Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-14982

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has carried out any analysis of the potential impact of the Draft Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan on oil and gas jobs in Aberdeen.

We commissioned EY to undertake a substantial piece of analytical work, this has now been published and is available to view here – Energy System and Just Transition Analysis

Early outputs informed the ESJTP to help us better understand the implications of the transition to net zero on the energy system, including oil and gas, and to help us plan for a just transition across the sector.

This research will help us determine how the sector can help deliver our net zero targets, and how meeting our own energy needs can help build a new low-emission energy industry.

Question reference: S6W-14874

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the Food Train Glasgow branch is facing possible closure, whether any alternative support services will be made available to ensure that those currently relying on this service have access to food.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14332 on 7 February 2023. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at Questions and answers | Scottish Parliament Website .

An additional £2.5 million has been re-allocated to the Scottish Welfare Fund from the proposed £5 million addition to the Discretionary Housing Payment budget during 2022-23. This additional funding is an exceptional measure in response to the cost of living crisis, and will enable local authorities to provide more flexible local support through Crisis Grants and Community Care Grants. This can include payments to individuals and households who are experiencing financial challenges, including the effects of the cost of living crisis and food or fuel insecurity.

Question reference: S6W-15363

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the public funds used by (a) it and (b) its agencies, in each of the last 12 months, to support (i) Circularity Scotland and (ii) Deposit Return Scheme-related activities.

Previous requests under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 and Environmental Information (Scotland) Regulations 2004 have provided information on the costs associated with the creation of the Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland and are published on the Scottish Government website. As of 18 May 2022 it cost the Scottish Government £182,722 to set up DRS including costs associated with preparing legislation, consulting, evaluation, and independent reviews and assurance. The Scottish Government is open to further requests for information under both FOISA (2002) and EIR (2004).

Question reference: S6W-15217

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the long-term solution for the A83 Rest and Be Thankful will begin during the current parliamentary session.

Delivery of a permanent and resilient solution to the landslip risks at the A83 Rest and Be Thankful is a priority and we continue to seek ways to achieve that as quickly as possible, noting that all of the options require complex civil engineering.

Transport Scotland continues to take forward the necessary design and assessment work at pace with a view to announcing a preferred route option this Spring. Following this further detailed design and assessment work on the preferred option, including an Environmental Impact Assessment, is required before we can complete the necessary statutory planning process to allow any land to be acquired and the project constructed.

Delivery of the long-term solution can only commence if it is approved under the relevant statutory planning process and thereafter a timetable for its progress can be set. We will continue to progress the necessary design work as a priority with a view to commencing work on the ground during the current parliamentary term subject to timely completion of the statutory process.

We are dutybound to properly follow the correct statutory planning process which rightly includes consultation with communities, landowners and others with a direct interest in the scheme. However, Transport Scotland continues to explore methods to reduce the timescales of each stage of the project, where possible, and progress work at pace on this essential project.

Question reference: S6W-14872

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the average waiting time is (a) in the Highlands and Islands and (b) nationally for rheumatology patients to receive treatment by homecare medicines services.

The average time to onboard a patient to a homecare service varies by homecare provider. Within the Service Level Agreements with the homecare providers, a minimum of 5 business days is required between the provider receiving the registration documents and prescription for the patient and first delivery. Delivery may take slightly longer to areas of the Highlands and Islands due to the remoteness of the locations, although this varies by homecare provider. If treatment is required to be started more urgently than the homecare provider can deliver, then initial supplies can be made locally to patients through hospital pharmacies before the homecare service is set up.

Question reference: S6W-15104

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how often NatureScot has used its full enforcement powers, in light of the direction from the Scottish Ministers in 2017 that the then Scottish Natural Heritage “take a tougher approach to dealing with non-cooperative landowners, using the full range of enforcement powers at its disposal”.

NatureScot has a range of legislative powers available to them under the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996. A summary of how NatureScot has used those powers since 2017 has been provided in the following table:

Section of the Deer (Scotland) Act 1996

Description

Extent of use since 2017

6A

Requirement for deer management plan

1

7

Control Agreement

Control agreements in operation each year

2017

2018

2019

2020

2021

2022

2023

5

3

2

8

Control Scheme

None.

10

Emergency Powers

5

40

Statutory Return

Requests are sent to 3300 properties annually. NatureScot received returns from 2730 in 21/22. A further 1500 properties have submitted returns between 2017 and 2022.

40A

Require number planned to be killed

None.

Question reference: S6W-15241

Asked by: Pam Gosal, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Christina McKelvie on 13 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the view expressed in a number of the responses to the Violence Against Women and Girls Funding Review that there is a need for single-sex services with female-only staff to be widely available to women.

Question reference: S6W-15863

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6W-14954

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the Home Energy Efficiency Equity Loan pilot.

The Scottish Government has spent £37,698 including VAT on administration costs for the Home Energy Efficiency Equity Loan pilot over the current contractual period of 2019 – 2023. The reduction in costs for 2022-2023 reflects the end of the pilot in March 2022 resulting in the closure of the scheme to new applicants.

A Call for Evidence in August 2021 sought feedback on the pilot. The pilot’s findings will inform the Green Heat Finance Taskforce’s deliberations on future finance mechanisms to support the greening of Scotland’s buildings.

	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Equity Loan Scheme administration costs	£11,971	£11,462	£14,118	£147

In addition, Equity Loan Pilot applicants are provided with support to navigate the legal and installation phases of the customer journey. The Scottish Government has spent a further £972,000 including VAT on this extra support over the period of 2019 – 2023, in addition to the administration costs in the first table.

	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Equity Loan Scheme applicant support costs	£305,000	£220,000	£305,000	£98,800

Question reference: S6W-14918

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 10 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14359 by Lorna Slater on 7 February 2023, whether it will provide a breakdown of any actions that it has taken to ensure that manufacturing work to construct reverse vending machines for the Deposit Return Scheme is completed by Scottish companies.

Chamber and committees