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-02754

Asked by: Sharon Dowey, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 28 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the situation at Tarbolton Moss Landfill Site, and what plans it has to clean up the site.

Although not responsible for the site, the Scottish Government has agreed to fund the first phase of work at the Tarbolton landfill site, which will begin to reduce the environmental and amenity impact of the site. As part of this first phase, work to remove giant hogweed from the site was successfully completed in July.

SEPA is currently procuring the bulk of the first phase of work and I am grateful to SEPA for offering to undertake this procurement.

While the Scottish Government is not responsible for the site, we continue to work with our public partners to consider further actions for its longer-term restoration.

Question reference: S6W-02514

Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 28 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01453 by Mairi McAllan on 23 August 2021, for what reason the response did not provide the information that was requested regarding what water conservation measures it has (a) introduced in the last five years or (b) plans to introduce, and whether it will now do so.

My response did seek to answer your question (S6W-01453) regarding the introduction of water conservation measures, however here is some further explanation.

To date, water usage has been controlled through SEPA abstraction licences, by Scottish Water investment in reducing leakage from its public water supply system, by the provision of advice and guidance to business and domestic water users, and via Scottish Water media campaigns . However more is required to encourage consumers to use water more wisely.

Leakage from the public water supply system has been reduced by over 55% since 2006 and Scottish Water achieved the economic level of leakage in 2013. This equates to a reduction in leakage from over 1,100 mega litres per day (ML/d) in 2006 to 463ML/d in 2021 (down from 495ML/d in 2016/17).

Work with Scottish Water’s non-domestic customers has been ongoing since long before 2014/15 to raise awareness of the importance of water efficiency and promote efficient water use to generate environmental and financial savings. The total reduction in volume of non-domestic water delivered between 2014/15 and 2019/20 was 7,961 mega litres (5.4%) and between 2015/16 and 2020/21, and 15,569 mega litres (10.7%) partly due to the impacts of COVID-19 on businesses.

The EU recast Drinking Water Directive, which we have committed to transpose by 12 January 2023, will provide an opportunity to look closely at water efficiency measures and leakage targets with a view to conserving water.

Question reference: S6W-02211

Asked by: Richard Leonard, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 28 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) MSPs, (b) MPs and (c) councillors have written to it since March 2020 on behalf of a company offering assistance with the making and supply of PPE; how many of these requests were approved, and with which of these companies did it subsequently enter into a (i) contract and (ii) arrangement with for the supply of the equipment, broken down by value.

From March 2020 to 25 August 2021, the Scottish Government has received 26 offers from MSPs (25), MPs (0) and councillors (1) on behalf of a company offering assistance with the making and supply of PPE. Of these offers, 20 were made on behalf of named companies and 6 were speculative contacts that did not name a specific company.

The Scottish Government did not enter into a contract or arrangement for the supply of the equipment with any of these companies.

Further information on the companies which have supplied the Scottish Government with PPE and hand sanitiser since 2020 is detailed in the linked Parliamentary Question, S6W-02212 on 31 August 2021.

From the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Scottish Government has worked with the NHS, and on a four-nation basis to ensure Scotland has adequate supplies of PPE. At no point during the pandemic did Scotland run out of PPE, and our robust stocks allowed us to provide PPE in mutual aid to other parts of the UK during the first wave. PPE supply is now stable, as it has been since summer 2020, and Scotland currently has 4 months’ worth of PPE stockpiled and approved for medical use

All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-02010

Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by George Adam on 28 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken and work has been carried out to ensure that business conducted by its ministers does not involve the use of any (a) personal email accounts and (b) informal means of communication.

Government Business is conducted on the Scottish Government’s internal IT system, "SCOTS," which is available to all Ministers and staff. It runs on a secure network and, using an approved SCOTS laptop or tablet, is accessible from all Scottish Government offices, including London and Brussels, as well as remotely via most home broadband connections (subject to location).

The IT equipment provided in the Scottish Government has been specifically designed to support the secure drafting, sending and storing of digital information classified at OFFICIAL and OFFICIAL-SENSITIVE level.

Question reference: S6T-00195

Asked by: Russell Findlay, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that staff shortages and a new criminal record system in Police Scotland are risking dangerous criminals being left on the streets.

Question reference: S6T-00183

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding lorry driver shortages and related fuel shortages.

Question reference: S6T-00184

Asked by: Sue Webber, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports of staffing shortages at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital leading to health professionals warning about patient safety.

Question reference: S6F-00322

Asked by: Gillian Mackay, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the ongoing economic impact on Scotland of Brexit.

Question reference: S6F-00321

Asked by: Evelyn Tweed, MSP for Stirling, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what engagement the Scottish Government has had, and plans it has made, with key Scottish industries to support vulnerable households this winter.

Question reference: S6F-00319

Asked by: Miles Briggs, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 September 2021

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to reports that, in the last year, ministers overturned almost 50% of planning applications.