Questions and answers

Question reference: S6F-02085

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 May 2023

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's position is on the potential impact of the proposed timetable reductions by ScotRail on efforts to ensure a modal shift from car to train.

Question reference: S6W-16509

Asked by: Meghan Gallacher, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered adopting a national approach to the teaching of a first additional language (L2) to ensure that pupils from certain areas are not left behind.

Question reference: S6W-17574

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government where residents in Dumfries and Galloway can find information on dentists accepting NHS patients elsewhere in Scotland, in light of reports that there are currently no practices in the region accepting new NHS patients.

Residents in Dumfries and Galloway should continue to contact their Health Board for up-to-date information on dental practices that are registering new NHS patients. NHS Dumfries and Galloway can be contacted by email at: [email protected].

I appreciate, given distances, this might not be appropriate but, residents in Dumfries and Galloway may wish to register with a dental practice in a different Health Board area and if this might be appropriate should contact the relevant Health Board to obtain information on those practices accepting new patients.

Any patient who requires treatment for an urgent dental situation before they are able to register with a dental practice, can find advice on how to access dental services on the NHS Inform website at: https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/nhs-services/dental/dental-emergencies .

Question reference: S6W-17088

Asked by: Alex Rowley, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much revenue was raised under each income tax band, and what proportion each amount represents of the total income tax take, broken down by each financial year since the introduction of the Scottish Rate of Income Tax to 2022-23.

Control over the rates and bands of non-savings non-dividends income tax has been devolved to the Scottish Parliament since 2017-18.

His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC) publish Outturn statistics annually, showing the revenue raised from Scottish Income Tax for the tax year prior. These statistics show revenue raised from taxpayers at their highest marginal rate, that is, the Income Tax band that a taxpayer would pay their next pound of Income Tax into.

Outturn statistics from 2016-17 to 2020-21 are available on the UK Government website, with the most recently available publication being found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/scottish-income-tax-outturn-statistics-2020-to-2021/scottish-income-tax-outturn-statistics-2020-to-2021.

For figures relating to 2021-22 and 2022-23, the Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC) are responsible for forecasting Scottish Income Tax revenue. The SFC do not currently publish a breakdown of this forecast in terms of revenue raised by taxpayers at their highest marginal rate.

The next Outturn publication is expected to be in July 2023, and will outline the revenue raised by marginal rate by band for the tax year 2021-22. Figures for 2022-23 will be available in Summer 2024.

Question reference: S6W-17485

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to include lamppost charging as part of the expansion of electric vehicle infrastructure.

Last year the Scottish Government announced the £60 million Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund that aims to draw commercial investment in the public charging network across all parts of Scotland. Transport Scotland has already provided funding to Scotland’s local authorities to help them to work together to establish electric vehicle charging strategies and infrastructure expansion plans. These plans are identifying local and regional charge point needs and locations, the investment requirements, as well as the best approaches to delivering collaborative investments with commercial charge point operators. Opportunities to consider the installation of lamppost charge points, or other appropriate solutions, as part of their approach, will fall to local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-17402

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to make buses more accessible for cyclists.

Legislation on accessibility and public transport remains reserved to the UK Parliament and is set out in the Public Service Vehicle Accessibility Regulations 2000 (PSVAR) and enforced by the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA).

The Scottish Government has no remit to intervene, but does support an integrated transport system where possible. Our support for the purchase of new buses will be, where appropriate, conditional on space being made available for bike transport in addition to wheelchair and buggy space.

Question reference: S6W-17409

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what explicit (a) commitments and (b) targets it has set to achieve improvement in the quality of bathing waters, and by when these are to be achieved; what (i) regulations govern and (ii) body is responsible for the monitoring of bathing waters, and what its assessment is of whether the necessary standards of bathing waters are regularly met.

The Bathing Waters (Scotland) Regulations 2008 Reg 4 states Scottish Ministers and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) must exercise their relevant functions so as to take such realistic and proportionate measures as they consider appropriate with a view to increasing the number of bathing waters classified as “good” or “excellent”. However, there is no obligation to take measures which would result in disproportionate expense or where any change in classification is infeasible.

Following significant investment and improvements in the first two cycles of river basin management planning, 98% of Scotland’s designated bathing waters now meet ‘sufficient’ or better environmental water quality standards, and more bathing waters are now rated as ‘excellent’ than ever before.

During the third cycle we continue to apply measures to protect bathing waters aiming to achieve further good or excellent classifications, avoiding deterioration and implementing plans to ensure that the health of bathers at designated sites is protected”. SEPA will continue with a focused approach in diffuse pollution priority catchments to drive compliance with environmental legislation to help achieve water quality objectives and improve bathing water quality.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency is responsible for monitoring, classifying, protecting and improving designated bathing waters with aim to reduce the risks to human health, where a large number of people bathe, by protecting and improving bathing water quality. SEPA monitors and classifies bathing waters on an annual basis following strict EU standards and publishes the results on its’ website. Bathing Waters : Summary of last season (sepa.org.uk) .

