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-15949

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding each local authority received for the provision of free music tuition in schools in the 2022-23 academic year, and how much each local authority will receive for the 2023-24 academic year.

With respect to the following tables please note:

The final term of the 2023-24 academic year allocation will fall in 2024-25 financial year.
This commitment began between academic years and funding has so far been agreed on this basis. From 2024-25 the Scottish Government has agreed with COSLA that funding will be provided onto a financial year basis model which is consistent with other funds being provided to local authorities.

Academic Year 2022/23 Funding Breakdown

Local Authority	Total Funding Academic Year 2022-23
Aberdeen City	£556,000
Aberdeenshire	£686,000
Angus	£227,000
Argyll & Bute	£132,000
City of Edinburgh	£598,000
Clackmannanshire	£146,000
Dumfries & Galloway	£213,000
Dundee City	£209,000
East Ayrshire	£183,000
East Dunbartonshire	£289,000
East Lothian	£305,000
East Renfrewshire	£415,000
Falkirk	£246,000
Fife	£767,000
Glasgow City	£804,000
Highland	£1,229,000
Inverclyde	£111,000
Midlothian	£226,000
Moray	£162,000
Na h-Eileanan Siar	£37,000
North Ayrshire	£220,000
North Lanarkshire	£555,000
Orkney Islands	£32,000
Perth & Kinross	£410,000
Renfrewshire	£272,000
Scottish Borders	£176,000
Shetland Islands	£91,000
South Ayrshire	£162,000
South Lanarkshire	£516,000
Stirling	£216,000
West Dunbartonshire	£141,000
West Lothian	£576,000

Financial Year 2022/23 & 2023-24 Funding Breakdown

Local Authority	Total Funding Financial Year 2022-23	Total Funding Financial Year 2023-24
Aberdeen City	£520,000	£482,000
Aberdeenshire	£633,000	£663,000
Angus	£206,000	£253,000
Argyll & Bute	£118,000	£162,000
City of Edinburgh	£522,000	£831,000
Clackmannanshire	£136,000	£128,000
Dumfries & Galloway	£186,000	£290,000
Dundee City	£183,000	£288,000
East Ayrshire	£161,000	£251,000
East Dunbartonshire	£264,000	£301,000
East Lothian	£283,000	£280,000
East Renfrewshire	£390,000	£347,000
Falkirk	£216,000	£338,000
Fife	£696,000	£842,000
Glasgow City	£703,000	£1,109,000
Highland	£1,185,000	£771,000
Inverclyde	£97,000	£151,000
Midlothian	£206,000	£240,000
Moray	£145,000	£198,000
Na h-Eileanan Siar	£33,000	£51,000
North Ayrshire	£195,000	£283,000
North Lanarkshire	£487,000	£760,000
Orkney Islands	£28,000	£44,000
Perth & Kinross	£384,000	£350,000
Renfrewshire	£238,000	£375,000
Scottish Borders	£156,000	£228,000
Shetland Islands	£86,000	£70,000
South Ayrshire	£142,000	£222,000
South Lanarkshire	£451,000	£713,000
Stirling	£198,000	£223,000
West Dunbartonshire	£124,000	£191,000
West Lothian	£537,000	£519,000

Question reference: S6W-15962

Asked by: Michael Marra, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the STEM bursary scheme in each academic year from 2018-19 to date.

Question reference: S6W-15966

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) minimum and (b) maximum slurry storage grant amount is that farmers and crofters can apply for from the Agriculture Transformation Fund.

Support for slurry storage in 2023 is available through Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS), funded by the Agriculture Transformation Fund (ATF). No minimum level of grant has been set for the scheme. The maximum grant available for slurry storage specifically is £30,000, based on a standard cost of £15m3 of storage to maximum of 2000m3. In addition to the grant for the slurry storage, applicants can apply for the following slurry ancillaries:

• Associated equipment for above-ground storage tanks:

- base drainage sealed pipe assembly to external discharge including double lockable sluice valves: £1250

- galvanised ladder and platform: £1100

- fixed over-rim riser pipe with jetting nozzle and terminal connection: £1900

• Tractor-driven slurry pump and associated pipe, assemblies and connections with shaft and mountings: £4000

• Below-ground reception tank with cover lid: £235 per cubic metre (restricted to a maximum size of 36m3)

A calculator which can help applicants identify the additional storage capacity that is required in order to provide six months slurry storage has been provided with the full guidance on the rural payments website .

