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-32634

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to ensure that community input is incorporated into flood resilience planning decisions.

Scottish Government promotes community-led action and works to embed community resilience through a number of connected policy areas which enable collaboration between community resilience groups, voluntary sector organisations, Government and statutory responders. Scottish Government has committed up to £5.5 million, in 2024-25, to fund a network of Climate Action Hubs to transition to low carbon, reduce emissions, and improve resilience in the face of ongoing climate change and extreme weather events. Community groups, charities and social enterprises lead climate action hubs across Scotland.

The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, sets out the minimum requirements for SEPA and local authorities to consult as part of the Flood Risk Management Planning Process. It also sets out the specific requirements for consultation related to flood protection schemes.

More broadly Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4 is clear that our places can only work for everyone if the views of all users are properly understood.

Planning authorities are preparing new local development plans (LDPs). Planning authorities should consider how these plans can best meet the needs and aspirations of the different people who have an interest in a place. Requirements for community engagement are set out in detail in the LDP Guidance. That guidance makes clear that the planning authority is expected to involve a range of people at all stages in the preparation of the LDP. The authority must engage with the public at large as well as specific organisations and societal groups.

The Scottish Government encourages use of the National Standards on Community Engagement as best practice.

Question reference: S6W-32606

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost-effectiveness of maintaining its network of international offices.

The Scottish Government’s international network delivers tangible benefits to our people, businesses and organisations, including higher education institutions and those in the cultural and creative sectors. From attracting overseas investment and growing exports, to facilitating cultural exchanges, our active engagement on the global stage supports the delivery of Scotland’s domestic policy objectives.

The International Network annual report 2023-24 was published on 18 November 2024. Using case studies, as well as trade and investment figures from SDI, it demonstrates how our network delivered impact across the three main pillars of work set out in the International Strategy: economy, trade and investment; climate change, biodiversity and renewable energy; and reputation, influence and relationships.

Publication of this report forms part of our process to monitor the effectiveness of our international offices and ensure transparency and accountability on the impact their activity has for the benefit of Scotland’s people, businesses and organisations.

The International Network annual report is available at the following URL: https://www.gov.scot/publications/scotlands-international-network-annual-report-2023-24/

Question reference: S6W-32662

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31906 by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2024, what discussions it has held over the past year with (a) academia and (b) private sector companies regarding any expansion of reuse and recycling of rare earth materials.

We must keep our precious resources in use as long as possible, in line with our circular economy ambitions and reusing and recycling materials has an important part to play in Scotland’s response to tackling the climate crisis. I have not held discussions with academia or private sector companies regarding rare earth materials but would welcome any discussions to make progress in this area.

Scottish Enterprise (SE) has undertaken research to understand the implications for Scotland on accessing Critical Raw Materials and Technologies (CRM&T), including rare earth materials. This research will allow SE to further understand how Scottish companies can remain competitive. SE will continue to engage with academia, private enterprises, and beyond to fully understand the implications for Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-32631

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will address the funding gaps identified in the Flood Resilience Strategy to ensure timely implementation.

The National Flood Resilience Strategy sets out a long-term vision for a flood resilient Scotland through to 2045, this will continue to require significant public and private investment.

Scottish Government already provides substantial funding to support flood resilience. Since 2008, the Scottish Government has made available £42 million per year to local authorities to invest in flood risk management actions and the 2020 Programme for Government committed an additional £150 million over the course of this Parliament for flood risk management actions. In addition, £15 million has been provided in the draft 2025-2026 Scottish Budget to support the delivery of the Strategy’s actions, wider flooding resilience and coastal adaptation work.

The Strategy will be delivered via an implementation plan which will be developed with partners over the coming months.

Question reference: S6W-32629

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it will balance investment in large-scale flood protection schemes with property-level flood resilience measures.

The National Flood Resilience Strategy commits to review available flooding budgets to assess how a proportion of flood funding can be directed to support a broader range of flood actions - including smaller flood protection schemes and property level flood resilience.

The Strategy recognises that in order to balance flood resilience actions across a range of locations, communities and situations it will be necessary to understand in more depth relative benefits. The Scottish Government is working with COSLA and local authorities to reform flood resilience funding and governance to maximise benefit to communities.

Question reference: S6W-32609

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria are used to determine the budgets for its international offices.

The majority of the budget for each office in the international network is staffing costs. This comprises both Scottish Government civil servants posted on diplomatic assignment, and country-based staff employed by FCDO on terms appropriate for the local labour market. The small component for programme delivery is considered through annual budgeting procedures taking into account priorities in each country and elsewhere in the portfolio.

Question reference: S6W-32618

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 20 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason there have been reported above-inflation increases in the budgets for most of its international offices at a time of reductions in the budget of some domestic services.

The increase in budget for our international network of 2.0% overall is primarily to fulfil the pay agreement applied across the Scottish Government. In most cases, programme budgets to deliver events and undertake outreach work were static or slightly reduced.

In 2025-26 our network of international offices will account for less than 0.02% of the Scottish Government’s overall resource spending plans as set out in the draft Scottish Budget.

Question reference: S6W-32581

Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 19 December 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how ScotRail’s operating costs have changed over the past decade, and what factors have contributed to any changes.

Question reference: S6T-02279

Asked by: Douglas Ross, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what early assessment it has made following the opening of the safer drug consumption facility, The Thistle.

Question reference: S6T-02277

Asked by: Carol Mochan, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2025

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent the spread of avian influenza, following the outbreak in Kirriemuir.