- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 15 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much money has been spent on relocation payments to Police Scotland employees in each year since 2017.
Answer
Recruitment and deployment of officers and staff is a matter for the Chief Constable and therefore the Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally. It is important that the Chief Constable has the flexibility to develop his workforce in a way that responds to the challenges he faces by ensuring the right workforce mix and ensure that the right people are in the right place to support the needs of the communities they serve.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16202 by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2023, what average contract for difference (CfD) price for an operating (a) offshore and (b) onshore wind farm it uses in its calculations when developing policy and taking decisions related to energy developments.
Answer
As set out in my answer to question S6W-16202 the Contracts for Difference Scheme is a UK Government mechanism. Matters relating to policy decisions around it are therefore for the UK Government.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish details of its consideration of how to include biogenic carbon in future research publications.
Answer
In 2021, Scottish Government published the Strategy for Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture Research, which has formed the basis for the Strategic Research Programme 2022-2027 and includes consideration of biogenic carbon. Scottish Government has not undertaken specific consideration of how to include biogenic carbon in future research publications and has no plans to publish on the matter, given its consideration within the Strategic Research Programme.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) developments in Scotland make any contribution to public revenues through (a) council tax and (b) non-domestic rates.
Answer
Purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) does not make any contribution to public revenue through either council tax or non-domestic rates.
PBSA is the primary domestic residence for students and is therefore considered a "dwelling". As such, it is not subject to non-domestic rates. PBSA is also exempt from council tax as it is occupied solely by full time students.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether consumers in Scotland will be free to order for delivery Deposit Return Scheme articles requiring no deposit from retailers based outwith Scotland, and, if not, what steps it plans to take to prevent such deliveries.
Answer
The Deposit Return Scheme regulations apply to all types of drinks sold in Scotland that are packaged in single-use containers made from PET plastic, glass, steel or aluminium, sized between 100ml and 3 litres. This includes online retailers selling products into the Scottish market.
The DRS Regulations give SEPA the power to investigate suspected non-compliance and take enforcement action where necessary.
- Asked by: Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether any research or risk assessment informed its recent decision to withdraw the extended face mask and face covering measures across health and social care settings.
Answer
The Scottish Government has a robust process in place for creating, updating and removing COVID-19 guidance.
In April 2023, the Scottish Government commissioned Antimicrobial Resistance and Healthcare Associated Infection (ARHAI) Scotland to review the current evidence and provide an update on the epidemiology of COVID-19 in Scotland. This information supported Scottish Government to evaluate whether it was proportionate to maintain the face mask/ face covering guidance, to make changes to the guidance or to withdraw the guidance at this time. ARHAI’s review recognised that Scotland continues to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic and recommended that the Scottish Government withdraw the extended face mask and face covering measures across health and social care settings.
This recommendation was supported by Scottish Government Professional Clinical Advisors in Infection, Prevention and Control (IPC).
The Scottish Government also has a Professional Advisory Group of experts from across the health and social care sectors who were asked to give their expert opinion on the recommendation to withdraw the guidance and were supportive of this change.
The Chief Nursing Officer, Chief Medical Officer, National Clinical Director and other Health and Social Care Directors were content with the advice based on the ARHAI Scotland review, the expert opinion of IPC and health and social care advisors, and consideration of the current pandemic context.
ARHAI Scotland, the Professional Advisory Group for health and social care, and clinical directors are all in agreement that it is appropriate to withdraw the extended use of face mask and face covering guidance. This withdrawal means reverting to pre-pandemic infection prevention and control guidance, which is current and long-standing, and outlines the appropriate personal protective equipment to wear in the instance of any respiratory infection.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17388 by Lorna Slater on 10 May 2023, how many producers are liable for advance payments, and what the sum total is of advance payments liable from producers until the 1 March 2024 launch date.
Answer
As Circularity Scotland is a private company, contractual arrangements they have with their members, including any payments as part of their producer agreement, is a matter for them and it would not be appropriate for the Scottish Government to intervene in such commercial arrangements between private companies.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of targeting support to encourage people from the most disadvantaged backgrounds to access university programmes related to careers in roles vital to the critical minerals sector.
Answer
The Scottish Government has no role in directing individuals to a particular university programme. Universities are responsible for their own admissions processes and it is for them to decide how they wish to allocate places to each course.
We remain absolutely committed to the principle that access to education should be based on the ability to learn and not the ability to pay, and will continue to work with SFC and the sector to maintain our commitment to the widening access agenda.
SFC are committed to investing in education that is accessible to learners from all backgrounds and monitors each institutions progress on widening access as part of their role.
Scotland's universities are amongst the best in the world. We want every child, no matter their background, to have an equal chance of entering and succeeding in higher education. By 2030, we want 20% of students entering university to be from Scotland's 20% most deprived backgrounds. With 16.5% of full-time first degree entrants coming from the 20% most deprived areas in 2021-22, we achieved the interim Commission on Widening Access target to have 16% by 2021.
- Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what recent engagement ministers have had with the higher education sector regarding the role that geoscience can play in tackling climate change.
Answer
As an example of recent Ministerial engagement with the higher education sector on climate change, on 8 February the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport met the Industrial Decarbonisation Research and Innovation Centre at Heriot-Watt University to discuss how research can support a just industrial decarbonisation which realises socioeconomic opportunities and wider environmental benefits.
- Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 16 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 31 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on implementing split payments of welfare benefits to families in Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government remains committed to using our limited powers in this area to make Universal Credit more accessible and fairer for people in Scotland.
Universal Credit is reserved to the UK Government and delivery of split payments is therefore dependent on the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) agreeing to deliver the policy on behalf of the Scottish Government. We continue to work with DWP to explore the feasibility of adapting the Universal Credit system to introduce split payments to make welfare benefits more accessible to families in Scotland.
