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-00140

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 June 2021

Question to be taken in Chamber.

Question reference: S6T-00101

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the number of female prisoners on remand, following reports that one-in-four women in custody are awaiting trial.

Question reference: S6T-00104

Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Home Office regarding the reported backlog in processing applications for the EU settlement scheme.

Question reference: S6T-00090

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis it has introduced a ban on non-essential travel between Scotland and Manchester and Salford.

Question reference: S6W-00921

Asked by: Kaukab Stewart, MSP for Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 21 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the OECD report on Curriculum for Excellence published on 21 June 2021, and what the implications of the report are in relation to the planned reform of the SQA and Education Scotland.

I welcome the OECD’s report and can confirm that the Scottish Government is accepting the OECD’s 12 recommendations in full.

Recommendation 3.2 of the OECD’s report identifies the need to simplify and better align the institutional structures that support our education system. I therefore intend to replace the SQA with a new, specialist agency and I am minded to make this new body responsible for both curriculum and assessment, to ensure clarity, coherence and alignment as recommended by the OECD. I would like to thank teachers and all SQA staff for all their ongoing efforts to deliver qualifications in challenging circumstances this year.

The report found that having the inspectorate as part of an organisation that is also responsible for supporting school leaders, curriculum design and support, teacher professional learning and a range of other initiatives is an “unusual configuration”.

It is therefore my intention to move the inspection function out of Education Scotland.

During my statement to Parliament tomorrow, I will provide more details on how this will be taken forward, along with our overall response to the report and the other recommendations. I can give an assurance that we will engage widely and will consult on plans for implementation.

Question reference: S6W-00550

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 21 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when work will begin on a new road to bypass the A83 Rest and Be Thankful.

Development work began on a long term solution to the landslide risks at the A83 Rest and be Thankful last August and, on 18 March 2021, we announced a preferred corridor, along with potential route options within that corridor, for consultation.

As with other projects to improve the trunk road network, we will need to complete the necessary engineering and environmental assessments and statutory process to allow any land to be acquired before construction can commence.

We are also progressing work to look at a medium term resilient route through Glen Croe to include consideration of the Forestry Track, improvements to the Old Military Road and other options on land already owned by Scottish Ministers. Depending on the statutory consents required, that work will seek to develop a finalised proposal within 18 months.

We continue to explore methods to reduce the timescales to bring forward both the medium term and long term routes as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6W-00369

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-33605 by Roseanna Cunningham on 10 December 2020, whether it will provide an update on the work to establish the new Litter Monitoring System, and by what date it expects the system to go live.

Zero Waste Scotland is continuing to work with Keep Scotland Beautiful, Association for Public Service Excellence, Local Authorities, the Improvement Service and SOLACE to implement a new Litter Monitoring System.

Zero Waste Scotland have been have been providing support to Keep Scotland Beautiful to trial the litter monitoring system. Training will begin over the next few months and will allow Local Authorities to use the system. The Local Environment Audit and Management System will continue to be used during this transition and it is expected to be fully replaced by the Litter Monitoring System for 2022-23.

Question reference: S6W-00407

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 21 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what area of land Forestry and Land Scotland and its predecessor, Forest Enterprise Scotland, has purchased in each year since 2007-08, also broken down by (a) how much this cost and (b) what area has subsequently been planted for woodland creation.

Forestry and Land Scotland (FLS) and its predecessor Forest Enterprise Scotland have acquired the following under the New Woodland Investment Programme (2017 - 2021) / Repositioning Programme (2007 – 2016):

Financial Year	Area (Ha)	Price (£)	Woodland Created (Ha)
2007-2008	2,855.80	8,150,900	30.00
2008-2009	2,112.00	9,624,000	890.00
2009-2010	423.43	1,920,491	740.00
2010-2011	3,039.98	9,572,600	840.00
2011-2012	2,039.15	10,722,001	1,320.00
2012-2013	2,804.34	7,816,050	850.00
2013-2014	490.38	2,397,290	620.00
2014-2015	2,623.09	8,398,500	400.00
2015-2016	1,447.50	670,000	710.00
2016-2017	6.10	90,101	1,060.00
2017-2018	1,163.78	4,495,101	870.00
2018-2019	2,105.46	1,788,154	1,030.00
2019-2020	1,043.13	2,928,137	270.00
2020-2021	1,401.83	4,808,469	542.00
Total	23,555.97	73,381,794	10,172.00

Sites acquired can vary in cost per hectare depending on the location, type of land (bare land or land with forestry and buildings), and potential constraints therefore a higher cost does not mean necessarily more land. The range can be from around £3,000 per hectare for restored Vacant and Derelict Land to over £10,000 per hectare for better quality bare land with minor constraints.

In addition to sites acquired specifically for woodland creation, funds from forest sales have also been used for strategic acquisitions of established forests, typically where they abut existing landholdings (for example the 2,340ha of nationally important Caledonian Pinewoods acquired at the heart of the Cairngorms), the Woodlands In and Around Towns (WIAT) programme and the Starter Farms programme.

Please note that statistics for the area of sites acquired which have been planted are not available directly as such plantings are aggregated with new woodland created on the existing estate.

It should also be noted that there is a lag of several years between the acquisition of a site and its subsequent planting. This is due to the forest planning (including approval) process and to integrate planting of new sites with the restocking of existing harvested sites.

In agreement with Scottish Ministers, the New Woodland investment programme was closed at the end of FY 20-21 - the winding up process for this is likely to take up to five years due to residual obligations and commitments.

Question reference: S6W-00942

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Nicola Sturgeon on 21 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its response to the three “harassment” reports that were published in March.

Question reference: S6W-00593

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 21 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the sale of Glasgow Prestwick Airport.