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-24513

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23922 by Mairi McAllan on 12 January 2024, when Scottish Water's process of "developing options appraisals for resolving deficits" is expected to conclude, and whether the results of this process will be published.

As this is an operational matter for Scottish Water, I have asked them to respond. Their reply is as follows:

Scottish Water develops appraisals on an ongoing basis, prioritising based on the risks to water supply. Scottish Water currently has plans to appraise seven systems, supplying a population of over 1 million people, over the next 3 years. As and when these appraisals are complete they are shared with regulators and stakeholders.

The investment programme is dynamic and regularly reviewed and prioritised as circumstances change; as such there is no conclusion to the overall process, only for individual systems.

Question reference: S6W-24515

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with the Scottish Assessors Association regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget.

Question reference: S6W-24517

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it had with Scotland Food and Drink regarding the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers prior to the announcement in the 2024-25 Budget.

Question reference: S6W-24509

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23886 by Mairi McAllan on 12 January 2024, whether it still plans to gather sufficient data to establish a marine plastic pollution baseline.

Yes, the Scottish Government annual surveys continue to gather data, in order to support future assessments on microplastics in surface water. Although there is currently no internationally agreed baseline for microplastics in surface water, as referenced in the answer to question S6W-23886, all our marine litter data contributes to regional monitoring across the North East Atlantic, through OSPAR (the Oslo-Paris Convention), and would contribute to any baseline developed in the future.

Further to the answers to questions S6W-01058 on 13 July 2021, S6W-23231 on 11 December 2023, S6W-23886 on 12 January 2024, S6W-23887 on 9 January 2024, and S6W-24462 on 16 January 2024, our microplastics monitoring programme began in the winter of 2013, and has continued to undertake annual surveys since that time. The current data collection season runs from November 2023 to the end of January 2024.

Data from this monitoring programme enabled the initial assessment for microplastics in surface water to be conducted. This was published in Scotland’s Marine Assessment 2020, which can be viewed at https://marine.gov.scot/sma/assessment/microplastics-surface-water

As referenced in the answer to question S6W-24462 on 16 January 2024, the 2022-23 data is currently undergoing quality control and processing. Once the 2023-24 data collection season has concluded, the processing will commence on the data for the whole season. Data from both these years will be published once processed.

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-24507

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the possible introduction of a non-domestic rates public health supplement on retailers as set out in the 2024-25 Budget, whether it aims to hold a formal consultation on the introduction of any new levy.

Question reference: S6W-24472

Asked by: Kate Forbes, MSP for Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-22531 by Paul McLennan on 13 November 2023, by what date in early 2024 it will provide an implementation update on short-term let licensing.

Question reference: S6W-24476

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-02933 by Christina McKelvie on 10 January 2024, whether it has set a deadline for the full or partial reopening of sites where access has been restricted, following the conclusion of Historic Environment Scotland’s inspection programme at the end of March 2024.

Further to my response to the question S60-02933 on 10 January 2024, I have not set a deadline for the full or partial reopening of sites affected by high level masonry issues. Historic Environment Scotland continues to put the health and safety of individuals first and will continue reopening sites when safe to do so.

Details of the inspection programme and site reopening's are published on the Historic Environment Scotland website: High Level Masonry Inspections | Historic Environment Scotland . Indeed the member will be pleased to note that the website currently advises that Bothwell Castle in her constituency is due to reopen for Easter 2024.

I will continue to engage with Historic Environment Scotland on the inspection programme and the reopening of sites affected.

Question reference: S6W-24437

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any concerns that the Scottish Housing Regulator does not publish any background information or register of interests for individuals whom it appoints to its statutory managers list.

Question reference: S6W-24426

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what procurement procedure was followed by the Scottish Housing Regulator to determine its statutory managers list.

Question reference: S6W-24292

Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 23 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many GP premises formerly owned or leased by GP contractors have been acquired by NHS boards in each year since 2017, when the National Code of Practice for GP premises was published, also broken down by the number of acquisitions by (a) lease and (b) ownership.