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-06113

Asked by: Tess White, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the onshore infrastructure in north east Scotland to support the growing offshore wind sector, and what funding it has made available to date to facilitate any necessary upgrades.

The Scottish Government is wholly committed to a just transition to net zero and using the energy transition to build a better and more equal society.

Our ten-year £500m Just Transition Fund will accelerate the energy transition of the North East and Moray regions, and will also support the role of Aberdeen and the wider north east as one of Scotland’s centres of excellence for the transition to a net zero economy as we grow Scotland’s offshore wind sector and supply chain – which Scottish Ministers have called on the UK Government multiple times to match.

We have invested £26.3m to support the creation of the Energy Transition Zone (ETZ) in Aberdeen. The ETZ will be a place to attract and develop green energy related R&D, innovation, manufacturing, testing, and demonstration, and will help to position Aberdeen as a global hub for offshore wind and other innovative renewables technologies such as the development of green hydrogen projects.

On Monday 28 th February 2022, the First Minister announced that ETZ Ltd have the National Floating Wind Innovation Centre as their anchor tenant. The £9 million centre will be located within the Altens Industrial Estate of the Energy Transition Zone and is being developed to ensure that the North East of Scotland and wider UK capitalise on the massive opportunity created by the Scottish seabed leasing round, Scotwind, which will drive the development and demand for floating offshore wind. ETZ Ltd is providing £4m for the capital costs of the innovation centre and ORE Catapult are contributing £5m to operationally run it. Through the Energy Transition Fund we are providing the full £4m that ETZ are investing. It is due to go out in Financial Year 2022-23.

In addition, the Scottish Government’s £75m Energy Just Transition Fund (ETF) will not only support our energy sector and the North East but will also benefit the wider Scottish energy sector and offshore wind supply chain, working with local businesses to maximise the economic benefits, create and support sustainable jobs and contribute to inclusive economic growth across the country.

Furthermore the Scottish Offshore Wind Energy Council (SOWEC) has been identified by both industry and the Scottish Government as a key vehicle for taking forward the strategic supply chain opportunities that emerge from ScotWind. A key role for SOWEC is the implementation of the recommendations in the Strategic Investment Assessment (SIA), which was commissioned by SOWEC and led by Professor Sir Jim McDonald of Strathclyde University. The primary recommendation focusses on bringing the manufacturing of floating offshore wind platforms to Scotland through creation of a Scottish Floating Offshore Wind Port Cluster, with ports acting in partnership to provide the required infrastructure area and capability needed to attract manufacturers to use Scottish ports and invest in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-06152

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much civil service or legal time or resource has been allocated (a) since the May 2021 Scottish Parliament election and (b) for the remainder of 2022 on (i) the detailed prospectus making the case for Scottish independence, (ii) governmental proposals or papers designed to further this case and (iii) the consulting on or drafting of legislation designed to hold a referendum, expressed as (A) the number of FTE staff and (B) total staff hours, and broken down by (1) which of its departments the time or resource was allocated within and (2) the associated known or estimated cost of the time or resource.

The Scottish Government’s 2021/22 Programme for Government commits to work to ensure that a legitimate and constitutional referendum can be held within this Parliamentary term, if the Covid crisis is over, and that a detailed prospectus for an independent Scotland will be prepared to allow the people of Scotland to make an informed choice over their future.

The work to prepare an independence prospectus is being co-ordinated by the Constitutional Futures Division within the Constitution and Cabinet Directorate. This division is currently comprised of one Senior Civil Servant and thirteen other officials (12.9 FTE).

The work to take forward referendum legislation will be co-ordinated by a team in the Elections and FOI Division, also in the Constitution and Cabinet Directorate. The team is currently comprised of three officials.

The staff numbers may change as the work programme evolves. Both streams of work will also draw on other civil servants who will contribute to varying extents as part of their wider responsibilities in supporting the Scottish Government.

As civil servants are not required to record the time spent on individual tasks we cannot provide a figure for total staff hours spent on taking forward these commitments.

Question reference: S6W-06278

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Maggie Chapman (On behalf of the SPCB) on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what the reasons are for the delays in processing written questions.

Session 6 has seen a change in the nature of the items that the Chamber Desk processes. In particular, the number of Urgent Questions being lodged has increased significantly. This had had an impact on the previous pattern of work undertaken by the Chamber Desk. When Urgent Questions are submitted, they are given priority due to the timeframe for such questions to be taken if selected and only selected questions are published. This, combined with the necessary prioritisation of oral questions and motions and amendments for debate, has resulted in a longer turnaround time for written questions than Members will previously have been used to.

To respond to these changes in demand and pattern of work, additional staffing resources have been deployed to the Chamber Desk. Due to the specialist nature of the services provided by the Chamber Desk, the impact of these additional resources will not be immediately realised as staff require to undertake training and familiarisation with the role. However, the position is being actively assessed on an ongoing basis to ensure that questions and motions are processed in the timeliest manner possible. We are grateful for Members’ forbearance while the necessary training is undertaken.

Question reference: S6W-06193

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05586 by Graeme Dey on 24 January 2022, whether it will provide a breakdown by workstream of Transport Scotland FTE staffing levels between 2016 and 2021.

Attached are the figures for FTE requested since 2016 and broken down by workstreams.

Transport Scotland FTE (2016 - 2021)
Directorate	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021
Avaition, Maritime, Freight and Canals	27.7	29.1	30.5	33.3	38.4	42.7
Bus, Access and Active Travel	*	*	*	62.4	58.8	62
Chief Executive Office	5	13	10.8	3	3	3
Finance and Corp Services	48	51.7	50.7	47.9	51.3	53.5
Low Carbon Economy	*	*	*	16.3	21.2	25.8
Major Projects	71	66.8	72	59.6	62.8	58.6
Rail	55	53.1	53.1	62.8	69.6	66.5
Roads	121	116.9	116.1	98.2	99.5	110.6
Transport Strategy and Analysis	*	*	*	44	57.6	59.6
Transport Policy	48	49.2	52.6	*	*	*
TS Totals	375.7	379.8	385.8	427.5	462.2	482.3

* No figures for these years.

Please note that the Transport Policy directorate was disbanded in 2018. That same year, Low Carbon Economy, Bus, Accessibility and Active Travel and Transport Strategy & Analysis were created as individual directorates.

Question reference: S6W-06153

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government (a) when and (b) how it will introduce legislation in relation to reforming gender recognition procedures.

Question reference: S6W-06192

Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05586 by Graeme Dey on 24 January 2022, for what reason the FTE staffing levels at Transport Scotland have risen from 375.7 in 2016 to 482 in 2021.

The reason for the increase in FTE staffing level’s from 2016 and 2021 are due Transport Scotland’s increasing pieces of work through changing ministerial responsibilities. These responsibilities include our work on EU Exit, COP26, Free Bus Travel for U22’s and the Strategic Transport Projects Review (SPTR2). These key commitments have led to the need for an increase in staffing numbers to ensure their delivery.

Question reference: S6W-06753

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) reported incidents, (b) prosecutions, (c) convictions and (d) penalties for vandalism and related offences committed against public toilet facilities there have been in each of the last 10 years.

Question reference: S6O-00849

Asked by: Jim Fairlie, MSP for Perthshire South and Kinross-shire, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any safety issues on the trunk road network in the Perthshire South and Kinross-shire constituency.

Question reference: S6O-00846

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans for the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (Incorporation) (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S6O-00852

Asked by: Brian Whittle, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the number of jobs in offshore wind and the wider green economy.