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-27222

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to promote the development of Bruntwood SciTech's Met Tower digital and tech hub project in Glasgow.

Scottish Enterprise has been working with partners and Bruntwood SciTech on proposals for the redevelopment of the Met Tower in Glasgow. Scottish Enterprise has advised that Bruntwood SciTech has recently confirmed that commercial property market conditions, including a fall in values and an increase in construction costs, have made the proposed redevelopment scheme commercially unviable. Discussions are ongoing to explore all options to secure investment in the city.

Question reference: S6W-27266

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether Forestry and Land Scotland plans to increase artificial nest platforms for (a) raptors in Scotland’s national forests in the two National Parks and (b) priority national conservation initiatives such as the South of Scotland Golden Eagle Project.

Question reference: S6W-27206

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what process exists for the certification of cells in prisons and custody suites.

Teresa Medhurst, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service (SPS) has confirmed that Cell Certification is conducted in all prison establishments. This process involves all prison cells across the estate being regularly checked a minimum of 3 times per week, with any issues being reported and acted upon immediately. Additionally, His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Prisons Scotland (HMIPS) conduct routine inspections of all prisons in Scotland, which includes inspecting decency standards within prison cells.

With regard to the management of the police custody suites, this is an operational matter for the Chief Constable. The Scottish Government also supports His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary in Scotland ( HMICS ) and Health Improvement Scotland (HIS) to undertake joint inspections across Police Scotland’s network of custody suites to ensure the safety of these facilities.

Where recommendations have been made, Police Scotland, working with health partners as appropriate, work to address these quickly and effectively.

Question reference: S6W-27250

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to generate 50% of Scotland’s overall energy consumption from renewable sources by 2030 and decarbonising the energy system almost completely by 2050.

The Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP) will set clear ambitions for increasing Scotland’s renewable energy capacity. It will outline a route map of actions for the Scottish Government, the UK Government and others to take to deliver these ambitions whilst supporting a just transition.

In 2023, Scotland generated over 33 Terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity from renewable sources. The most recent consumption statistics (from 2021) show that Scotland generated the equivalent of 23.7% of its energy consumption from renewable sources.

Energy Statistics for Scotland - Q2 2023 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

Energy Trends: UK renewables - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Question reference: S6W-27196

Asked by: Ross Greer, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the four-day working week public sector pilot.

Work is continuing on the 4 Day Working Week Public Sector Pilot to assess the wellbeing, environmental and productivity benefits a 4 Day Working Week could bring.

South of Scotland Enterprise are working closely with Autonomy as our expert partner on their 32 hour working week pilot. I can also confirm that Accountant in Banking (AiB) began their 12 month pilot on 15 April 2024. Both AiB and SOSE’s hours of public service will remain the same.

Autonomy will also provide support and evaluate organisations moving to a contractual 35 hour working week. This will capture valuable insights from a wider range of public bodies on different shorter work week models and be included in the 4 Day Working Week evaluation report.

Question reference: S6W-27231

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has sought from (a) the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and (b) Police Scotland a full list of criminal offences that can be disposed of by way of a Recorded Police Warning, and, if it has such a list, whether it will provide this.

The offence types covered by Recorded Police Warnings (RPWs) are a matter for the Lord Advocate as part of her independent role as head of Scotland’s system of prosecution.

The Lord Advocate issues guidelines to Police Scotland on their operation of the scheme and decisions about when to issue RPWs are an independent operational matter for Police Scotland.

Publication of the guidelines would be a matter for the Lord Advocate.

Question reference: S6W-27258

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its commitment to restore 250,000 hectares of degraded peatlands by 2030.

Question reference: S6W-27268

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many new locations Forestry and Land Scotland has identified for the translocation of beavers to Scotland’s national forests in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-27170

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in building the evidence base and support for international cooperation on the development of infrastructure, transport routes and international supply chains in relation to hydrogen projects, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.

The Scottish Government continues to build a strong evidence base in relation to the development of key infrastructure, transport routes and supply chains necessary to develop hydrogen export opportunities.

We are engaging with key European ports such as the Ports of Rotterdam and Hamburg which we expect to become major hydrogen hubs. This includes working with the Port of Rotterdam and other strategic partners on Phase 2 of the Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier (LOHC) for Hydrogen Transport from Scotland Project (LHyTS), led by NZTC. The project is a feasibility assessment for a pilot trial for the shipment of LOHC from Scotland to the northern European mainland via Rotterdam, laying the foundations for establishing the viability of a strategic export route for hydrogen between Scotland and the EU.

We have also funded the Net Zero Technology Centre's Hydrogen Backbone Link project to assess the potential to connect Scotland to a European Hydrogen Backbone by either repurposing and optimising existing pipeline infrastructure or through the development of new infrastructure. Phase 1 of the study is now complete, with work on Phase 2 currently ongoing. A key focus of Phase 1 included the consideration of pipeline routing, identifying a preferred option connecting four production points (Sullom Voe, Flotta Terminal, St Fergus and Nigg Bay), with Emden in Germany.

In support of the development and publication of the Hydrogen Sector Export Plan, the Scottish Government has also commissioned several research studies. This includes the North Sea Hydrogen Alliance project led by NZTC in partnership with the German consultancy Cruh21, and the German umbrella organisation AquaVentus, focussing on investigating pipeline infrastructure between Scotland and Germany; and matching Scottish hydrogen production to German hydrogen demand. The project will help to strengthen existing ties between Scotland and Germany, building the case for hydrogen export from Scotland, and solidify the case for infrastructure investment in both Scottish and German Waters.

Question reference: S6W-27167

Asked by: Michael Matheson, MSP for Falkirk West, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it is (a) strengthening existing relationships and (b) developing new bilateral partnerships in relation to the potential of hydrogen, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.

We are continuously working to strengthen and develop new relationships through our international hydrogen engagement programme.

Given the increased interest in hydrogen imports from across Europe, we continue to work with the UK Government to establish key strategic partnership with Scotland’s near northern neighbours that can assist the development of a North Sea hydrogen corridor for the production and export of hydrogen into the North of Europe and beyond.

We recognise that international co-operation will be key to developing future hydrogen markets and their supporting infrastructure and we will continue to seek out opportunities to collaborate through projects such as the Hydrogen Backbone Link and the Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carriers for Hydrogen Transport from Scotland to Rotterdam project .

We have already signed several key strategic hydrogen partnership agreements with Denmark, key German states including Hamburg, North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg and, Occitania in France and we continue to work to maximise their outputs. Scotland is also a member of Hydrogen Europe and the Vanguard initiative, allowing further collaboration with key strategic European partners.