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-23387

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the next annual Zero Waste Scotland carbon metric technical report, and for what reason such a report has not been released since 2017.

Question reference: S5W-23408

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria it sets for the measurement of natural assets and their value.

Natural Capital is the stock of Scotland’s natural assets including geology, air, water and all living things. The Scottish Government’s Biodiversity Strategy, “The 2020 Challenge for Scotland’s Biodiversity” , stresses the desirability of including natural capital assets in national and business accounting; and, as a major step in realising this goal, the ‘Scottish Natural Capital Ecosystem Service Accounts’ were launched on 22 March 2019, making Scotland the first of the UK nations to publish country level estimates.

The Scottish Natural Capital Ecosystem Service Accounts are built using the guidance and principles set out by the UN System of Environmental-Economic Accounting, and present estimates of the quantity and value of ten services being supplied by Scottish natural assets. In 2015, the total value of Scottish natural capital was £273 billion, 34% of the overall UK asset valuation.

Question reference: S5W-23389

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what effect the opening of the AWPR has had on air pollution in Aberdeen, particularly in the King Street area.

The opening of the Aberdeen Western Peripheral route has removed 50% of traffic from the city centre.

According to latest local air quality data, pollution levels for the King Street area are low and have been for most of 2019.

The Scottish Government continues to provide practical and financial assistance to Aberdeen City Council to assist them with monitoring and implementing their action plan to improve air quality and reduce air pollution in Aberdeen.

Question reference: S5W-23390

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it will measure the impact of the AWPR on air pollution in Aberdeen over the next five years.

Question reference: S5W-23391

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the independent review of the Clean Air for Scotland Strategy, which was announced in November 2018.

Question reference: S5W-23388

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what Zero Waste Scotland's delivery programme is for (a) 2018-19 and (b) 2019-20, broken down by (i) cost and (ii) project.

Zero Waste Scotland delivers Scottish Government priorities in respect of waste and resources management. Information on Zero Waste Scotland’s delivery programme for 2018-19 and 2019-20 is detailed below. The way work was grouped into outcomes and objectives changed between the two years in question.

ZERO WASTE SCOTLAND (ZWS)

ZWS 2018-19 Delivery Plan
Strategic Outcomes	£’000s
Build the demand for, and supply of, circular economy products, services, and solutions.	9,054
Change the way we live, work, and do business, so that consumption is more sustainable and disposal choices prevent waste and increase recycling.	8,602
Reduce food and drink waste at home and along the supply chain.	2,908
Support the public and private sector components of the Energy Strategy’s target to increase by 30% the productivity of energy use across the Scottish economy by 2030.	4,286
Delivery Plan Total*	£24,850

* includes ERDF funding £5,478k

ZWS 2019-20 Delivery Plan
Strategic Objectives	£’000s
1. Scotland’s Deposit Return Scheme	3,162
2. Policy Development	1,794
3. Recycling Target & Biodegradable Municipal Waste ban	2,564
4. Food Waste Target	2,735
5. Waste Prevention (Business)	1,664
6. Waste Prevention (Household)	1,723
7. Circular Economy	6,857
8. Waste – Other Communities	720
9. Energy Advice & Support (Business)	2,638
10. Energy & Heat (Technical Support)	638
11. Energy & Heat (Policy Support)	465
Delivery Plan Total*	£24,960

*includes ERDF funding £4,038k

Question reference: S5W-23404

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 5 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in recruiting for GP positions in the NHS Grampian area.

NHS Grampian have been working on a range of local initiatives to improve GP recruitment in the North East of Scotland. These include:

Employing seven Career Starts Doctors this year.
Working closely with the undergraduate team to promote general practice to medical students.
GP mentoring for medical students to encourage them to consider the career.
A targeted Grampian recruitment campaign through the GPjobsGrampian Facebook page, blogs, the GP trainee moodle page, and through the Scottish Rural Medical Collaborative.

We have also launched our GP marketing campaign and are actively promoting Scotland as excellent place to live and work, and encouraging GPs to come and discover the joy of General Practice.

Question reference: S5W-23403

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 5 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the number of GP surgeries has reportedly reduced across the north east, and what influence this has had on the Skype consultations initiative.

In the last year a number of north east practises have merged, resulting in a slight reduction in overall practice numbers. In addition a practice has closed due to the retirement of GPs with the patient list being absorbed by other practices. Together this has led to the number of practices reducing from 74 to 71 over the last 12 months, however patients will always have access to a GP when they need one. We have a record number of GPs working in Scotland.

The Attend Anywhere video consultation initiative is being made available to GP surgeries in the north east of Scotland, with investment committed to enable and support surgeries to adopt and embed the option of video consultation for patients.

Question reference: S5W-23394

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 4 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Scottish Enterprise's work to realise major economic opportunities in high-value manufacturing, the digital economy and low-carbon transition.

Question reference: S5W-23395

Asked by: Tom Mason, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 4 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on what resources any additional Barnett consequentials from increased NHS spending in England in each of the last three years have been spent.