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: S5W-04906

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on offering air quality monitors to all schools in order to encourage modal change and identify pollution hot spots.

We have no specific plans to offer air quality monitors to all schools. However the Learn About Air education package which is operated by SEPA includes amongst its resources ten mobile air quality sensors which are loaned to schools. The sensors are sited to provide information about air pollution levels during drop off and pick up times, illustrating the impacts of parked and idling vehicles outside schools.

Further information on Learn About Air can be found at www.Learnaboutair.com

Question reference: S5W-04893

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with East Dunbartonshire Council regarding the completion of Phase 2 of the Bears Way cycle path, and what information it has on alternative cycle ways that have been considered.

As The Bears Way project and related voting on Phase two, is a matter for East Dunbartonshire Council and its residents, the Scottish Government has had no direct discussions with East Dunbartonshire Council regarding the completion of this project.

However, discussions were held with Sustrans Scotland, Cycling Scotland and Strathclyde Partnership for Transport(SPT) who all contributed to the project. In addition, public meetings were held to try to find a way forward.

At the second annual Active Travel Summit on 2 November 2016, I announced my intention to establish a Task Force to look at how we might tackle the barriers to the delivery of ambitious cycling and walking projects in Scotland, following publication of the refresh of the Cycling Action Plan.

In the meantime, Sustrans Scotland will continue to work closely with East Dunbartonshire Council to explore a local solution to this issue.

Question reference: S5W-04796

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 29 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to achieve its target to reduce food waste by a third by 2025, and what assessment it has made of how effective these are.

We will shortly commence a series of wide-ranging stakeholder workshops to discuss what measures should be taken to achieve this ambitious target and to assess which options will be the most effective. These meetings will allow us to draw on the breadth of expertise and experience available across all of the involved parties, from consumers to food producers. As a first step, I announced last week the 2013 baseline for all food waste arisings in Scotland, the first time this has been calculated.

Question reference: S5W-04802

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 29 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what types of jobs its circular economy strategy will deliver, and how many jobs have been delivered to date.

‘Making Things Last’ sets out our ambition and priorities to move Scotland towards a more circular economy, where products and materials are kept in high value use for as long as possible. These types of approaches can lead to economic benefits across a wide range of activities such as manufacturing, retail, transport, construction and repair. The strategy identifies the potential economic and environmental opportunities underpinning the prioritisation of our actions. We would expect the employment benefits of these interventions to become clearer as implementation proceeds.

Question reference: S5W-04795

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 17 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 24 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish proposals on increasing the share of community ownership in renewable energy schemes.

The Scottish Government's Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) offers a wide range of support including free advice and access to funding to support community ownership of renewable energy schemes. The support available under CARES has led to our target for 500 MW of installed capacity of community and locally owned renewable generation by 2020 being reached 5 years early.

We have made a commitment in our Programme for Government to continue with CARES and are currently in the process of retendering for a suitably qualified and experienced service provider to undertake the delivery of CARES up to 2020.

Our draft Energy Strategy which will be published for consultation early in the new year, will reaffirm our support for community and locally owned energy with new targets of 1 GW by 2020 and 2 GW by 2030 and a commitment for at least half of newly consented renewable energy projects to have an element of shared ownership.

Question reference: S5O-00401

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it carries out to ascertain which groups are most vulnerable to seasonal health risks.

Question reference: S5O-00320

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 9 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the review of the exemption from the requirement for food waste collections in rural areas, as set out in its strategy, Making Things Last.

We want every household in Scotland to have access to a food waste service and 80% of Scottish households now do so.

We will continue to discuss with local authorities on how best to achieve a 100% outcome. For towns in rural areas which don’t yet have a service, this might include a kerbside service, or for more remote communities, that might include community composting facilities.

Similarly with businesses in rural areas, we will be working with them to develop actions that will allow them to contribute effectively towards achieving our food waste targets.

Question reference: S5F-00438

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 November 2016

To ask the First Minister whether optional religious observance in schools for 16- to 18-year-olds will support the values of a diverse outward-looking Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-00292

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent figures published by SEPA suggesting that ministers did not meet their 2013 target, what action it is taking to improve household recycling rates.

Question reference: S5O-00247

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the implementation of the National Planning Framework protects biodiversity as well as greenspaces.