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-08849

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the proportion of plastic collected in Scotland that will be able to be recycled at the new plastic recycling plant in Fife.

The Scottish Government has made no such estimate.

However, I understand the new plastic recycling plant based in Glenrothes is expected to recycle up to 15,000 tonnes per annum of low-grade post-consumer plastic. This follows an award to Fife Council of £470,000 from the Scottish Government’s Recycling Improvement Fund. Further information is available here: Yes Recycling Fife and Ecosheet , and the latest data on the amount of plastic waste generated and recycled is available at https://www.sepa.org.uk/environment/waste/waste-data/waste-data-reporting/waste-data-for-scotland/ .

Question reference: S6W-08898

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has analysed the labour market implications of thyroid dysfunction, including in relation to the gender pay gap.

The Scottish Government acknowledges the recent research publication Thyroid Dysfunction – Can it Help Explain the Gender Wage Gap? and notes the implications that hypothyroidism can have on women’s labour market opportunities. We are committed to ensuring that people living with hypothyroidism are able to access the best possible support and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care. Information on symptoms and treatments are available at NHS Inform .

We are currently working with stakeholders to inform a refresh of our Gender Pay Gap Action Plan alongside and aligned with our Fair Work Action Plan and Disabled People’s Employment Gap Action Plan, to ensure that we take appropriate focussed and intersectional actions to tackle the Gender Pay Gap.

Question reference: S6W-08885

Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the passing of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022, whether it plans to review its (a) national strategy on (i) New Scots refugee integration, (ii) human trafficking and exploitation, (iii) ending destitution of migrants and people with no recourse to public funds and (iv) mental health and (b) plans for a Human Rights Bill.

The Nationality and Borders Act 2022 is a complex piece of legislation. The Scottish Government raised significant concerns about the likely impacts during the passage of the Bill, and the Scottish Parliament voted to withhold consent on two clauses. The Act will affect people living in Scotland, but the full extent of this will depend on how it is implemented by the Home Office.

(a) In relation to whether the Scottish Government plans to review strategies in light of the Act:

(i) The New Scots refugee integration strategy has been developed and is led in partnership by the Scottish Government, COSLA and the Scottish Refugee Council. The current strategy was published in 2018. We have committed to refreshing the strategy with our partners in 2023 and to ensuring that it is shaped by refugees and people seeking asylum, as well as those with expertise supporting them. The impact of the Nationality and Borders Act 2022 will be considered in the development of the new strategy.

(ii) The first statutory review of the Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy was published in May 2020 and was clear that the strategy remained fit for purpose in the short term. However, we remain committed to the development of a refreshed strategy which will take into account a range of developments since publication of the review, including the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

(iii) The Ending Destitution Together strategy was published in March 2021, in partnership with COSLA, and focuses on improving and strengthening support provision and service access for people subject to No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) living in Scotland. This strategy is the first of its kind and is being delivered in partnership with the third sector, public services and local authorities over the next two years. Ending Destitution Together clearly sets out our inclusive approach, while recognising that there are limits on action that can be taken because immigration and nationality, including NRPF policy, are reserved to the UK Parliament. As the strategy is implemented, we will consider all developments since the publication of the strategy, including the Nationality and Borders Act 2022.

(iv) The Mental Health Strategy was published in 2017 and set out 40 actions to improve mental health care. This was followed by a Mental Health Transition and Recovery Plan in 2020 in response to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The 2021-22 Programme for Government committed to “review and refresh” the Mental Health Strategy at its halfway point in 2022 and work is already underway to do this. The scope of the refreshed strategy will be wider than before, with an increasing focus on wellbeing and prevention. We will also consider how the strategy can take account of social factors and inequalities that may impact a person’s mental health and wellbeing. We have already undertaken extensive engagement with our stakeholders to help us shape the strategy. We will be launching a public consultation later this month and will take forward further engagement activity over the summer months to inform this important work.

