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-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.

Question reference: S5W-33338

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 assistance it provides to (a) local authorities to assist land managers in cleaning up and disposing flytipped waste and (b) SEPA and the Police to investigate and convict flytippers.

Cleaning up litter and flytipping costs public bodies £53m a year, this is money that could be better spent on other services. For private landowners, ideally, we would be able to identify the individuals responsible for flytipping and make them pay for clearing it up. Where that is not possible, it is the landowner who is currently responsible. At this time particularly, we would encourage relevant public authorities to investigate flytipping on public and private land and to offer assistance where possible.

The Government is keen to ensure that local partnerships are in place, such as local groups of the Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, to tackle flytipping as it arises and to consider what more can be done to prevent flytipping. The Scottish Partnership Against Rural Crime, last year published its “Rural Crime Strategy 2019-2022”, which includes commitments to tackling flytipping. The partnership involves Police Scotland, Zero Waste Scotland, NFU Scotland, Scottish Land & Estates and Forestry and Land Scotland among others. There are a number of local partnerships now in place that deliver a collaborate approach to tacking flytipping.

There is a currently work underway by SEPA to check the credentials of businesses that offer waste uplifts. Through media/social media SEPA also regularly highlights the risks associated with using unregistered carriers and its link to flytipping; and emphasises householders’ duty of care to ensure that collection providers are legitimate. SEPA is using a range of tactical actions to obtain evidence to support appropriate enforcement action.

Question reference: S5W-33337

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 when it will deliver its national flytipping strategy.

Question reference: S5W-33335

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 its position is on establishing a national flytipping database that will include information about incidents on private land and published annually.

We would encourage local authorities and land owners to use the national resources – Dump Dumpers and the new Litter Monitoring System – so we have a clearer national picture of flytipping incidents in Scotland and to allow targeted responses to be developed. 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, including monitoring and reporting issues.

Question reference: S5W-33259

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update the COVID-19 guidance on the delivery of in-person private music tuition that is not covered in the school-based guidance, including for woodwind and brass instruments.

In light of the publication of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Scotland's Strategic Framework on 23 October 2020, the Coronavirus (COVID-19): organised activities for children guidance for organised activities and services for children was updated on 12 November 2020. The guidance is not an instruction for all services and activities to open up at this time, since this will be based on the requirements that need to be met, relevant to each individual delivery setting. Private providers should read this guidance in conjunction with guidance for small businesses: Coronavirus (COVID-19): small and micro businesses guidance

Question reference: S5O-04761

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 18 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reconviction statistics for the 2017-18 offender cohort.

Question reference: S5W-32296

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 October 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when the Registrar General will publish the annual report for 2019.

Scotland’s Population 2019: the Registrar General’s Annual Review of Demographic Trends will be published at 09:30 on 6 October 2020. The Report contains information about births, deaths and marriages during the year, together with other demographic information. A copy of the report is available in the Scottish Parliament Reference Centre, or from the Registrar General’s website at www.nrscotland.gov.uk .

Question reference: S5O-04660

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported concerns of the National Sheep Association that the future trade deals with Australia and New Zealand negotiated by the UK Government could negatively impact Scotland’s sheep farmers.

Question reference: S5O-04634

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the estimate by the Scottish Fiscal Commission that 194,000 children under six will be eligible for the Scottish Child Payment.

Question reference: S5T-02384

Asked by: Joan McAlpine, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 14 September 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the call by the Director of ENABLE Scotland for routine testing of all frontline social care key workers in all settings.