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: S6O-01242

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the mental health and wellbeing of officers and staff within Police Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01240

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the delivery of the missions of the Scottish National Investment Bank.

Question reference: S6O-01243

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the support capacity of Home Energy Scotland was before this was increased by 12,000 households.

Question reference: S6O-01244

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is strengthening transport links to rural areas.

Question reference: S6O-01246

Current Status: Withdrawn

Question reference: S6O-01245

Asked by: Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the continued use of Asulox for bracken control.

Question reference: S6O-01239

Asked by: Marie McNair, MSP for Clydebank and Milngavie, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in encouraging employers to pay the real Living Wage.

Question reference: S6W-08803

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the ecological and functional benefits that might arise from the planting of tree species native to Scotland, and what action it is taking to ensure that these are realised.

The Scottish Government funds considerable research and analysis into the benefits of planting tree species native to Scotland. One example of some recent work is a niches for species model that integrates species habitat requirements for multiple species, and provides mapped outputs of their niches, and hence their potential occurrence in native woodlands. The Scottish Government will be using this work to help inform forestry planning and management.

In addition, the creation of new woodlands will continue to be underpinned by the UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) which is supported by a large body of research and analysis. The Scottish Government supports tree planting through the Forestry Grant Scheme where UKFS requirements are met, and the site is suitable for the trees being planted. Over 4000 hectares of new native woodland were planted in 2020/21.

Question reference: S6W-08823

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 8 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08059 by Mairi Gougeon on 5 May 2022, by how much it aims to reduce the total volume discarded of each species that was recorded as discarded by Scottish boats in (a) future years and (b) ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) areas (i) 4 and (ii) 6a as part of the changes proposed in its Future Catching Policy.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling the wasteful practice of discarding and we have set out our proposals to address this issue in our Future Catching Policy (FCP) consultation, which ran from 15 March to 7 June. The Future Catching Policy has co-management at the heart of its approach, recognising that we need to work in partnership to develop robust and workable practices to reduce unwanted catch of fish and bycatch of other marine species. This will help to reduce discarding as far as possible whilst allowing for limited discarding in certain circumstances under permitted exemptions. We do not have a target for the reduction in discards, rather we are focussed on eliminating illegal discarding, and ensuring that any discarding which does take place under permitted exemptions is properly recorded and accounted for to enable sustainable fishing activity to take place. This is in keeping with the current approach under the current EU/UK landing obligation.

A key component of the proposed FCP is to put in place additional technical (e.g. gear selectivity) and spatial (e.g. area closures to protect spawning fish) measures, designed to reduce unwanted catch further where required.The fishing industry is already heavily regulated, with many rules in place already designed to limit unwanted catch (for example, the use of square mesh panels in fishing nets in the west of Scotland Nephrops fishery, or the spatial measures within the North Sea Cod Avoidance Plan). There is scope to increase these measures through the FCP in a proportionate way.

We will be analysing responses to the consultation prior to confirming firm proposals later this year.

Question reference: S6W-08825

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 30 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 8 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08058 by Mairi Gougeon on 5 May 2022, what the total volume, in kilograms, was of below minimum conservation reference size for each species that was recorded as discarded under exemption by boats in 2021 in ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) areas (i) 4 and (ii) 6a.

As set out in the answer to S6W-08824 on 8 June 2022, vessels are obliged to record both fish that has been discarded under a permitted exemption and fish below MCRS that is landed. We do not, however, have a separate electronic system in place which allows for recording specific discards under exemption rules separate to other discards (e.g. those which might occur for non-quota stocks not subject to the landing obligation or fish discarded because of force majeure). This is because the electronic system in use on vessels pre-dates the landing obligation.

The information provided below has been recorded and submitted to us by vessels and relates to species which are below the Minimum Conservation Reference Size (MCRS) and which are subject to the landing obligation because they are quota species.

We are unable to provide a species breakdown as some species were only reported by one vessel and may be disclosive.

Total discards recorded of quota fish below minimum size caught in ICES areas 4 and 6a in 2021 for all species, Scottish vessels landing anywhere.

Area	Total discard weight declared (kg)
4	7,504
6a	1,250
Total for these areas	8,753

N.B. The above figures are rounded to the nearest kg so do not add to total due to rounding.

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