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: S6W-12145

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will report on the First Minister’s visit to COP27 in Egypt and seek to make a statement setting out the achievements and agreements reached.

Question reference: S6W-12255

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been found guilty of offences under section 40(1) of the Regulatory Reform (Scotland) Act 2014 since 1 January 2014.

Question reference: S6W-12261

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the comments in the HM Chief Inspector of Prisons for Scotland: Annual Report 2021-22 regarding prolonged isolation of prisoners during the COVID-19 pandemic.

I have asked Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS), to respond. Her response is as follows:

Our response to the pandemic has always been aligned with public health advice whether locally or nationally. We gradually and cautiously lifted regime restrictions that were necessary and proportionate to protect the health and wellbeing of those who live and work in our prisons. We continue to work through a Transition Plan and focus on restoration of regimes as we move out of the pandemic phase.

Question reference: S6W-12253

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many directors, managers or partners of corporate bodies have been found guilty of offences under regulation 44(1) of the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011 since 1 January 2011.

Question reference: S6W-12254

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many directors, managers or partners of corporate bodies have been found guilty of offences under regulation 67 of the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2012 since 1 January 2012.

Question reference: S6W-12252

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many people have been found guilty of offences under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament.

The latest available information on the number of people convicted under section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 since the establishment of the Scottish Parliament is provided in the following table.

Number of people proceeded and convicted under Section 33 of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 (where main crime) in Scottish courts, 1999-2000 to 2020-21.

1999-00	14
2000-01	4
2001-02	6
2002-03	8
2003-04	14
2004-05	10
2005-06	26
2006-07	19
2007-08	27
2008-09	17
2009-10	11
2010-11	10
2011-12	12
2012-13	11
2013-14	11
2014-15	13
2015-16	9
2016-17	7
2017-18	5
2018-19	8
2019-20	2
2020-21	-

Source: Scottish Government Criminal Proceedings database

Please note: Information for 2021-22 will not be available until publication of the Criminal Proceedings in Scotland, 2021-22 Statistical Bulletin. This is due to be published in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-12263

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it last discussed the proposed Rosebank oil field development with the UK Government, and what those discussions involved.

The Scottish Government has made clear to the UK Government our position that to support our just transition to net zero, new offshore oil and gas licenses should be subject to a stringent climate compatibility checkpoint.

My response to the UK Government consultation in March made clear that any credible and effective package of conditionality tests must include both domestic and international dimensions - extending to at least all of the six tests outlined in the consultation document.

The First Minister also called on the UK Government for a four nations’ discussions to agree on a final Climate Compatibility Checkpoint process which was ignored. It is extremely disappointing that the Climate Compatibility Test proposed by the UK Government is limited to new exploration, and that the bar has been set so low in terms of the Test itself. It is a lightweight version of the Test consulted upon earlier this year.

Question reference: S6W-12150

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 28 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its current estimate is of the rate of emissions and/or sequestration to Scotland’s marine carbon store, in tonnes of CO2-equivilant.

Estimates of marine carbon sequestration rates have large uncertainties and are difficult to calculate. There are few direct in-situ measurements of carbon sequestration by any marine habitat. Estimates of sequestration rate primarily depend on modelling which uses parameters derived from laboratory experiments and theoretical relationships, many of which are not fully tested.

The current estimate of carbon sequestered by Scotland’s marine environment is 6,485,000 tonnes CO ₂ -eq/year. (Details are set out in the table in response to S6W-12149).

There are currently no estimates of emissions from Scotland’s marine carbon stores, research suggests blue-carbon habitat degradation can result in emissions.

Question reference: S6W-12148

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 28 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it expects to take to ensure a fair transition for workers and communities affected by the phase-out of oil and gas production and use.

The oil and gas sector continues to play an important role in our economy, and a bright future lies ahead for a revitalised North Sea in supporting a net zero energy system. Our highly skilled oil and gas workforce have long been at the forefront of energy innovation and we are committed to a just transition that supports them to capitalise on the employment opportunities of net zero energy. The draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan will outline a co-ordinated vision for Scotland’s future energy system, ensuring a cohesive and joined up framework for action, and will be published for consultation in the coming months.

Our £75m Energy Transition Fund, £100m Green Jobs Fund and £500m Just Transition Fund are supporting the North East and Moray to become a centre of excellence for the transition to a net zero economy, with our investment supporting transformation across the region.

Question reference: S6W-12119

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 24 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when the independent report analysing the responses to the public consultation on the draft fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) will be published, in light of the participation statement, published on 26 October 2021, which stated that the independent report would be published as soon as possible after the consultation closed.