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-02355

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what solutions it proposes to fully decarbonise Scotland's Railway; whether it (a) is able and (b) plans to fully electrify the East Coast Main Line between Edinburgh Haymarket and Aberdeen, and, if so, when it will begin any related procurement process to achieve this.

(a) Transport Scotland is progressing the commitment to deliver the decarbonisation of Scotland’s railway by 2035. (b) As confirmed in answer‎ S6W-01654 on 16 August 2021, Network Rail is to undertake ground investigation and survey works of the Edinburgh to Aberdeen route during autumn 2021. These works will help determine the appropriate decarbonisation solution which will in turn help inform the programme. Network Rail will only then be in the position to undertake an efficient procurement process which delivers value for money.

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-02356

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01654 by Graeme Dey on 16 August 2021, whether it will provide the information requested regarding by what date it currently anticipates the East Coast Main Line between Edinburgh Haymarket and Aberdeen will be fully electrified, and for what reason it did not provide this information in its response.

Question reference: S6W-02447

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01877 by Michael Matheson on 20 August 2021, whether it will provide a breakdown of what proportion of household plastic waste has been recycled in Scotland in each year since 2014.

Question reference: S6W-02564

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 26 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a detailed plan for how the funding for rail infrastructure under the Borderlands City Deal will be spent and in which financial year(s); whether any of the funding will be used for a feasibility study on the rail extension from Tweedbank to Carlisle via Hawick, and, if so, what the timescale is for the (a) commencement of the study and (b) publication of its report.

The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal includes a commitment to progress work to assess the benefits and challenges of extending the Borders Railway. The Deal also states that the Scottish Government will progress the evidence base for extending the Borders Railway from Tweedbank to Carlisle through the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2) process which is ongoing through Transport Scotland. This forms the strategic case for extending the Borders Railway from Tweedbank to Carlisle. STPR2 is being funded separately from the Deal and will report later this year. A decision on progressing feasibility work will be made following the conclusion of STPR2.

Question reference: S6W-02416

Asked by: Jackie Baillie, MSP for Dumbarton, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the latest advice is for immunosuppressed people who have received two doses of a COVID-19 vaccine, and whether this group has the same level of immunity to COVID-19 as non-immunosuppressed people who have received two vaccine doses.

All the UK governments receive their expert clinical advice from the JCVI and the Committee has been closely monitoring the situation, in regard to this cohort of people.

The Scottish Government are waiting for formal advice on this issue from the JCVI and any recommendation made by the Committee will be promptly implemented in Scotland.

The Committee are fully aware of the potential sub-optimal response to two doses of the vaccine by some immunosuppressed individuals and that’s why they recommended that these groups of people should be given highest priority for a booster programme in the autumn.

Question reference: S6W-02455

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress towards the 2025 food waste reduction target, including a tonnage breakdown for food waste (a) arisings, (b) incinerated/landfilled and (c) prevented and, if it is not possible to provide such figures, by what date the data will be available.

A full update on progress towards our target of a 33% reduction in food waste by 2025 will be provided in the upcoming review of Scotland’s Food Waste Reduction Action Plan. A detailed analysis on the composition of residual waste is currently being undertaken and will form part of this review, due in Spring 2022.

In addition, we are developing a Routemap to deliver our ambitious 2025 waste and recycling targets which will inform the development of the new Circular Economy Bill. There will also be further engagement and consultation to shape the Bill’s contents.

Question reference: S6W-02398

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to increase consumer awareness of heat pumps, and whether it has a strategy to roll out such a programme.

In our draft Heat in Buildings Strategy we committed to developing and implementing a bespoke public engagement strategy for heat in buildings. This will have a focus on raising the profile of energy efficiency and zero emissions heating options so that people are aware of their benefits, as well as enabling people to actively participate in shaping the development of policy, incentives, and local level heat and energy efficiency planning; and promoting the support that is on offer to maximise take up.

Question reference: S6W-02434

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it first made plans for a new round of household waste compositional analysis, following the 2013-15 programme, and how (a) much money and (b) many staffing hours it allocated to this.

Scotland’s Waste Data Strategy board keeps Scotland’s evidence requirements for waste and materials under constant review.

Previous analyses of the composition of household municipal waste were undertaken in 2009 and 2014-15. Zero Waste Scotland had planned to undertake a further analysis in 2020, however, this was delayed due to Covid-19. Work to develop local authority projects restarted in July 2021 and waste sampling and analysis is planned to start in October 2021.

Zero Waste Scotland has forecast costs of £155,000 in 2021-22. The staff resource allocation for this project is not recorded to this level of detail.

Question reference: S6W-02399

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) engagement it will have with and (b) assistance it will provide for (i) heat pump manufacturers and (ii) other related stakeholders to ensure that any of its schemes or programmes that are aimed at tackling poverty can benefit from the anticipated increase in heat pump installations.

The Scottish Government funds the Energy Saving Trust to deliver a sustainable energy supply chain programme to help develop capacity amongst installers. This initiative provides support and training in low and zero emissions heating technology installations, webinars and events as well as support for training costs which we deliver in partnership with the Energy Skills Partnership.

Information about procurement opportunities related to our fuel poverty programmes is published on the Public Contracts Scotland website. The Scottish Government and local authorities responsible for delivery of our Area Based Schemes also participate in regular “Meet the Buyer” events organised by the Supplier Development Programme (SDP).

Question reference: S6W-02460

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 13 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-32196 by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 September 2020, whether it will provide updated figures on Zero Waste Scotland audits for 2019-20, regarding (a) reductions in (i) food waste and (ii) CO2 emissions and (b) monetary savings.

Year	Food waste reduction (tonnes)	Food waste CO2	Food waste cost	Food: raw material (tonnes)	Food: raw material CO2	Food: raw material cost
2019-20	968	2944tCO2e	£228,516	636	1547tCO2e	£259,446