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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 40913 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-00943

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) ceasing to be managed by Keep Scotland Beautiful on behalf of the Scottish Government from 30 June 2021, what plans are in place to support communities to tackle climate and nature emergencies in the future.

We have provided over £110 million through our Climate Challenge Fund (CCF) to enable communities to play their part and we will continue to support community-led climate action as a key part of our just transition to net zero.

We are building on the achievements of the CCF by developing networks of regional Community Climate Action hubs and Climate Action Towns. These initiatives will run alongside the recently launched Net Zero Nation campaign which aims to showcase and inspire climate action across Scotland, including in our communities, using COP26 as a catalyst.

Question reference: S6W-00725

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when the gateway review into the deposit return scheme for drinks containers will conclude its work.

Question reference: S6W-01103

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the views of small independent brewers are taken into account by the gateway review into the implementation date for its deposit return scheme.

Question reference: S6W-00723

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government which organisation is conducting the gateway review into the deposit return scheme for drinks containers, as announced by the Minister for Rural Affairs and the Natural Environment in March 2021.

Question reference: S6W-01015

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what communication it has had with (a) Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council, and (b) the Lancashire Constabulary in advance of the travel ban between Scotland and Blackburn with Darwen being put in place.

Changes to travel restrictions affecting Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council were notified to Parliament by answer to question S6W-00162 on 21 May 2021, and announced to businesses and the public through a media briefing by the First Minister, a news release, and updated guidance on the Scottish Government website. Enforcement of coronavirus travel regulations in Scotland is a matter for Police Scotland. 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-01002

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the (a) prices and (b) performance of companies that install boilers under Scottish Government-funded schemes.

The Scottish Government provides funding for energy efficiency schemes that provide grant and/or loans for the installation of boilers.

Warmer Homes Scotland (WHS) operates a National Customer Price mechanism that ensures customers throughout Scotland have the same access to the same measures when they make an application to the scheme. It also means that customers pay the same rate for additional radiators or for measures that exceed the maximum customer grant irrespective of where they live.

All installations are inspected by Warmworks inspectors to ensure that the measures have been installed to both contract and industry standards. In addition, the Scottish Government appointed Pennington Choices as the independent scheme auditor for Warmer Homes Scotland. Pennington Choices carries out audits on a percentage of applications at every stage of the delivery of the contract including the quality of completed installations.

Home Energy Scotland (HES) Loans require quotes to be provided and recommendation reports. For boilers, they must be included on the Energy Performance Certificate (EPC), be A-rated, and the installer must be Gas Safe registered. Gas Safe has the overall responsibility for the standard of installation and the performance of the companies, and all installations should have associated maintenance plans and warranties in place. Energy Saving Trust (EST), who manages the scheme on behalf of Scottish Government, carries out annual cost reviews of technologies.

Installers for projects delivered as part of our Area Based Schemes are commissioned by local councils in line with public procurement guidance. Local councils are required to meet all relevant quality assurance and legal requirements for installation, as well as ensuring value for money in procurement.

Question reference: S6W-00993

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 21 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scottish Water regarding water charges being applied to commercial properties that have been closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Throughout the pandemic, the Scottish Government has maintained close contact with Scottish Water and the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS) around charging policy and was supportive of the WICS action introduce a package worth £60 million to provide additional liquidity to licensed providers, allowing them to assist customers through deferred payment terms. On 14 May 2020, WICS announced a further water charges relief scheme building on the initial intervention to provide at least another £50 million of liquidity to allow a further deferral of charges for businesses that had been impacted by Covid-19.

In Scotland, all non-domestic properties remain liable to be charged if they have access to services. Scottish Water is still required to provide services to properties, even if they are temporarily closed, and there are costs associated with this, in particular ensuring property drainage and ensuring water and wastewater services are available whenever a business might be able to re-open. If follows therefore that businesses are still required to pay their Licensed Provider for services but the liquidity support means this can be over an extended time period and Licensed Providers will continue to pay Scottish Water for wholesale costs.

Question reference: S6W-01204

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 05 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it provides to Build to Rent developers and operators, and from which budget line.

Question reference: S6W-01124

Asked by: Pam Duncan-Glancy, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the Department for Work and Pensions, and what issues were discussed.

Question reference: S6W-01282

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 July 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 20 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the Scottish Futures Trust's current role is in the subsidy and provision of build-to-rent homes, and how this differs from its previous role.

The Scottish Futures Trust (SFT) is a partner in a build-to-rent joint venture with Edinburgh City Council called “Edinburgh Living” which is providing mid-market rent properties and market rent homes across the city. To date, more than 250 families have moved into quality affordable homes with the long-term aim to provide 1,500 new mid-market rent and market rent homes over the next few years.

In 2017, the Scottish Government put in place a package of measures to support the growth of the Build to Rent Sector in Scotland. That package included a Rental Income Guarantee Scheme and SFT was appointed by Scottish Government to manage applications to the Scheme. However, no formal application was made to the Scheme in three and a half years and the Scheme was closed. The BtR sector is now growing without further Scottish Government intervention.