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-26037

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing targets for public sector organisations to make their buildings energy efficient.

Our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, which closed on 8 March, asked how we can help our public sector buildings to lead the way on heat decarbonisation, by requiring all public sector buildings to be using clean heating systems by 2038. We will now analyse the responses to determine the best course of action.

Any energy efficiency standard for non-domestic buildings, including public buildings, would need to carefully consider how to take account of the wide variety in size, construction and functionality.

Question reference: S6W-26138

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support green manufacturing in Scotland, including the manufacture of hydrogen electrolysis equipment.

On Green Manufacturing , Scottish Government’s Making Scotland’s Future (MSF) programme includes a £75 million investment in the cutting edge facilities of the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS). NMIS’s mission is to make Scotland a global leader in advanced, sustainable manufacturing, working with industry to unlock productivity gains, develop new products and processes, and promote sustainable practices that will offer a competitive edge. SG’s Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) offers specialised support to businesses in the sector, helping them to increase their productivity through engaging with sustainable change.

In 2023 the Scottish Government commissioned an assessment into the state of electrolyser manufacturing globally, to support an understanding of the supply chain opportunities in Scotland. This work included detailed supply chain component analysis on electrolysers.

Scottish Enterprise’s high value manufacturing (HVM) team are currently leading on the ‘Integrated Supply Chain’ workstream, which includes engaging with businesses to allow the HVM team, along with key specialists and SDI to discuss directly with manufacturers the supply chain opportunities, skills and capabilities that can be applied to energy transition areas including hydrogen, offshore wind and clean heat.

On hydrogen specifically, Scottish Enterprise’s Hydrogen Expert Support programme has run from April 2023 and in that time supported over 30 Scottish supply chain companies, including manufacturers, that are keen to take advantage of the opportunities that the hydrogen economy will provide. Those companies have been provided with tailored reports, at no cost to the company, which have offered advice on next steps they could take based on the existing company capability and ambition.

The enterprise agencies have also over several years hosted in person workshops and webinars aimed at supply chain and manufacturing companies which have highlighted the national hydrogen strategy and ambition and the timeline and scale of the pipeline of projects in planning.

Building on these activities, and in alignment with the Scottish Government’s Hydrogen Action Plan, Scottish Enterprise is also progressing plans to implement a Scottish hydrogen supply chain cluster which will seek to further engage with companies with transferrable skills and capabilities, again including manufacturers, and help them to move into the hydrogen sector.

Scottish Enterprise has also provided grants and investment into several companies with an aim to expand/create manufacturing sites in hydrogen and other areas within the energy transition space.

Question reference: S6W-26144

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has undertaken to ascertain whether there is any presence of naturally produced "gold hydrogen" in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-26146

Asked by: Kevin Stewart, MSP for Aberdeen Central, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the impact in Scotland, what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the modernisation of hydrogen storage and transportation regulations.

Regulations for hydrogen transport through pipelines and storage are reserved to the UK Government and so Scottish Government officials are in regular and close communication with UK Government counterparts on these matters.

In December 2023, the UK Government published its Hydrogen Transport and Storage Networks Pathway. This set out next steps for the strategic development of hydrogen transport and storage in the UK, and the role of the National Energy System Operator.

The Scottish Government continues to urge the UK Government to consider and cater for geographical variations across the UK, particularly for Scotland, and develop a fit for purpose regulatory regime that will enable us to achieve our shared hydrogen ambitions.

Question reference: S6W-26036

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what impact its proposals for energy performance certificate (EPC) reform will have on its proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill.

We responded to a series of recommendations from the Committee for Climate Change on the need to reform Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) by running a consultation during 2023.

The consultation proposed to revise the information displayed on domestic EPCs, expanding the current suite of ratings to introduce a fabric energy efficiency rating and displaying relevant information relating to the heating system. This aims to improve EPCs so that they provide a more holistic view to current and potential homeowners and tenants.

EPC reform is also needed to respond to changes to the underlying methodology implemented by UK Government, and the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, published in November 2023, made clear that a reformed EPC could have a supporting role in providing evidence in relation to the heat and energy efficiency standards proposed by that consultation.

Given this important relationship between the two consultations and sets of proposals, we want to ensure that responses to both are considered together. We therefore intend to publish our response to the EPC reform and Heat in Buildings Bill consultations at the same point later this year.

Question reference: S6W-26033

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many non-GP healthcare professionals have completed "Beyond the Symptoms" training to date, to help them to identify patients with eating disorders, broken down by profession.

Question reference: S6O-03289

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support tenants, in light of reports of accelerating rents.

Question reference: S6O-03287

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the mental wellbeing of asylum seekers accommodated in hotels in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-03288

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.

Question reference: S6O-03285

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting the museum sector.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

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