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: S6F-00211

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what discussions the Scottish Government has had regarding the functioning of Corporate Travel Management.

Question reference: S6F-00207

Asked by: Anas Sarwar, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6F-00206

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6W-02389

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in the Scottish National Party election manifesto, what action it is taking to ensure that Scotland’s historic estate meets its net zero obligations.

The Scottish Government is working with stakeholders, including Historic Environment Scotland, to develop further solutions to transition Scotland’s historic buildings to net zero emissions while respecting and preserving their special characteristics. We are also continuing to build our evidence base and the guidance available for the transition of these buildings, to ensure net zero targets are met.

The lead public body for the sector, Historic Environment Scotland, has published a series of ‘Managing Change in the Historic Environment’ technical guides on its website, as well as ‘Climate Change Adaptation for Traditional Buildings’ and promotes this expertise to a range of property owners.

The Draft Heat in Buildings Strategy , published earlier this year, sets out the Scottish Government’s approach for transforming Scotland’s buildings, and the systems that supply their heat, to ensure all properties are energy efficient – meeting a minimum standard equivalent to EPC C where technically feasible and cost-effective - by 2035 and reach net zero emissions by 2045.

Question reference: S6W-02641

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what research it has commissioned on the effects of windfarm development on tourism.

In line with our economic strategy, our aim for the Scottish tourism sector is to enable sustainable and inclusive growth. Whilst there has been no recent research into the effects of windfarm development on tourism in Scotland, VisitScotland research does however indicate that visitors are seeking to be more responsible, both in terms of their personal and environmental impact. VisitScotland's Trends 2020 Paper identified that travellers are now seeking to consciously off-set the carbon impact of their travel. The use of sustainable energy by local businesses may therefore appeal to this type of traveller and promote Scotland as an environmentally friendly and climate conscious country to visit.

Question reference: S6W-02516

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Scottish National Party manifesto commitment to reform crofting law, what its position is on introducing an exemption for crofting tenancies from local authority care charges.

The issue of the legal protection of crofts from local authority care charges was the subject of a petition for consideration by the Public Petitions Committee. In response to this petition the Scottish Government has stated that consideration on how best to apply the regulations lies with local authorities.

The National Assistance (Assessment of Resources) Regulations 1992 and associated Charging for Residential Accommodation Guidance (CRAG), provide the framework for local authorities to charge for the residential care that they provide or arrange. It is for local authorities to interpret the Regulations in applying their policies.

Question reference: S6W-02392

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address (a) the threat of (i) rhododendron ponticum invasion and (ii) overgrazing and (b) other key threats to native woodland condition.

The management of deer and invasive non-native species are fundamental to our efforts in tackling the twin challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss. Action to address threats to native woodland condition is being taken on a number of fronts, in particular to address key threats such as overgrazing and invasive species, principally Rhododendron .

While NatureScot and other public bodies take an operational lead supporting the control of invasive non-native plants in priority areas, the main responsibility for the management of invasive non-native species rests with landowners. The Scottish Government makes funding available for rhododendron control projects under the Scottish Rural Development Programme’s (SRDP) Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS). To date more than £730,000 has been committed for this purpose.

Scottish Forestry (SF) has worked with NatureScot to develop ‘ An approach to prioritising rhododendron control in Scotland ’ which encourages landscape-scale partnership work and helps guide funding to those areas where it will achieve the greatest benefit to biodiversity.

Since 2011 Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) has undertaken rhododendron control in forests, mainly in protected areas. FLS’s future rhododendron control will be co-ordinated with the Alliance for Scotland’s Rainforest and other land managers, with the aim of achieving effective long-term control at a landscape scale.

Addressing overgrazing by deer in woodland has been identified as one of the six Strategic Priorities for ‘ Scotland’s Wild Deer: A National Approach’ . This will require Government departments and agencies to work together with land managers to implement actions using a mixture of incentive and regulation to improve the health of our woodlands.

An independent review by the Deer Working Group into the management of wild deer sets out 99 recommendations to improve the management of wild deer in Scotland, including a number of legislative changes. The Scottish Government has set out our commitment to take forward recommendations in this parliamentary term.

SF offer a number of grants through the FGS that support the management of ecosystems. This includes support to restore plantations to native woodland and active management to expand native woodlands through natural regeneration.

Trees for Life are surveying Caledonian Pinewood remnants on Scotland’s national forests and land and FLS will develop a programme of management to address the threats it identifies.

Question reference: S6W-02337

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent media reports, whether it can confirm that Police Scotland has halted all training of Sri Lankan police, and under what circumstances such training would resume, and whether it will commit to publishing in full the outcome of the current review of Police Scotland’s training in Sri Lanka.

Question reference: S6W-02339

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether Sri Lanka is on Police Scotland’s International Development and Innovation Unit’s list of countries for which ministerial approval is required for training to take place there, and, if not, whether, for any other reason, ministerial approval is required for Police Scotland to provide training to Sri Lankan police.

Question reference: S6W-02342

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 6 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether Police Scotland being funded by the UK Government to train Sri Lankan police has compromised Scottish Government commitments on human rights.

Scotland has a strong and enduring commitment to securing democracy, the rule of law and human rights across the world. We expect all states to recognise fundamental human rights, comply with human rights legislation and condemn human rights abuses wherever they occur. Through International Engagement we will share our experiences, values and expertise in areas such as justice, education and climate change, with a view to seeing the human rights of people across the world fully realised.

The decision to enter into UK Government funded contracts to train police forces in countries such as Sri Lanka is a matter for the Chief Constable, who is operationally independent of the Scottish Government. The current training programme, provided by Police Scotland in Sri Lanka, is aimed at improving community policing and gender equality, with all training underpinned by equality and human rights. We understand that Police Scotland suspended the current training programme due to the coronavirus pandemic and that they will re-evaluate delivery of the programme when restrictions on foreign travel are lifted.