(b) Following on from the work and recommendations of the First Minister’s Advisory Group, and the National Taskforce for Human Rights Leadership, a new Human Rights Bill will be introduced to Parliament during this parliamentary session.

Our commitment to bringing forward a Human Rights Bill this Parliament, as far as we can within devolved competence, remains and we are proceeding on that basis.

Question reference: S6W-08877

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the consideration of opportunities to decarbonise waste incineration has reportedly been removed from the incineration review without consultation.

Consideration of opportunities to decarbonise waste incineration has not been removed from the review of the role of incineration in the waste hierarchy (the Review).

As independent Chair of the Review, Dr Colin Church determined the detailed scope of the Review, taking account of parameters set by Ministers. The Review prioritised an assessment of the capacity required to manage residual waste in Scotland. It also considered the options for managing residual waste in Scotland; the economic, environmental and social trade-offs of these options; the location of waste management capacity; and options to improve carbon and societal impact of residual waste treatment facilities.

In his Call for Evidence for the Review (published 20 December 2021), Dr Church noted that he intended to commission separate work to review potential options to decarbonise the existing incineration infrastructure in Scotland and that this may extend beyond the initial Review’s timeframe.

We published Dr Church’s main report on 10 May 2022. In this report Dr Church confirmed that the further work on decarbonisation options was expected to last for a further six to nine months. In the meantime, Dr Church has made two provisional recommendations relating to decarbonisation, alongside the 12 full recommendations, in his main report.

At the request of Ministers, Dr Church has agreed to extend his role to provide independent oversight of this additional work.

Question reference: S6W-08878

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 06 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the report on consideration of opportunities to decarbonise waste incineration not being published until autumn 2022, how it will be in a position to respond to the incineration review in June.

We published the Report of Dr Church’s independent review of the role of incineration in Scotland’s waste hierarchy on 10 May 2022. Dr Church sets out 14 recommendations in his report. Two of these recommendations, on decarbonising incineration infrastructure, are provisional pending completion of further work on options to decarbonise residual waste infrastructure.

We will set out our initial response to the 12 full recommendations on 16 June 2022.

Question reference: S6W-08852

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Marie Curie and Loughborough University’s recent research into poverty at the end of life, which states that 8,200 people die in poverty every year in Scotland and that the double burden of income loss and increased costs brought on by terminal illness can push people into poverty, whether it will commit to urgent reform to tackle poverty at the end of life.

Question reference: S6W-08853

Asked by: Paul O'Kane, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 May 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ben Macpherson on 16 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to extending eligibility for Winter Heating Assistance to all terminally ill people under the age of 65, in order to support them with any increased energy bills as a result of their terminal illness.

We are putting in place robust plans to deliver our replacement for Winter Fuel Payment from winter 2024 and we will consult on the proposals for this replacement in due course. Our priority is taking on full responsibility for all the devolved benefits in a safe and secure transition so that people continue to receive support at the right time and right amount.

We have already introduced Child Winter Heating Assistance, which is intended to provide support to the families of over 19,000 of the most seriously disabled children and young people (including those living with a terminal illness), to help mitigate the additional cost of heating their homes in the winter months.

In addition, from this coming winter (2022-23) the Scottish Government’s new Low Income Winter Heating Assistance will guarantee an annual £50 payment to around 400,000 low-income households each winter. This is not dependent on age but will be targeted, reliable financial support to those most in need, including those in receipt of Pension Credit.

Question reference: S6O-01252

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions justice ministers have had with ministerial colleagues regarding using antisocial behaviour laws to prevent people carrying out intimidating protests outside abortion clinics.

Question reference: S6O-01254

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the review by the Police Service of Northern Ireland into findings by a tribunal of a "sexist culture" in Police Scotland.

Question reference: S6O-01271

Asked by: Christine Grahame, MSP for Midlothian South, Tweeddale and Lauderdale, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether its priorities for the skills required to support the economy have changed as a result of any consequences of withdrawal from the EU.