Questions and answers

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 ��˿�� 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-25585

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 10 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether a tourism levy will be in place by the end of the parliamentary session.

Question reference: S5W-25586

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 10 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether the decision on introducing a tourism levy will be made by individual local authorities.

Question reference: S4W-30637

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 March 2016

Figures published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that, in 2014, 21,000 people were employed directly in the low carbon and renewable energy economy in Scotland.

The first estimates from the new Low Carbon and Renewable Energy Survey were published by ONS on 9 December 2015 and provide regional estimates for England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland for the number of businesses, turnover and full-time equivalent employees.

Comparable estimates for 2017-20 are not available.

Question reference: S4W-30631

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund has contributed to the economy.

Question reference: S4W-30633

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much the offshore wind industry has invested to develop port and near-port manufacturing locations for marine wind turbines and related industrial developments since the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund was introduced.

Question reference: S4W-30629

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund has been spent.

Since its launch in November 2010, £10.9 million of funding support has been committed under the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund (NRIF). This has supported the development of the National Offshore Wind Test Centre at Hunterston, an offshore wind test facility at Methil, the reopening of Westway Dock in Renfrew and enhancements to Energy Park Fife. The NRIF has also informed the development of outline business cases for the upgrading of port infrastructure and associated manufacturing sites in Dundee, Cockenzie and Rosyth.

Question reference: S4W-30632

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many port and near-port manufacturing locations have been developed for marine wind turbines and related industrial developments since the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund was introduced.

Question reference: S4W-30630

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many jobs have been created as a result of the National Renewables Infrastructure Fund.

Question reference: S4W-30634

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has estimated the range of public sector funding needed to (a) attract private sector investment and (b) meet its objectives for renewable energy by 2020, as recommended by Audit Scotland in its 2013 report, Renewable energy.

The Scottish Government provides a range of funding to initiate and support renewable energy projects, to encourage technology development, and to stimulate private sector investment. For example, we have made over £50 million available for community and locally owned projects in 2015-16 under our Renewable Energy Investment Fund and Community and Renewable Energy Scheme, which has helped to unlock significant private sector investment and helped us achieve, five years early, our target for 500 megawatts of community and locally owned renewable energy to be installed by 2020.

The Scottish Government’s approach has been underpinned, until recently, by a stable UK-wide support regime for renewables. However, recent cuts to revenue support schemes including the Renewables Obligation and feed-in tariffs have created uncertainty for the sector, damaged investor confidence, and put at risk Scotland’s ability to achieve its renewable energy ambitions.

Question reference: S4W-30628

Asked by: Sarah Boyack, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much it will pay (a) KPMG, (b) AECOM and (c) Ramboll Environ UK for research into fracking and when each piece of research will be completed.

The Scottish Government has awarded the following research contracts relating to unconventional oil and gas:

‘Understanding and monitoring induced seismic activity’ will be undertaken by The British Geological Survey. The value for this work is £41,994.

‘Decommissioning, site restoration and aftercare – Obligations and treatment of financial liabilities’ will be undertaken by AECOM. The value for this work is £51,102.

‘Climate change impacts’ will be undertaken by the Committee on Climate Change. The value for this work is £61,980.

‘Economic impacts and scenario development’ will be undertaken by KPMG. The value for this work is £103,176.

These projects are due to be completed in summer 2016.

The Scottish Government will provide up to £75,000 to cover the additional costs incurred by Health Protection Scotland in delivering a Public Health Impact Assessment.