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-03385

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 27 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what role the proposed public energy agency will have in supporting local authorities to create local public energy companies and/or cooperatives that develop, own and deliver zero-carbon heat and energy.

Question reference: S6W-03396

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government which trade unions it has met to discuss the Abellio ScotRail document, Fit for the Future, and its reported proposals to reduce the number of train services by approximately 100,000 per year.

Question reference: S6W-03384

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 27 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed public energy agency will have a stated objective to coordinate, support and create more local public energy companies and/or cooperatives to develop, own and deliver zero-carbon heat and energy efficiency infrastructure.

The priority for the new National Public Energy Agency will be to accelerate the transformational change in how we heat and use energy in homes and buildings in Scotland. We need to see the decarbonisation of heating systems of 1 million homes and 50,000 non-domestic premises between now and 2030.

We remain supportive of the future potential for a public energy company in Scotland - and, through the Agency, will support others with an interest in exploring options to take this forward, including those with a local focus.

Development of the agency will be a collective effort, requiring input from a range of stakeholders across the public, private and third sectors. We will continue working collaboratively with local authorities as part of this process, given their key role in supporting local heat and energy efficiency measures. This will facilitate existing shared ambitions to further empower local communities and to develop new zero carbon heating solutions to be rolled out through both national support, and regional and local approaches.

Question reference: S6W-03397

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 27 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of Abellio ScotRail's reported proposal to reduce services on (a) its net zero targets and general aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, (b) its aims to increase the number of journeys by rail and (c) car use.

There will be a) a positive impact with the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions as we decarbonise our rail network and reduce the number of diesel trains operating on the network and b) & c) with ScotRail’s proposed May 2022 timetable we will see around 44,000 additional seats daily between today’s timetable and May 2022 encouraging passengers to consider train as an alternative means of transport thus, supporting modal shift.

Question reference: S6W-03743

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to increase the level of Minimum Unit Pricing for alcohol from 50p to 65p, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.

The Scottish Government remains committed to reducing the harms caused by alcohol and, in particular, the harms faced by hazardous and harmful drinkers. It is important that an effective level of minimum unit pricing for alcohol is in place in order that we can make inroads into reducing these harms.

Since a minimum price for alcohol at 50 pence per unit of alcohol was introduced on 1 May 2018, there have been two significant events that have impacted on the policy: the pandemic and the change in the legal landscape due to the UK Internal Market Act 2020. Both of these have significantly altered the context in which a review of the level of the minimum unit price would have been expected to have taken place after May 2020.

Prior to the pandemic, there were early encouraging signs of a reduction in alcohol sales and a reduction in alcohol specific deaths following the introduction of a minimum price at 50 pence per unit on 1 May 2018. However, the pandemic and its impact have changed many people’s behaviour around alcohol consumption, and this needs to be taken into account. In 2020, various surveys show those who were drinking heavily before the pandemic were more likely to increase their drinking during lockdown, thereby increasing their risk of harm.

We are in the process of gathering evidence of and analysing the impact the policy has had, and the considerable impacts the pandemic has had and continues to have on our society and economy. It is the affordability of alcohol that matters, not just the price, and that will depend on other factors such as people’s incomes and inflation. In reviewing the price we will look at all relevant factors. The impact the UK Internal Market Act 2020 might have on any proposed change to the level of minimum unit price is under consideration. What is clear, however, is that any proposed change must be supported by a robust rationale and evidence base.

Question reference: S6W-03742

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the modelling on Minimum Unit Pricing (MUP) for alcohol by the University of Sheffield in 2016, which reportedly stated that a MUP of 60p would prevent twice the number of deaths and reduce hospital admissions by half compared with a MUP of 50p, whether it has commissioned any further modelling on this.

Researchers at the University of Sheffield carried out various sets of modelling of minimum unit pricing for alcohol for the Scottish Government, including the modelling carried out in 2016. The modelling estimated the costs and benefits of various minimum unit prices. At the time the modelling was carried out, minimum unit pricing in the form introduced in Scotland on 1 May 2018, was not present in any other country.

Since minimum unit pricing at 50 pence was introduced on 1 May 2018, we are able to evaluate the real-life impact of this. Public Health Scotland are leading the comprehensive evaluation of the impact of a 50 pence minimum unit price on four outcome areas: implementation and compliance; alcoholic drinks industry; consumption; and health and social harms. More information on this can be found on the MUP Evaluation pages on Public Health Scotland’s website.

Question reference: S6W-03744

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the timetable for its review of the level of Minimum Unit Pricing of alcohol, which was previously due by May 2020; whether it anticipates any further delays, and, if so, for how long.

Question reference: S6W-03745

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when its consultation on alcohol marketing will be published.

As announced in A Fairer, Greener Scotland: Programme for Government 2021-22 , published on 7 September 2021, the Scottish Government will consult on potential alcohol advertising restrictions during 2022, to protect children and young people. All methods of alcohol advertising and promotion will be considered in developing proposals for the public consultation, including alcohol industry sponsorship of sports.

Question reference: S6W-03746

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether its consultation on alcohol marketing will include proposals to curb alcohol industry sponsorship of sports.

Question reference: S6T-00225

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 25 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of NHS Lanarkshire moving to the highest risk level, black, and cancelling elective care, including some cancer procedures.