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-16699

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding Highly Protected Marine Areas in offshore waters around Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-16555

Asked by: Graham Simpson, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions ChargePlace Scotland has had with the commercial sector regarding the setting of a maximum fee for overstay charges.

The shift to electric vehicles is an important part of responding to the climate emergency. To help incentivise this shift, Scottish Government and Transport Scotland have since 2011 invested over £65 million to support a range of organisations – including local authorities, other public bodies, businesses and third sector organisations – to install public charge points across Scotland. These organisations own the charge point infrastructure, and many of them use back-office services provided by ChargePlace Scotland, which is funded by Scottish Ministers.

A shift towards a public charging network largely financed and operated by the commercial sector is necessary to grow the network at pace and improve the consumer experience overall. To support that, the Scottish Government recognises that it’s vital that the public charging network has tariffs which are fair, sustainable and which enable the growth and maintenance of the network.

Responsibility for setting tariffs and overstay charges on ChargePlace Scotland lies with charge point owners. In considering whether to set a tariff, owners may consider a range of factors including local circumstances, utilisation levels and running costs. ChargePlace Scotland routinely provides charge point owners with data relating to the utilisation of their assets. ChargePlace Scotland do not advise charge point owners on tariff levels or overstay fees, however, they may signpost owners to the EV Association of Scotland (an independent group who represent the interests of EV users) website where tariff guidance can be found.

Question reference: S6W-16456

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the advisory group that has been formed to assist with the process of evidence gathering in relation to the Scottish Aggregates Levy proposals.

Consistent with Scotland’s Framework for Tax we are consulting and engaging to help inform the development of the Scottish Aggregates Levy Bill.

This process began with a public consultation conducted last autumn, complemented by engagement with stakeholders. Taking account of feedback, it was concluded that more work was needed to ensure that decisions on Bill provisions are based on optimal evidence.

In January 2023, the decision was taken to establish an advisory group to assist this process. The group is designed with a broad mix of expertise and perspectives and is chaired by a senior Scottish Government official.

The group has already met twice and expects to hold its next meeting on 19 April. Through constructive and informed discussions, it is providing valuable insights to help refine policy positions and, in turn, Bill provisions. Summaries of its work will be published on the Scottish Government website in due course.

The Scottish Government appreciates the contribution of all members of the group, which will likely have a further role to play as the Bill progresses.

Question reference: S6W-16107

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how much has been spent by each local authority on private car parking apps in each year since 1999.

Question reference: S6W-16705

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with the UK Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the issue of marine protection.

Scottish Ministers have not met with the Defra Secretary of State to discuss marine protection. I have written to consecutive Defra Secretaries of State on two occasions (June 2022 and October 2022) regarding powers for Scottish Ministers to designate HPMAs in Scottish offshore waters and suggesting a meeting to discuss respective priorities regarding the delivery of HPMAs. This meeting has been postponed twice but is currently being arranged.

Question reference: S6W-16270

Asked by: Liz Smith, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 13 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to improve the quality and transparency of its financial and performance reporting.

The Scottish Government supports transparency and responds positively to suggestions for the inclusion of information in the range of reports that the Scottish Government produces. Since the publication of the Scottish Government Consolidated Accounts 2021-22 and the related audit reporting, the Scottish Government has updated the reporting on the financial position in the recent Finance Update and Spring Budget Revision, will shortly lay in Parliament the Final Outturn report for 2021-22, which will update the outturn reporting from the Provisional Outturn statement and in the suite of annual accounts and will continue to engage with Audit Scotland on how transparency can be further improved in the next round of financial reporting. Finance and Public Administration Committee: finance update and Spring Budget Revision 2022 to 2023 guide - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) ).

The approach to performance reporting is developing; Audit Scotland reported in its Annual Audit Report on the 2021-22 Scottish Government’s Consolidated Accounts that improvements had been made in 2021-22 to the performance report in the Consolidated Accounts. The Scottish Government is committed to build on those improvements in 2022-23 and we will continue to enhance our approach across the organisation, with a particular focus on outcomes.

Question reference: S6O-02127

Asked by: Gordon MacDonald, MSP for Edinburgh Pentlands, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recent analysis by the International Monetary Fund, which predicts that the UK economy's performance in 2023 will be the worst among the G20 economies, what assessment it has made of the potential impact of this in Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02125

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how it is supporting communities and local authorities to strengthen local bus networks across Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-02124

Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to support the development and expansion of Glasgow's International Financial Services District in the past year.

Question reference: S6O-02128

Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many apprenticeship places it will commit to funding this financial year.