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-35335

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 February 2021
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 1 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether groups in receipt of Climate Challenge Funding (CCF) that expect to report an underspend due to the COVID-19 pandemic, can use this money in alternate ways within the CCF remit.

We understand the challenges that the COVID-19 pandemic has created for projects funded through the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF), many of which are based on community engagement and events, and have sought to provide support where possible.

The Scottish Government commends the way that so many groups have adapted their original plans to enable delivery of their project - for example, by engaging with communities online rather than through physical gatherings.

We also understand that the nature of some CCF projects makes delivery under COVID 19 restrictions extremely difficult. In such cases, we have encouraged our delivery partner, Keep Scotland Beautiful, to adopt a flexible approach and to work with groups to identify how projects can use their funding in alternate ways, whilst ensuring that all work undertaken represents value for money and is consistent with the aims and principles of the CCF.

Question reference: S5T-02654

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 February 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to figures published by the Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory, which state that people with a learning disability are three times more likely to die of COVID-19 and twice as likely to experience serious disease.

Question reference: S5W-34942

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Clare Haughey on 4 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what data is available on the impact of COVID-19 on people in Scotland with a learning disability.

The Scottish Learning Disabilities Observatory have analysed mortality rates from COVID-19 for the population with learning disabilities compared with a 5% sample of the general population in Scotland. A high level summary of early results has been published today on the Observatory website along with an accessible easy-read summary.

https://www.sldo.ac.uk/our-research/life-expectancy-and-mortality/

A full paper is being drafted for publication in a scientific journal following peer review.

The Scottish Government continues to work closely with SLDO while we consider implications of this research.

Question reference: S5O-04998

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures in its Budget will provide support for town centres.

Question reference: S5W-34594

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 January 2021
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 26 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether frontline health care staff in each NHS board area who work in private practices will receive their COVID-19 vaccination at the same time as NHS health care workers.

Question reference: S5W-33755

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 14 January 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £500 bonus scheme for NHS and social care workers is being extended to those who live in Scotland but are employed by NHS trusts in northern England.

Our one off thank you payment recognises the extraordinary service provided by NHS Scotland and Scotland’s social care staff in this toughest of years.

Responsibility for the pay and reward of staff who work for NHS Trusts in England does not lie with the Scottish Government. It is for the UK Government to determine if they wish to provide a similar thank you payment to staff who work in NHS England.

Question reference: S5W-33756

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 16 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the £500 bonus scheme for NHS and social care workers will apply to people who are employed on zero-hours contracts.

Question reference: S5W-33340

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending householder responsibility to ensure that waste is disposed of legally.

Householders already have a legal duty of care to only pass their waste onto registered waste carriers. The duty of care requires occupiers of domestic property to take all reasonable measures available to them in the circumstances to ensure that they only transfer household waste produced on that property to an authorised person. This reduces the chance of waste ending up in the hands of those who would illegally fly-tip it.

This duty of care has been highlighted in recent communications campaigns from Scottish Government, SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland.

The National Litter Strategy, which includes measures on flytipping, is coming to the end of its five year lifespan and we are considering how best to take forward a review of policy in this area.

Question reference: S5W-33341

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is consider introducing further punitive action that can be taken against illegal waste carriers.

It is already an offence to carry waste without being appropriately authorised. This year, SEPA took forward a campaign targeting waste carriers who were advertising themselves on social media and a number of investigations resulting from this campaign are ongoing.

The National Litter Strategy, which includes measures on flytipping, is coming to the end of its five year lifespan and we are considering how best to take forward a review of policy in this area.

Question reference: S5W-33339

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what urgent assistance it provides to land managers when responding to flytipping incidents of a hazardous nature.

Flytipping is a joint responsibility of local authorities and SEPA. When reports of hazardous or potentially hazardous material being flytipped are reported through the national hotline Dumb Dumpers, these incidents are most often handled by SEPA.

The level of assistance and guidance SEPA can offer will differ depending on the specific details of the incident but could likely include guidance around containment and responsible disposal of the material. Where there is sufficient evidence, SEPA may also take forward an investigation into the perpetrators of flytipping with the potential of taking forward civil action or prosecution.