Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-20047

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in each case where a risk assessment has been carried out of school buildings that contain reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete, whether any recommendations made as part of the assessment have been undertaken and completed, and if this is not the case, what the reasons are for this not having been done.

Question reference: S6W-20091

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not responded to the letter from the Chair of the Just Transition Commission to the then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition and the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, entitled Further Advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which was published on 17 April 2023, in light of its aim to respond within 12 weeks from the date of the publication, as stated in the Memorandum of Understanding, which was published on 24 March 2023.

In response to the Just Transition Commission’s letter providing further advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan published on 17 April 2023, the Scottish Government issued a reply on the 9 May 2023. The letter acknowledged the Commission’s extensive recommendations and committed to a more detailed response to these, alongside consideration of responses to the formal consultation.

The reply adhered to the 12-week timeframe as outlined in the Memorandum of Understanding and can now be found online here: Just Transition: letter to Just Transition Commission 9 May 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .

Question reference: S6W-20090

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the letter from the Chair of the Just Transition Commission to the then Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition and the Cabinet Secretary for Wellbeing Economy, Fair Work and Energy, entitled Further Advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan, which was published on 17 April 2023, and when it will publish a response to the Commission.

In response to the Just Transition Commission’s letter providing further advice on the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) published on 17 April 2023, the Scottish Government issued a reply on 9 May 2023. This can be found online: Just Transition: letter to Just Transition Commission 9 May 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We are currently awaiting independent analysis of the large volume of responses received from the public consultation held on the draft ESJTP. We are fully considering stakeholder views including those of the Just Transition Commission and will engage with them further as we finalise the ESJTP.

Question reference: S6W-20247

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 July 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how many of the 11,000 affordable homes that it has committed to build in remote, rural and island communities by 2032 have been built since the commitment was made.

The following table shows the number of affordable homes delivered in remote, rural and island communities in 2021-22 and 2022-23:

Financial Year	Remote Small Towns	Accessible Rural	Remote Rural	Rural and Islands Housing Fund	Total Homes
2021-22	15	156	8	9	188
2022-23	361	1,362	317	44	2,084
Total Homes	376	1,518	325	53	2,272

The figures for 2022-23 are provisional pending final data checks for the Outturn Report for 2022-23 [which will be published later this year]. Eligible homes include new build, rehabilitation projects, conversions and off-the-shelf purchases of both new and second hand homes.

Question reference: S6W-20138

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many illicit (a) e-cigarettes and (b) vapes have been seized in Scotland in the past three years, broken down by year and local authority area.

Question reference: S6W-20142

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what total marine area, in km2, of the continental shelf area adjacent to Scotland, as designated in the Continental Shelf (Designation of Areas) Order 2013, is covered by one or more designations including a (a) Special Area of Conservation, (b) Special Protection Area, (c) Nature Conservation Marine Protected Area, (d) Ramsar site for wetlands of international importance and (e) Site of Special Scientific Interest.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-18168 on 6 May 2023 for details of the total area, in square kilometres, of the Marine Protected Area network designated in the Scottish continental shelf area adjacent to Scotland.

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

Question reference: S6W-20095

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its announcement of the successful projects for year one, whether it will provide further detail on the allocation of the Just Transition Fund to ensure transparency and value for money.

The £500 million Just Transition Fund for North East and Moray has allocated £75 million to date, including a multi-year capital programme supporting 24 projects. The open and competitive bidding round assessed projects against published criteria in line with public finance guidelines. Details of successful projects are published here: Just Transition Fund: year one projects - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . I have committed to regular updates on progress towards a just transition to net zero to Parliament and the Just Transition Commission.

Question reference: S6W-20057

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-19560 by Lorna Slater on 18 July 2023, on what specific date the Scottish Government first informed the UK Government that Circularity Scotland was likely to go into administration.

Scottish Government officials were in regular discussions with UK Government officials regarding the Internal Market Act (IMA) exclusion process for the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). Throughout these discussions officials made it clear that not providing a timely and complete exclusion would jeopardise the future of the DRS in Scotland and by extension the viability of Circularity Scotland. Scottish Ministers and officials wrote to UK Ministers a number of times throughout April and May highlighting the risk to the scheme and to Circularity Scotland due to the uncertainty around the IMA exclusion. This included letters from myself on 19 May and from the First Minister on 22 April and 3 May 2023.

Question reference: S6W-20144

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition on 29 June 2023, regarding Highly Protected Marine Areas, what the timescales are for establishing fisheries management measures for "tranche two" of the existing Marine Protected Areas.

“Tranche two” Marine Protected Areas are included in work currently ongoing to implement fisheries management measures within existing Marine Protected Areas.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20143 on 15 August 2023 for details of the timescale for this work.

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

Question reference: S6W-20065

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms teachers can utilise to officially raise concerns about pupils who are persistently absent from school without explanation; whether a system for raising such concerns exists in Scotland that is similar to the Early Help Scheme in England; how many cases of persistent absence of pupils from school have been reported by teachers in the last five years, and in what proportion of any such cases was action taken, broken down by year and local authority area.

The Scottish Government’s guidance ‘Included, Engaged and Involved Part 1: a positive approach to the promotion and management of attendance in Scottish schools’ makes clear the need for schools to follow up absence immediately, and to continue to follow up absence for those for whom there are welfare concerns.

Local authorities are expected to have robust processes and guidance for children who do not attend school from the first day they are absent until they are re-engaged with education. Where children are missing for extended periods of time, or are not on a school roll or being educated otherwise, the Children Missing from Education Guidance and Service can support local authorities in this.

The Scottish Government does not hold information on children persistently absent from school centrally. Information on rates of children persistently absent from school would be for local authorities to collect.

Chamber and committees