- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what actions it plans to take to ensure that the National Planning Framework and its plans for net zero are supported by implementing an alternative to public private partnership (PPP) arrangements across sectors.
Answer
National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) was adopted on 13 February 2023. Delivery of NPF4 is not the sole responsibility of one organisation or sector and implementation of the proposed actions will support leadership and collaborative working across the public and private sectors throughout Scotland.
Our NPF4 Delivery Programme will guide how NPF4 will be implemented by all relevant stakeholders and aims to create the conditions under which place-based collaboration can underpin the implementation of NPF4, by clearly setting out strategic actions, responsibilities and ways of working. The Delivery Programme proposes a governance structure that will include providing oversight of NPF4 implementation and delivery, supporting its incorporation into Scottish Government and wider stakeholder decision-making, promoting alignment across sectors and providing a framework through which delivery partners can communicate, identify barriers to delivery and be solution-focused. This includes establishing a new Planning, Infrastructure and Place Advisory Group, with a core membership of key external delivery partners and key agency representation, supported by a Scottish Government secretariat.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 21 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is developing a discrete semiconductor strategy to complement the UK Government semiconductor strategy, and whether it has given particular consideration to the development of a flexible semiconductor manufacturing capability in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of the semiconductor sector in a global context. We are privileged in Scotland to have a number of strong semiconductor companies, several of which I have had the pleasure to visit recently. I have also recently written to the BEIS Committee highlighting the strengths and capabilities of our semiconductor sector, in response to its recent semiconductor inquiry report.
Once the UK Semiconductor Strategy is published, we will assess how well it suits the needs of Scotland’s semiconductor industry. I would note that we have an extensive support infrastructure in place in Scotland to support innovation and flexibility in manufacturers. This includes the National Manufacturing Institute Scotland (NMIS), backed by £75 million of Scottish Government investment. Its headquarters will open later this year. Our upcoming Innovation Strategy will also support the development of innovative sectors to meet global economic challenges.
- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 21 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is the case that only two of its buildings have a heat pump installed; what action it will take to increase the number of its buildings that have a heat pump installed, and within what timescale will any such action be undertaken.
Answer
Currently 1 building on the core Scottish Government estate has a heat pump installed (Tweedbank)
Feasibility studied will be carried out in the first quarter of 2023/24 financial year to look at a range of renewable technologies for the estate, including air source heat pumps.
Timescale for installing air source heat pumps to suitable buildings:-
- 2023-24 – (1st quarter) - Feasibility studies will be carried out with business cases and funding applications submitted for suitable projects.
- 2023-24 – (2nd quarter) - Apply, design and install power cable upgrades if required or – if the incoming power needs to be increased from the supplier.
- 2023-24 – (3rd/4th quarter quarter) - Design, tender, appoint a contractor, planning permissions
- 2024-25 – Installation of ASHP, radiators, pipework.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will work with stakeholders to write the guidance documents that will accompany the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), specifically those relating to national developments on peatland and wild land areas, and, if so, how stakeholders can participate in this process.
Answer
Our National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) Delivery Programme, published November 2022, provides an overview of actions to be taken to support delivery, including the preparation of guidance documents.
Our Onshore Wind Policy Statement, published December 2022, also sets out our commitment to convening an expert group, including representatives from industry, agencies and academia, to provide advice to the Scottish Government on how guidance could be developed to support both our peatland and onshore wind aims.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what support will be made available to provide planners with additional resources to assess the environmental impacts of developments, including making assessments of the impact of these on biodiversity.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the challenges facing the planning system, in particular planning authorities. Appropriate resourcing is a key challenge for delivery of NPF4 and we are committed to working collaboratively with our partners to make progress with this, including through our work with the High Level Group on Planning Performance. NPF4 Policy 3 (c) is underpinned by NatureScot’s Developing With Nature guidance published on 13 February 2023. We have also committed to developing guidance on Policy 3 more generally. Through ongoing work to bring forward the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy, we are exploring opportunities to enhance ecological expertise that is needed locally to implement nature positive approaches. We have commissioned research to explore options for developing approaches to measuring biodiversity at the ‘site’ scale in Scotland. This research will involve a programme of engagement with stakeholders as it progresses.
- Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 09 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 21 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14221 by Neil Gray on 31 January 2023, whether the date reconciliation project has been completed.
Answer
The statistical release on Ukraine Sponsorship Scheme expressions of interest data reconciliation exercise was published by the Scottish Government on 17 February 2023: https://www.gov.scot/publications/ukraine-sponsorship-scheme-in-scotland-expressions-of-interest-data-reconciliation-exercise-february-2023/ . This is a one-time ad-hoc release of management information and does not constitute an Official Statistics or National Statistics release.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13427 by Lorna Slater on 19 January 2023, what further work is currently underway to ensure that the interactions between minimum unit pricing and the Deposit Return Scheme are understood, and what discussions it has had with the industry on this issue.
Answer
Scottish Government officials are undertaking work to ensure that the interactions between Minimum Unit Price and the Deposit Return Scheme are fully understood. This work includes engagement with stakeholders.
For example, a planned evaluation of the Deposit Return Scheme will explore consumer behaviours prior to the scheme’s introduction, a year after implementation and two years after implementation.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 21 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to encourage the sale of clothes free from fossil fuel-derived fibres, and what information it has regarding the quantity of such clothing that has been sold in each of the last five years.
Answer
Retail has an essential role to play if we are to deliver on our ambitious targets to reach net zero by 2045, which is why the Retail Strategy’s Delivery Plan contains a commitment to develop a Just Transition Plan for retail that includes an action to promote the steps that retailers and their supply chain operatives can take to reduce carbon consumption and environmental impacts.
The specific information requested on the quantity of such clothing that has been sold in each of the last five years is not held by the Scottish Government .
- Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 21 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding applicable safety standards to protect (a) offshore workers and (b) seafarers from Scotland working on internationally flagged vessels in waters over 12 nautical miles from the Scottish coastline.
Answer
The Scottish Government expects the highest safety and crew welfare and employment conditions for all workers employed in offshore and maritime industries.
Safety standards for offshore workers in the UK Continental Shelf are regulated in Great Britain by the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) and is a reserved matter for the UK Government. All relevant legislation was enacted prior to devolution.
Maritime safety is also a reserved competence of the UK Government undertaken by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The Maritime Labour Convention came into force in the UK on 7 August 2014. It sets out the minimum working and living rights for seafarers with the onus on operators.
- Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 February 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what oversight mechanisms it has in place to monitor the decisions made by Circularity Scotland in respect of the Deposit Return Scheme.
Answer
Scotland’s deposit return scheme is being delivered and funded by industry, led by the scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland. This model is in line with standard practice in other schemes across Europe. The Deposit and Return Scheme for Scotland Regulations 2020 set out the obligations of a scheme administrator including that they must provide any information requested by the Scottish Ministers or SEPA for the purposes of monitoring compliance with the requirements in regulations. Scottish Ministers and Scottish Government officials continue to work with Circularity Scotland ahead of the launch in August.
