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-26174

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether a survey report, as provided for in schedule 1 of the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 (Prescribed Documents) Regulations 2008, should contain an assessment of the presence or otherwise of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete in the subject building.

The Home Report single survey is based on a visual inspection of the home by a chartered surveyor. It provides information about the home, its condition, its accessibility and any repairs needed. Any defects identified during the property inspection would be noted in the survey report as well as any limitations to the inspection carried out. The Home Report is not a guarantee of the condition of the property, but it does provide buyers with important information about the property before they make an offer. Buyers are free to instruct their own surveyor to review the report or commission a more detailed survey before making an offer on a property.

The identification of RAAC usually involves a specialist survey, which often involves invasive investigation techniques and which is completed by a suitably qualified surveyor who is experienced with this type of construction.

Question reference: S6W-26163

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to help reduce the ethnicity pay gap.

The Scottish Government remains committed to addressing labour market inequalities for racialised minorities. Our Anti-Racist Employment Strategy published in December 2022 supports and encourages employers to address these inequalities. It provides guidance on improving data as well as recruitment, retention and progression practices to improve the representation and experience of racialised minority staff.

The strategy further sets out a series of actions for the Scottish Government, including developing an anti-racism workplace training framework; supporting employers in their use of positive action measures; and continuing to engage with public sector leadership on recruitment and representation, data and on understanding institutional racism.

The Scottish Government is also currently reviewing the operation of the Public Sector Equality Duty in Scotland with a view to improving the Scottish Specific Duties, including data reporting on ethnicity. We have consulted on proposals which include extending the existing gender pay gap reporting duty to ethnicity and disability, with listed public authorities required to make more evidence-based decisions on the information they publish.

Question reference: S6W-26177

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 14 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the connections between Peterhead Power Station and the Scottish Cluster in relation to enabling carbon capture.

Question reference: S6W-26114

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the costs associated with the production and publication of the paper, An independent Scotland’s place in the world.

Question reference: S6W-26037

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing targets for public sector organisations to make their buildings energy efficient.

Our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, which closed on 8 March, asked how we can help our public sector buildings to lead the way on heat decarbonisation, by requiring all public sector buildings to be using clean heating systems by 2038. We will now analyse the responses to determine the best course of action.

Any energy efficiency standard for non-domestic buildings, including public buildings, would need to carefully consider how to take account of the wide variety in size, construction and functionality.

Question reference: S6W-26033

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many non-GP healthcare professionals have completed "Beyond the Symptoms" training to date, to help them to identify patients with eating disorders, broken down by profession.

Question reference: S6W-26073

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether jobs involving traditional building skills are included within the inclusive definition of green jobs.

Question reference: S6W-26036

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on what impact its proposals for energy performance certificate (EPC) reform will have on its proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill.

We responded to a series of recommendations from the Committee for Climate Change on the need to reform Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) by running a consultation during 2023.

The consultation proposed to revise the information displayed on domestic EPCs, expanding the current suite of ratings to introduce a fabric energy efficiency rating and displaying relevant information relating to the heating system. This aims to improve EPCs so that they provide a more holistic view to current and potential homeowners and tenants.

EPC reform is also needed to respond to changes to the underlying methodology implemented by UK Government, and the recast Energy Performance of Buildings Directive.

Our consultation on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, published in November 2023, made clear that a reformed EPC could have a supporting role in providing evidence in relation to the heat and energy efficiency standards proposed by that consultation.

Given this important relationship between the two consultations and sets of proposals, we want to ensure that responses to both are considered together. We therefore intend to publish our response to the EPC reform and Heat in Buildings Bill consultations at the same point later this year.

Question reference: S6O-03288

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.

Question reference: S6O-03289

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking to support tenants, in light of reports of accelerating rents.