The Bathing Water (Scotland) Regulations 2008 Reg11(4) requires that for bathing waters classified as poor SEPA must take such action as it considers necessary, whether in relation to the regulation of any controlled activity or under any other functions to ensure that the bathing water can be classified as “sufficient”, “good” or “excellent”, unless permanent advice against bathing has been issued.

The following table shows that the number of bathing waters designated as good and excellent has steadily increased in the past three years.

Classification	2019	2021	2022
Excellent	29	32	38
Good	31	35	35
Sufficient	20	17	12
Poor	5	1	2
Total	85	85	87*

* Lower Largo and Barassie were designated as Bathing Waters in 2022

Question reference: S6W-17424

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on plans to change Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) standards.

The Scottish Government is committed to reforming Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) to ensure they drive the energy efficiency improvements we need and incentivise zero direct emissions heating. In 2021, we consulted on the introduction of a new domestic EPC metric based on a dwelling’s energy use. Following feedback received through consultation, we have undertaken further work to develop options for EPC metrics, and wider reforms. We intend to publish a consultation on our final proposals for EPC reform later this year.

EPC reform will support our intention to introduce, subject to consultation, regulations requiring Scotland’s homes (including all owner-occupied and private rented properties) to meet a minimum energy efficiency level equivalent to EPC Band C from 2025 onwards. We are proposing a backstop date of 2028 for all private rented properties to comply, and 2033 for all owner-occupied housing properties. This is in addition to a proposed requirement for all homes to have zero direct emissions heating by 2045. We committed in this year’s Programme for Government to consult on proposals for this legislation in 2023.

Question reference: S6W-17237

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Additional Support for Learning Review Action Plan – Update November 2022, how (a) the Association of Directors of Education in Scotland (ADES) and (b) COSLA plan to improve the experiences of children and young people with additional support needs through local commissioning, and to what extent this has progressed since the publication of the Strategic Review of Learning Provision for Children and Young People with Complex Additional Support Need (the Doran Review).

The Scottish Government is working with local government partners on the Additional Support for Learning Project Board to deliver the recommendations of the 2020 additional support for learning review by March 2026. All local authorities are considering the actions of the ASL Review, and will continue to consider the incorporation of actions within local improvement plans.

As our joint Scottish Government and COSLA Additional Support for Learning action plan notes, local commissioning has developed considerably since the Doran Review was published in 2012. This reflects the increased flexibility within schools and local authorities to develop tailored interventions through local delivery of our £750 million investment in the last parliamentary term and £1 billion in this parliamentary term to close the poverty related attainment gap. Local delivery of the Strategic Equity Fund and Pupil Equity Fund and greater alliance with the Third Sector are key features of local commissioning.

Progress in closing the poverty related attainment gap was reported in our five year impact report , published in 2021 and future progress will be reported in line with our Evaluation Strategy for the Attainment Scotland Fund 2022 – 2026 and the National Improvement Framework measures .

In addition, the Scottish Government is working with partners in ADES, COSLA and Education Scotland, to develop a national measurement framework which aims to support improved outcomes for children and young people with additional support needs.

Improved experiences of children and young people with additional support needs will continue to be considered as part of the action plan and progress can be followed through the published minutes of the Project Board.

Question reference: S6W-17177

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 9 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16274 by Kevin Stewart on 6 April 2023, whether it will provide the information requested in the previous question in relation to its pilot to remove peak ScotRail fares regarding what its rationale is for running the pilot over a six-month period, and what its position is on whether this will be a sufficient period of time during which to assess the success or otherwise of the trial; what it considers would constitute the success of the pilot, and how this will be measured; what the rationale is for potentially removing peak fares, and what the evidence base is that suggests that removing peak fares will achieve this; in which geographical area(s) it expects the removal of peak fares to have the most impact, and what impact it projects the removal of peak fares will have on ScotRail's income from ticket fares during the trial period; for what reason it did not provide this information in its answer; what its position is on whether (a) sufficient planning was carried out and (b) an adequate strategy was in place prior to the announcement of the pilot, and when further details of the ScotRail peak fares pilot will be confirmed.

On 18 April 2023 the First Minister announced that the ScotRail Peak Fares pilot will commence at the start of October 2023 and last for 6 months. Transport Scotland , Scottish Rail Holdings and ScotRail are currently finalising the design, monitoring and evaluation of the pilot. This is an unprecedented intervention in the UK rail sector and the purpose of the 6 month trial is to collect evidence on the impact both on rail and other modes, including bus, that will inform the Fair Fares Review and form the basis of future proposals.

The topics that the member raises are being considered during the pilot development process and further details will be announced in due course and will be assessed as part of the evaluation.

Chamber and committees