The Scottish Parliament

Question reference: S6W-29477

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any funding reductions that have been made as a result of the reallocation of funds to local authority pay awards.

Public sector pay continues to be a significant driver of in-year pressures and, under the current devolution settlement, any substantive in-year pressures can only be funded by reductions elsewhere. If the UK Government does not fully fund public sector pay deals, there will be a significant gap between the expectations of the workforce and the available funding.

As confirmed in the Fiscal Statement to the Scottish Parliament on 3 September, the Scottish Government has identified a range of measures to support the 2024-25 budget totalling almost £1 billion, of which up to £500 million are direct savings. Correspondence with the Convenor of the Finance and Public Administration on 3 September, confirmed that the impact of these measures has been appropriately assessed, including in formal impact assessments where required.

In relation to local authority pay awards, the Scottish Government has agreed with local government that they can draw on specific existing programmes to fund pay deals. The relevant funding will be replaced in 2025-26 and assurance has been sought from local authorities to confirm that they are able to mitigate any impacts in 2024-25 and that delivery timescales will not be significantly impacted.

Question reference: S6W-30091

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the proposed speed management scheme on the A75 at Crocketford will be introduced.

The Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland’s Trunk Road Casualty Reduction programme of works, is delivering a speed management scheme on the A75 at Crocketford. Construction is programmed to commence by November 2024 through the delivery of an additional electronic vehicle-activated sign (VAS) to encourage vehicles to comply with the speed limit in addition to two existing VAS in the town. Changes to the signs and footway are programmed for the 2025-26 financial year, but subject to the availability of resources. This will involve upgrading the existing signs to current standards and providing a new section of footway and uncontrolled crossings at Park of Brandedleys.

Question reference: S6W-30093

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the junction improvements on the A75 at Haugh of Urr will be completed.

The Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland’s Trunk Road Casualty Reduction programme of works, is delivering improvements at the A75 Haugh of Urr junction. Construction of static sign improvements, relating to advanced direction signage and rationalisation of existing signage, is currently programmed for November 2024. An electronic vehicle-activated sign system to warn drivers of vehicles turning or waiting to turn at the junction is also proposed at the junction. This may be delivered this financial year subject to the approval of a non-prescribed sign application.

Question reference: S6W-29956

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s suggestion in its Retail industry recommendations for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget paper, that increases in income tax rates should be ruled out.

Question reference: S6W-30160

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its current recycling targets are for (a) all and (b) household waste.

The Scottish Government’s Zero Waste Plan, published in 2010, set out targets to recycle 70% of all waste by 2025 and 60% of household waste by 2020.

Scotland has made significant progress in reducing waste, increasing recycling and decarbonising the waste sector, but there is further work to be done. The overall recycling rate in Scotland of 62.3% in 2022 is at its highest level since records began in 2011. In 2022 the household recycling rate was 43.3%.

The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act, passed unanimously in June 2024, includes our commitment to determine new circular economy targets for Scotland from 2025, to support our work to reduce emissions to tackle the climate emergency.

Question reference: S6W-30058

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the announced £1 million of savings from its Nature Restoration budget will have on any projects in the Mid Scotland and Fife region funded by the Edinburgh Process strand of the Nature Restoration Fund.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-29617 on 17 September 2024. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers.

In the period 2021-22 to 2023-24, individual Local Authorities across the Mid Scotland and Fife region have received around £2.89 million from the Nature Restoration Fund Edinburgh Process strand, to support a range of nature restoration projects. The competitive strand of the NRF, which is unaffected by this funding announcement, continues to support projects across Scotland, including in the Mid Scotland and Fife Region. Further details can be found at https://www.nature.scot/funding-and-projects/nature-restoration-fund/nature-restoration-fund-supported-projects.

Question reference: S6W-29955

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s suggestion in its Retail industry recommendations for the 2025-26 Scottish Budget paper, that spending restraint rather than tax rises should form the bulk of the measures to plug the projected gap in devolved government finances.

Prolonged Westminster austerity, the economic damage of Brexit, a global pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and the cost of living crisis have all placed enormous and growing pressure on the public finances.

For example, Brexit has reduced the size of the UK economy by 2.5 per cent, equating to a £2.3 billion annual cut in revenue in Scotland.

Decisions for 2025-26 will be published as part of the 2025-26 Scottish Budget on 4 December. Scottish Income Tax policy for 2025-26 will be announced during the annual Budget process.

Question reference: S6W-30008

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to review the principle and methodology of council tax as a taxation method to contribute to the funding of local authorities, and what its position is on whether the current local taxation model is fit for purpose.

The Scottish Government is committed to fairer, more inclusive and fiscally sustainable forms of local taxation. We are exploring proposals for meaningful long-term changes to Council Tax in partnership with COSLA through the ‘Joint Working Group on Sources of Local Government Funding and Council Tax Reform’.

We continue to partner with COSLA and local authorities on local empowerment measures in the spirit of the Verity House Agreement. We have undertaken intensive collaborative work on a Fiscal Framework for local government. This includes facilitating opportunities for greater local fiscal empowerment in the future, with the aim to give councils more flexibility. Through the ‘Joint Working Group’ we can explore opportunities for local empowerment collaboratively with local government.

Question reference: S6W-30094

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the planned trunk road safety investigations on the A75 by Mouswald, Glenluce and Twynholm will be completed.

Question reference: S6W-30294

Current Status: Withdrawn

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

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