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-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.

Question reference: S6W-27171

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 whether it will provide an update on its engagement with the UK Government regarding ensuring that Scotland's export interests are embedded in policy, trade and regulatory planning, as set out in its Hydrogen Action Plan.

The Scottish Government has ongoing engagement with the UK Government in relation to international hydrogen engagement and the development of the export opportunity.

We engage under the auspices of the UK-Germany Joint Declaration of Intent on Hydrogen, signed in September 2023, and the North Seas Energy Cooperation (NSEC) MOU signed between the EU and the UK providing a framework for cooperation between the UK and NSEC membership which comprises Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden and the European Commission.

Given the regulatory regime for hydrogen is a mixture of reserved and devolved powers, we continue to engage with the UK Government via our involvement in the UK Hydrogen Regulators Forum to ensure any GB or UK wide regulatory developments do not inhibit development of the hydrogen sector in Scotland.

We are also working with UKG to ensure that the Low Carbon Hydrogen Standard and Certification Scheme enables and does not create barriers to hydrogen export from Scotland to the EU.

Question reference: S6W-27006

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of (a) online extortion and (b) threats to disclose an intimate image have been (i) reported to and (ii) investigated by Police Scotland in each year since records began, and whether there are any plans to begin recording incidents of sextortion.

Sextortion is sexual extortion and involves the threat of having sexual information, photos or videos shared with others. It is carried out to extort money or force a victim to do something against their will, control behaviour or obtain further images.

Where a reported sextortion-related crime involves the perpetrator making demands for money or other valuables, Police Scotland will record and investigate it under Threats and extortion. Table 1 shows the estimated volume of threats and extortion committed online, from 2019-20 to 2022-23. This is based on an annual review of crime records (commenced in 2019-20) which aims to estimate how many cyber-crimes are recorded in Scotland. It should be noted the figures below are based on a sample of police records (rather than all police records), so should be seen as providing a broad estimate of the volume of this type of crime, rather than an exact count.

Whilst not all online threats and extortion will necessarily have a ‘sextortion’ based element, it is very likely a high proportion (and certainly the majority) of the cases shown in Table 1 do. Figures for 2023-24 will be published in June 2024.

Where a reported sextortion-related crime involves a motive other than financial gain (for example a demand of a physical sexual nature or some other attempt to exert control over the victim), Police Scotland will record and investigate it under Threatening to disclose an intimate image. Table 2 below shows the number of these crimes recorded since the associated Abusive Behaviour and Sexual Harm (Scotland) Act was implemented on 3 July 2017. Again, figures for 2023-24 will be published in June 2024.

Table 1 - Estimated volume of threats and extortion committed online: 2019-20 to 2022-23

	Estimated volume committed online
Crime type	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Threats and extortion	290	730	1,260	1,830

Source: Recorded Crime Accredited Official Statistics, Police recorded cyber-crime in Scotland

Table 2 – Count of crimes of Threatening to disclose an intimate image: 2017-18 to 2022-23

Crime type	2017-18	2018-19	2019-20	2020-21	2021-22	2022-23
Threatening to disclose an intimate image	193	255	275	337	382	302

Source: Recorded Crime Accredited Official Statistics, Scotland

Question reference: S6W-27138

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reported comments by Sheriff James McDonald that Scotland’s legal system has gone "soft on drug offenders".

Question reference: S6W-27126

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-03153 by Màiri McAllan on 6 March 2024, whether it will provide an update on its review, due to be published in spring 2024, of how to increase the number of co-operatives, social enterprises and employee-owned businesses as part of the move to a wellbeing economy.

The National Strategy for Economic Transformation (NSET) announced a ‘.. review of how best to significantly increase the number of social enterprises, employee-owned businesses and co-operatives in Scotland, supporting regional regeneration and the wealth of local communities’.

The independent review is nearing completion and is anticipated to complete, with findings and recommendations published, prior to summer recess 2024.

Question reference: S6W-27137

Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 April 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 13 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are in place to expand the provision of the reported new digital chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) diagnosis service, developed by NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, to other NHS boards.

We recognise the importance of having access to appropriate diagnostic tests for lung conditions and welcome the development of this service in NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde. As this is a new programme, we will work closely with all key stakeholders to determine if there are scale up options for the rest of Scotland.

Improving access to diagnostics is a key commitment in the Respiratory Care Action Plan and we will seek evidence from this programme and ensure it is shared with all appropriate stakeholders.