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-17683

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government on what specific date it set out the scope and rationale to the UK Government regarding the proposed exclusion from the United Kingdom Internal Market Act 2020 for the Deposit Return Scheme.

I refer the member to Scottish Government’s publication on 28 February 2023 of the timeline and process for securing an Internal Market Act exclusion for the Deposit Return Scheme: https://www.gov.scot/binaries/content/documents/govscot/publications/correspondence/2023/02/internal-market-act-correspondence/documents/timeline-and-process-for-securing-an-internal-market-act-exclusion-for-drs/timeline-and-process-for-securing-an-internal-market-act-exclusion-for-drs/govscot%3Adocument/DRS%2BTimeline%2Band%2BProcess.pdf

Question reference: S6W-17674

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what allocation of funding Scotland's (a) two national parks and (b) 32 local authorities received from its Edinburgh Process Fund in 2022-23, and what formula was used to distribute such funding.

In relation to the allocation of funding for the national parks and local authorities, I refer the member to S6W-09126 on 29 June 2022, in response to Mark Ruskell MSP. In reference to (b), the distribution methodology for the 2022-23 ‘Edinburgh Process’ below was approved through the formal financial governance process including political sign-off from Scottish Ministers and COSLA political Leaders:

50% on ‘area of natural greenspace’ (as defined by PAN 65 and calculated by reporting on the State of Scottish Greenspace); and
50% on the composite green indicator defined by NatureScot (including local nature reserves, area of reserves) and used in the annual redetermination on Biodiversity and Ranger Services.

In addition, Local Authorities and National Parks were eligible to participate in partnerships that applied to the competitive element of NRF in 2022-23.

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-17671

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it received Barnett consequential funding in connection with the 75% business rates relief that the UK Government is offering to some English business, and, if so, how any such funding was allocated in the Scottish Budget 2023-24.

The Scottish Government received £199 million in Barnett Consequentials in respect of the UK Government’s 75% relief for Retail, Hospitality and Leisure sectors in 2023-24.

The Scottish Government needs to consider its funding availability in totality and not by isolating each and every line of UK consequential funding. Decisions in the budget are taken in that context and the Scottish Budget delivered the number one ask of the business community by freezing the non-domestic rates poundage.

Delivering the freeze in the poundage came at a forecast cost of £308 million, in contrast with only £169 million of Barnett consequentials received for the equivalent policy in England. Despite this, the Scottish Government continues to deliver a number of other reliefs that are not available to businesses in England including Day Nursery relief, Fresh Start relief, the Business Growth Accelerator relief, and the UK’s most generous relief package for the renewable energy-generating sector.

Question reference: S6W-17697

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which of its public grant schemes are currently closed to applications.

Scottish Government guidance on grant giving requires that all grants be completed by default. Therefore, at any one time, there can be a large amount of grants available, all at different stages of their operational cycle. Each grant fund is managed by a specific policy area within the Scottish Government. To ensure fair and transparent application processes, these funds are advertised as appropriate on the gov.scot website or other specific sites to ensure stakeholders and key specific groups are targeted for applications. The SG does not hold central information at the detailed level of individual scheme operation.

Question reference: S6W-17677

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many local authorities applied to the £1.5 million pot to top up their direct allocation of funding from the Edinburgh Process Fund, in order to deliver larger scale, multi-year nature restoration projects, in 2022-23, and, of these, which local authorities received funding, and how much each local authority received.

Five local authorities applied to the competitive top up fund in 2022-23, requesting funding for a total of twelve projects. Each local authority that applied was awarded funding for one of their projects, as detailed in the following table:

Local Authority	Title of Project	Funding Awarded (£)
Angus	Montrose Coastal Erosion	350,000
South Ayrshire	Wetland creation and pollinator corridors Belleisle Golf Course	114,300
Dundee City	Tr-Action: Planting Climate Resilient Woodlands in Dundee	182,276
Renfrewshire	Restoring Renfrewshire’s Rivers	350,000
Scottish Borders	Leader Water Riparian Habitat Improvements	81,000
Total		1,077,576

The competitive top up fund referred to in the question comprised just over £1 million (as detailed in the table), with the remaining £0.5 million allocated to the National Parks.

Question reference: S6W-17662

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17639 by Neil Gray on 27 April 2023, how many jobs in Scotland it estimates this development will create; whether a site or sites have been identified for this development; when it will open, and whether it committed to any financial support for the development prior to the announcement.

The Scottish Government welcomes Sumitomo’s proposed investment in Scotland and is working closely with our enterprise agencies and other partners to support the investment and ensure it delivers maximum benefit for Scotland. Sumitomo has confirmed more than £200m in investment and the creation of 150 highly skilled green jobs. The specific location and opening dates have yet to be confirmed. Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) has agreed to the principle of financial support should it be required to help realise Sumitomo’s ambitions, but no funding commitment has been made.

Question reference: S6W-17678

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 04 May 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with COSLA regarding its Edinburgh Process Fund.

Question reference: S6W-17525

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 27 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what updates it has received from Circularity Scotland regarding whether a standardised invoicing system or multiple invoice systems are being developed for the Deposit Return Scheme.

Circularity Scotland is developing and constructing its administration system that will support the effective operation of the scheme when it launches on 1 March 2024. As Circularity Scotland is a private company, operational matters are a matter for them and it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to intervene in such commercial arrangements. We continue to work closely with all relevant partners and with businesses to help support a successful launch of the scheme.

Question reference: S6W-17569

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 28 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 18 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the statement by the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity on 20 April 2023, how many of the 200 new green jobs are located in (a) Aberdeen and (b) Motherwell.

Circularity Scotland is developing and constructing the logistical network that will support the effective operation of the scheme when it launches on 1 March 2024. It has secured a number of sites across Scotland to deliver the scheme and Circularity Scotland’s website provides details of approximately how many jobs will be located at both the Aberdeen and Motherwell sites.

Circularity Scotland website information:

Figures	Location	Article
140 jobs	Motherwell	6 March 2023 available at: 140 jobs created in multi-million pound Deposit Return Scheme project in Motherwell \| Circularity Scotland Ltd
60 jobs	Aberdeen	6 February 2023 available at: 60 jobs created in £7.7m Deposit Return Scheme in Aberdeen \| Circularity Scotland Ltd

Question reference: S6O-02290

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the culture secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding what support it can provide to communities to establish and operate community-owned libraries.