and robust approach to ongoing review, to ensure that it can take into consideration new evidence and other developments going forward.

Scotland has an excellent reputation for offshore wind expertise and is recognised as having one of the best wind regimes anywhere in the world. The Plan presents a vision for the continued development of this valuable resource, whilst seeking to mitigate impacts on other marine users and interests. In doing so it will form a key part of our key strategic aims to deliver a Blue Economy Action Plan and chart a green recovery from Covid-19, helping us to achieve our statutory commitment to be a net zero society by 2045.

Question reference: S5W-32728

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 October 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 28 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the publication of the final Offshore Wind Policy Statement.

We intend to publish the final Offshore Wind Policy Statement later today, in line with the commitments we set out in the Programme for Government.

The Policy Statement will be available to view on the Scottish Government website from today here:

Offshore Wind Policy Statement - https://www.gov.scot/ISBN/978-1-80004-237-7

The Offshore Wind Policy Statement (OWPS) sets out the Scottish Government’s ambitions for offshore wind in Scotland out to 2030 in the context of our world leading 2045 net zero commitment and our green recovery focus. It outlines the huge potential for this technology, particularly floating offshore wind, and assesses the significant economic opportunity of future commercial scale deployment. Scotland has excellent offshore wind expertise and is recognised as having one of the best wind regimes anywhere in the World in which to deploy projects.

The OWPS has been informed by stakeholder consultation and engagement. This included public consultation on the draft OWPS between December 2019 and March 2020. The OWPS has been published alongside a Consultation Analysis Report, detailing the responses received during consultation.

The Scottish Government is also publishing the final Sectoral Marine Plan for offshore wind. The Plan provides the spatial framework for the first cycle of seabed leasing for commercial-scale offshore wind in Scottish waters. It identifies 15 Plan Options, including sites suitable for the deployment of floating and fixed technologies, capable of generating up to 10 GW of electricity, in this plan alone. The publication of the Sectoral Marine Plan will enable Crown Estate Scotland to progress the seabed leasing programme (“ScotWind”) and close the application window.

We have worked closely across portfolios on the preparation of these documents, at both Ministerial and official levels, to ensure consistency.

Question reference: S5W-31645

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 September 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how many grants have been approved through the Coronavirus Support Scheme for Self-Catering Businesses administered by VisitScotland, and how many appeals in relation to the scheme have been upheld.

The Coronavirus Support Scheme for Self-Catering Businesses was put in place to provide help to those businesses who were ineligible for the various funding packages made available at the start of the pandemic. This additional self-catering fund has made 100 one-off grant awards of £10.000 each available to eligible businesses. Of this £1 million fund, a total of 97 Grants have already been allocated and 3 appeals have been upheld, shortly to be issued. A number of those who applied were rejected for not meeting the key eligibility criteria. This additional support will help enable tourism recovery, focused on greatest need.

Question reference: S5O-04585

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 September 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the statistical publication, Domestic Abuse and Stalking Charges in Scotland 2019-2020.

Question reference: S5W-30486

Asked by: Angus MacDonald, MSP for Falkirk East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, with regard to the extra £9 million awarded to Future Pathways, Scotland’s In Care Survivor Support Fund, to support adult survivors of childhood abuse, how much is earmarked to go to the charity, Wellbeing Scotland/Open Secret, for the support services that it provides to survivors.

Future Pathways is committed to ensuring that survivors of in care abuse and neglect experience continuity of support and have worked closely with the Scottish Government and Wellbeing Scotland to ensure this. Future Pathways and Wellbeing Scotland are meeting every month to share information about the impact of Coronavirus among other issues.

A minimum of £100,000 is earmarked for Wellbeing Scotland per year in accordance with their contract with Future Pathways. Additional funds may also be made available in line with needs of survivors.

Wellbeing Scotland is one of 54 delivery partners that are collectively offering a range of supports to survivors. In 2019-20 a total of £677,240 was disbursed to all partners by Future Pathways, of which £126,559 was disbursed to Wellbeing Scotland.