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-16471

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Castle Rock Edinvar Housing Association since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

Regular informal meetings were held with Places for People Developments and officials in More Homes Division during that period to discuss progress on the Affordable Housing Supply Programme projects they were delivering.

In addition, officials in More Homes Division regularly engage with the New Avenue Living Fund Manager for Places for People Capital. Performance Review meetings were held on 9 December 2021 and 7 February 2023 to discuss the delivery of over 1,000 homes for mid-market rent.

And on 20 September 2022, the Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights met with Places for People on the topic of Heat in Buildings.

Question reference: S6W-16469

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Athron Hill Development Company Limited since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

Question reference: S6W-16111

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many community-led housing developments have been supported in each year since 1999, and, as a result, how many homes have been developed.

The Scottish Government does not hold the specific information requested. However, through our mainstream Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP), we have supported many community controlled housing association developments across urban and rural Scotland. Each year, since 2008-09, an Affordable Housing Supply Programme Outturn Report is published which sets out the organisations which have received funding through the AHSP. Specifically in rural Scotland, since the introduction of the Rural and Islands Housing Fund in 2016-17, 44 community-led rural projects have been completed providing 152 additional homes. The fund play an important role in offering support to community organisations and others to deliver affordable homes, while complementing the delivery through our mainstream programme by Councils and Registered Social Landlords.

Question reference: S6W-16139

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 14 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether any funding remains available, through the Scottish 4G Infill Programme, that could be used to site new masts or provide upgrades to the capacity of existing sites.

Question reference: S6W-16705

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the issue of marine protection.

Scottish Ministers have not met with the Defra Secretary of State to discuss marine protection. I have written to consecutive Defra Secretaries of State on two occasions (June 2022 and October 2022) regarding powers for Scottish Ministers to designate HPMAs in Scottish offshore waters and suggesting a meeting to discuss respective priorities regarding the delivery of HPMAs. This meeting has been postponed twice but is currently being arranged.

Question reference: S6W-16708

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce an antisocial behaviour action plan, similar to that which has recently been announced for England and Wales.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling all forms of antisocial behaviour and to making all of our communities safe places where people can live free from fear or harm. I will monitor the development of the UK Government’s Antisocial Behaviour Action Plan as I consider how best to continue to prevent and tackle antisocial behaviour in Scotland.

The Scottish Government continues to support local authorities and Police Scotland to further reduce the damage caused by antisocial behaviour in our communities, including investing in prevention and early intervention. These agencies have a range of powers available to tackle antisocial behaviour. Additionally, the Scottish Government has been working with the Scottish Community Safety Network to better understand how we can prevent antisocial behaviour, and limit its harms.

Question reference: S6W-16699

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding Highly Protected Marine Areas in offshore waters around Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-16511

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Scottish Women's Aid since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

Information about Ministerial engagements is proactively released on the Scottish Government website . The spreadsheets include a wide range of information including details of the organisation/individuals Ministers met along with the subject discussed.

Officials also engage with stakeholder organisations as part of the policy development process. Officials work closely with Scottish Women’s Aid as part of the Scottish Government’s commitment to our Equally Safe Strategy, Scotland’s strategy to eradicate and prevent violence against women and girls. A representative from Scottish Women’s Aid also sits on at least one working group within the Scottish Government, the Equally Safe Joint Strategic Board (ES JSB) and further detail on this can be found on the Scottish Government’s website: Equally Safe Joint Strategic Board - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Question reference: S6W-16533

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to hold discussions with the UK Government regarding the location of the proposed new Investment Zone in Scotland, as announced in the UK Government's Spring Budget.

Scottish Government officials are in exploratory discussion with the UK Government on their evolving proposals for Investment Zones and how they could work in Scotland. They have emphasised that any zones in Scotland must be developed in partnership between the Scottish and UK Governments; must be tailored to Scotland’s economic strengths and opportunities, and our policy and governance landscape; and must seek to build on existing activity in a way that works for business and supports innovation across sectors. Further information is awaited from the UK Government on a number of key issues, but we hope to make progress in the coming weeks.

Question reference: S6W-16496

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what meetings it has had with Ricardo-AEA Ltd since May 2021, and what the agreed outcomes were of any such meetings.

The Scottish Government has had a number of meetings with Ricardo AEA Ltd since May 2021:

Meetings to discuss research and analysis that Ricardo AEA Ltd has been commissioned to deliver for Scottish Government: this has involved around 20 research commissions, each with regular meetings to discuss project progress and direction, to agree method and approaches and to review and sign off outputs.
Meetings related to working groups and advisory groups to which Ricardo provides technical expertise, for example related to air quality, either convened by Scottish Government or convened by others (eg UK Government) and in which Scottish Government is a co-participant. These meetings discuss matters such as data and evidence provision, analytical methods and research dissemination.