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-15645

Asked by: Alex Cole-Hamilton, MSP for Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 09 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 23 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to the urgent question by Angus Robertson on 28 February 2023, whether the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture plans to request the addition of a correction in the Official Report, within the 20 working day deadline of 28 March 2023, in relation to his statement that the claim that Scotland has 25% of Europe’s potential offshore wind resource “is now considered to be overtaken by developments”, in light of the UK Statistics Authority’s reported investigation and letter of 7 December 2022 stating that it was never accurate and that “it is good practice for elected representatives to correct their use of official statistics”.

The Scottish Government has accepted that this statistic relating to Scotland’s offshore wind potential needs revising. In response to the issues raised in the UK Statistics Authority’s letter, dated 7 December 2022, the Scottish Government has engaged directly with the Office for Statistics Regulation (OSR) setting out the steps that have been taken to ensure the statistic is not used further, and provided an update on the analytical work that is underway to produce a replacement statistic, which will be published in due course.

Question reference: S6W-16012

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 23 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the Scottish Assessors Association's data deficiencies are that mean that it cannot pay Warm Home Discount direct to those who have the same circumstances as Core Group 2 in England and Wales, and what assessment it has undertaken of how to overcome those data deficiencies.

The Warm Home Discount is a rebate upon energy bills that large energy suppliers are obliged to provide, not a social security payment administered by the Scottish Government. Whilst some powers are provided to Scottish Ministers to design a separate Warm Home Discount scheme in Scotland, these require the consent of the UK Government.

All households in receipt of Pension Credit Guarantee Credit are automatically eligible for a WHD rebate in Scotland, England and Wales (Core Group 1). Households in England and Wales in receipt of low income benefits or tax credits (Core Group 2) are not automatically eligible for a WHD rebate. The UK Government further restricts eligibility for this group in England and Wales based upon data matching.

These low income households only receive a rebate if they also live in a property that is assumed to have low energy efficiency. The UK Government uses Council Tax data held by the Valuation Office Agency to estimate energy costs and uses this as a proxy for low energy efficiency. This approach reflects the definition of fuel poverty adopted by the UK Government in England (low income, low energy efficiency).

Scottish Ministers do not agree that energy efficiency is the main driver of fuel poverty. The Scottish Parliament has unanimously agreed a definition of fuel poverty that is not dependent upon the energy efficiency of people’s homes. The valuation roll data held by the Scottish Assessors Association is not relevant in establishing fuel poverty on this basis.

In 2021, Scottish Ministers formally proposed a more flexible, fairer and simpler fuel poverty scheme to replace the WHD scheme in Scotland. This would have provided an automatic rebate to vulnerable households across Scotland. We have also repeatedly pressed UK Ministers to increase funding for the WHD rebate to reflect the higher level of need in Scotland. UK Ministers did not agree to do so and continue to decide the total value and number of rebates provided. Nevertheless we remain willing to work with the UK Government to improve the help available to vulnerable families across Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-16014

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 23 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the take-up rate of the Warm Home Discount is amongst the Broader Group.

The value of the rebate and total value of the scheme in Scotland was established in regulations approved by the Westminster Parliament. The Warm Home Discount (Scotland) Regulations 2022 (legislation.gov.uk) .

Information about the number of rebates provided by the scheme is published as an annual report by Ofgem, the independent regulator. Warm Home Discount (WHD) - Reports and data | Ofgem Further information about delivery of the 22-23 Warm Home Discount scheme has not yet been provided to the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S6W-16013

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Monday, 20 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 23 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the National Public Energy Agency will be enabled to deliver automatic payments of Warm Home Discount to the Broader Group as part of its function of streamlining and centralising advice, so that those in the Broader Group do not need to apply for the support.

Scottish Ministers have limited powers to design and implement a separate scheme in Scotland. These require the consent of the UK Government. Previous proposals by Scottish Ministers to increase the value and number of rebates provided to vulnerable households were not agreed by UK Ministers. The UK Government continue to reserve to themselves the powers to set the value of the rebate and the total value of the obligation in Scotland. However we remain willing to work with the UK Government to improve the help available to vulnerable families across Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02089

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many GP surgeries are not currently accepting new patients.

Question reference: S6O-02091

Asked by: Maggie Chapman, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent reported comments by the Children and Young People's Commissioner Scotland regarding children and families with no recourse to public funds being unable to access frontline services in Scotland, what action it can take within devolved powers to monitor the situation of any such children and families, including any support that can be provided.

Question reference: S6O-02087

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s recommendation that no further new greyhound tracks be permitted in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02093

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the implementation of the Learning for Sustainability Action Plan in educational settings in the north east.

Question reference: S6O-02088

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes are required to be built to meet the needs of rural communities in the Highland and Islands.

Question reference: S6O-02092

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on investment in research and coordinated care services to support those living with long Covid.