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-11900

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Ayrshire Rural and Islands Ambition (ARIA) Fund 2022-23, what the process was for selecting members of the Ayrshire Local Action Group (LAG); whether any Ayrshire LAG members and the organisations that they represent are eligible to apply to the Fund, and what potential conflict of interest procedures are in place, and what percentage of the overall Fund was available at the outset for distribution to Ayrshire LAG members.

Local Action Group (LAG) Membership has continued with the LEADER membership that was based on a skills matrix. Plans to recruit new LAG members through a procurement process are planned. Representation will be drawn from the public sector, businesses/third sector and community interests.

LAG members may be representatives of wider rural bodies or applying on behalf of organisations they represent. LAG members are not permitted to participate in any decision making process where they have a conflict of interest. This is a standing item on the agenda for the LAG.

There is no allocation of funding to individual LAG members since decisions are taken as a collective LAG.

Question reference: S6W-12031

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of reports that Ayrshire Local Action Group is carrying out unspecified "technical checks" in relation to applications to the Ayrshire Rural and Islands Ambition (ARIA) Fund 2022-23 that are separate to determining whether organisations are eligible to apply to the Fund, and, if this is the case, what information it holds on any such "technical checks", including what (a) they involved and (b) the outcomes were, including whether they resulted in an otherwise eligible organisation being excluded from applying to the Fund.

The Ayrshire LAG and South Ayrshire Council Internal Audit have approved and undertaken technical checks on all projects applying for funding. Guidance on these checks is in the public domain.

https://www.south-ayrshire.gov.uk/media/5979/ARIA-Fund-Applicant-Guidance/pdf/ARIA_Fund_22

Only those projects that meet the technical checks progress for consideration by the Local Action Group. Of the twenty seven organisation that applied, seventeen of those progressed to the technical check stage, sixteen of which proceeded to assessment stage.

Question reference: S6W-12054

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what power it has to extend the current Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contract after its conclusion in September 2024; if it has the power, whether it plans to do so, and, if so, for how long.

Question reference: S6W-11899

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many organisations, including local authorities, have applied for funding from the Ayrshire Rural and Islands Ambition (ARIA) Fund 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-12077

Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government which organisations or individuals will be eligible to access the Island Cost Crisis Emergency Fund.

That will be for our Local Authority partners to decide.

The £1.4 million Islands Cost Crisis Emergency Fund was developed acknowledging islands are uniquely exposed to the current cost crisis.

In line with due process, the joint Scottish Government/COSLA Settlement Distribution Group will make recommendations on the allocation mechanism for the funding at their next meeting on 15 November. COSLA Leaders will be asked to give their final sign-off on 25 November.

As soon as possible after that date we will be in a position to share further information. However, we can share that we will allow as much flexibility to Local Authorities as possible and support them to complement existing or new measures where appropriate.

Question reference: S6W-11957

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will act on the suggestion of the First Minister’s Environmental Council at its meeting in June 2022 to further investigate the “use of critical elements such as Lithium”.

Question reference: S6W-12082

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on the establishment of a National Public Energy Agency; whether the agency will be in place by September 2025, and what the associated costs are to date.

I reaffirm the answer to S6W-11746, and in my letter of 26 October 2022 to the convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee in which I updated on progress with establishing the virtual energy agency and the dedicated National Public Energy Agency. I indicated that the virtual Agency - Heat and Energy Efficiency Scotland - which was launched on 26 October, is the first step in transitioning to a dedicated body by 2025. In addition I stated that the virtual agency and the transition to a dedicated body will be supported by an independent Strategic Board, chaired by Professor Lorne Crerar. The Board met for the first time on 11 October 2022, and will next meet on 13 December.

The costs associated with the Agency to date are £14,468.

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

Question reference: S6W-11897

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in allocating the Ayrshire Rural and Islands Ambition (ARIA) Fund, and (a) how much and (b) what percentage of the available funding has been allocated to the Ayrshire Local Action Group to cover staffing and resourcing costs in connection with the distribution of the Fund.

Question reference: S6W-12056

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it is in favour of increasing the length of future Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Service contracts beyond eight years.

Question reference: S6W-12040

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 17 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what date it has set as the target for the resumption of its Super Sponsor Scheme for displaced people from Ukraine.

The Super Sponsor Scheme continues and displaced Ukrainians are still arriving and benefiting from welcome accommodation, advice and support. The scheme is paused to new applications, and reopening to new applications must be predicated on ensuring we are able to honour our commitment to displaced people already in Scotland and those yet to travel and meets the seven criteria as set out in our paper published on 1 November - Super Sponsor Scheme review paper .

This criteria includes ensuring displaced people already here are in safe and suitable accommodation with access to advice and services; mitigating pressures on local Councils; ensuring accommodation is available for people who are yet to travel; assessing the current situation in Ukraine, including unforeseen developments leading to mass migration; and understanding costs related to re-opening the scheme with confirmation funding is in place. The Scottish Government will continue to monitor the situation closely and only re-open the scheme when it is safe and deliverable to do so.