Question reference: S6W-15973

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on efforts to recommence operations at Stoneywood paper mill, in Aberdeen, in light of reports from 12 February 2023 that there was about to be a "credible bid" made.

My officials in Scottish Enterprise remain in regular contact with the Joint Administrators (Interpath Advisory) and continue to work with them to consider all viable options for the Stoneywood site in Aberdeen.

The administration process continues to progress and, prior to formal marketing of the site, Interpath Advisory had re-engaged with potential interested parties in February 2023. Discussions between the Joint Administrator and interested parties continue.

Question reference: S6W-15760

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish in full the data shared with it by individual housing associations on their planned rent increases that "indicates that the average rent increase will be around 6.1% across the country" in 2023-24, as referred to in the Scottish Government and Housing Associations' Statement of Intent on Tackling the Cost of Living Crisis 2023-24, and whether it will provide a list of any notified rent increases, broken down by housing association.

The Scottish Housing Regulator rather than the Scottish Government is the body which collects data on planned rent increases as part of their role to monitor social landlords performance against the Scottish Social Housing Charter. They have published details of the rent increases which Scottish social landlords will apply in 2023-24 for social housing tenants. The report shows average rent increases by social landlord's will be 5%. Rent increases by Scottish social landlords 2023/24 - March 2023 | Scottish Housing Regulator

The survey report, based on returns from 136 RSLs and the 29 local authorities that have housing stock, includes average percentage increase applied by landlords, the median rent increase and actual rent increases applied by each landlord.

Question reference: S6W-15936

Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when the responses to the 20% car km reduction route map consultation will be published.

Question reference: S6W-15759

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it is monitoring whether the average housing association rent increase will be around 6.1% on average across the country in 2023-24, as referred to in the Scottish Government and Housing Associations' Statement of Intent on Tackling the Cost of Living Crisis 2023-24.

We have worked intensively with social landlords to develop an agreement on below-inflation rent increases for the next financial year. The Scottish Housing Regulator has published details of the rent increases which Scottish social landlords will apply in 2023-24 for social housing tenants. The report shows average rent increases by social landlords will be 5%. Rent increases by Scottish social landlords 2023/24 - March 2023 | Scottish Housing Regulator

These increases, based on consultations with tenants, will strike an appropriate balance between protecting tenants and ensuring that landlords can maintain a balance between affordability and sustainable investment in social housing for public good.

Question reference: S6W-15786

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to address the situation whereby the available noise budget at Eskdalemuir Seismic Array is being allocated to Section 36 wind farm projects at scoping stage, while wind farm applications to Dumfries and Galloway Council have to wait until the application is submitted to be allocated a share of any available noise budget.

Safeguarding the Eskdalemuir Seismic Array is the responsibility of the Ministry of Defence and any decision to amend the seismic noise budget for the array is a decision for the UK Government.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the seismic noise budget for the Eskdalemuir consultation zone has been consumed and that currently the Ministry of Defence will object to all developments within the consultation zone, both Section 36 applications and local planning applications, in order to protect the operation of the array.

Question reference: S6W-15761

Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government which registered social landlords have consulted on an above-average rent increase, as referred to in the Scottish Government and Housing Associations' Statement of Intent on Tackling the Cost of Living Crisis 2023-24.

The Scottish Government does not collect information on what rent increase options individual social landlords consulted their tenants on. The Scottish Housing Regulator report on the rent increases social landlords will apply in 2023-24 Rent increases by Scottish social landlords 2023/24 - March 2023 | Scottish Housing Regulator includes details of actual rent increases applied by each landlord.

Question reference: S6W-16115

Asked by: Kenneth Gibson, MSP for Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the 2023-24 Public Sector Pay Strategy.

Year	No of applications
2018	154
2019	171
2020	221
2021	196
2022	126