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-13063

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Elena Whitham on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10856 by Ash Regan on 21/09/2022, for what reason it has opted to use the total number of people who answered the consultation (254), rather than the total number of people who answered Question 31 (137), in its analysis of Question 31 in the Review of Children (Scotland) Act 1995 consultation: analysis.

The analysis referred to was carried out by independent contractors, rather than internally by the Scottish Government. The approach of recording ‘yes’, ‘no’ and ‘no response’ was followed throughout the analysis for all of the questions asked by the consultation. Accurately representing ‘no response’ answers alongside the other options available reflects that some respondents to the full consultation may not have held views on certain areas, or may have had mixed views that did not fall into the ‘yes’ or ‘no’ response categories. Most of those who answered Question 31 were in favour of changing the legislation.

As well as the analysis, we also published individual responses, where we had permission to do so, on the consultation website: https://consult.gov.scot/family-law/children-scotland-act/consultation/published_select_respondent .

Question reference: S6W-13065

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 09 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) remit, (b) lifespan, (c) terms of reference and (d) work programme is for the joint working group on local government finance; how frequently it will meet, and whether (i) agendas, (ii) minutes and (iii) papers will be published.

As set out in the answer to S6W-12943 on 20 December 2022, the Joint Working Group, which includes COSLA and the Scottish Green Party commenced it work, initially focussing on targeted changes to Council Tax to reflect the current circumstances created by the cost crisis. The group will also consider approaches to longer term reform, utilising the development of effective deliberative engagement, on sources of Local Government funding and Council Tax. I will ensure that Parliament is kept appraised of this work at suitable junctures.

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-12876

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of how projects funded through the Recycling Improvement Fund have delivered (a) increased frequency of recycling collections, (b) extended food and garden waste collections, (c) increased recycling capacity for problematic materials and (d) increased local authority compliance with the Household Recycling Charter.

Proposed impacts of individual projects are captured at both assessment stage and subsequent monitoring stages of each project.

The Recycling Improvement Fund has funded the following projects under these headings:

(a) increased frequency of recycling collections

Council	Summary of impact on (a)	Total project grant (£m)
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar	Expansion of collection services to rural areas.	£0.8m
East Lothian	Charter aligned single weekly pass service for source separated kerbside recycling and food waste.	£2.7m
Perth & Kinross	Expansion of recycling service.	£2.6m

(b) extended food and garden waste collections

Council	Summary of impact on (b)	Total project grant (£m)
Aberdeenshire	Service change to align with Charter and increased food waste collection.	£3.4m
East Lothian	Charter aligned single weekly pass service for source separated kerbside recycling and food waste.	£2.7m
Highland	Introduction of an additional, chargeable garden waste service.	£0.2m
Midlothian	Expansion of food waste recycling service to a further 1,800 rural properties.	£0.1m

Council

Summary of impact on (c)

Total project grant (£m)

Fife

TOMRA plastic film sorting

equipment, allowing collection of film from all households

in Fife.

£0.4m

North Ayrshire

Mattress cleaner to allow mattress

reuse/recycling.

£0.07m

(d) increased local authority compliance with the Household Recycling Charter.

Council	Summary of impact on (d)	Total project grant (£m)
Aberdeenshire	Service change to align with Charter and increased food waste collection.	£3.4m
East Lothian	Charter aligned single weekly pass service for source separated kerbside recycling and food waste.	£2.7m
West Lothian	Introduction of a kerbside service change to move to twin stream recycling to comply with the Code of Practice.	£4.04m
South Ayrshire	On-the-go recycling in local community parks, that align with charter.	£0.09m

Question reference: S6W-12803

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 December 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 20 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent on heating the swimming pool at its Victoria Quay building in each of the last five years.

The gas and electric used for the swimming pool at Victoria Quay is not sub-metered. The figures in the following table are estimates based on assumed operating times.

The costs reflect that the heating was turned off to the pool in April 2020 and has remained off since . Pumps have remained operational to maintain water quality, and the structural integrity of the pool . The operating times for the ventilation to the pool space have been reduced, this is reflected in the reduced electrical load.

The costs in 2019-20 are lower as a result of the pool being closed for refurbishment between June and August 2019.

	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23 YTD (Apr- Nov)
Annual Electricity Cost	£8,126	£7,115	£8,310	£8,096	£6,125

Annual Gas Cost	£11,348	£10,471	£0	£0	£0

TOTAL UTILITIES COST	£19,474	£17,586	£8,310	£8,096	£6,125

Question reference: S6F-01670

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the First Minister what actions the Scottish Government will take forward as a result of COP15, the 15th Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Question reference: S6F-01658

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the First Minister what progress the Scottish Government has made in ending the use of hotels as temporary accommodation for children and families.

Question reference: S6F-01657

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01656

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-01660

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the First Minister whether the Scottish Government will set a clear ambition in its planned Energy Strategy for delivery of 4 to 6 GW of solar power by 2030.

Question reference: S6F-01661

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 19 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reported warnings that the implementation of the Deposit Return Scheme will be "ruinous for consumers and businesses".