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-02362

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers that the Scottish salmon farming industry is compliant with new regulations adopted by the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration prohibiting imports from fisheries where marine animals are intentionally harmed.

Question reference: S5W-02309

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00029 by Roseanna Cunningham on 24 May 2016, when it will make a decision on the status of the European beaver.

Question reference: S5W-02310

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what work is being undertaken to devise a framework to support the management of European beavers in Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-02307

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had since February 2016 with the Scottish SPCA regarding extending its powers to tackle wildlife crime.

Question reference: S5W-02306

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-00030 by Roseanna Cunningham on 24 May 2016, on what date it will announce its decision regarding extending the powers of the Scottish SPCA to tackle wildlife crime.

Question reference: S5W-02631

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 12 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in order to preserve access to the US market for fish and fish products, whether it will introduce legislation that prohibits the intentional killing of marine mammals in all of Scotland's fisheries.

Question reference: S5O-00152

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to detect, prevent and prosecute dog fighting offences.

Question reference: S5W-02311

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 14 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to strengthen the development of grassroots tennis in Scotland since the Davis Cup was won by Great Britain in 2015.

Through sport Scotland, we have invested £3.3 million in tennis facilities over the last five years, which has generated a total investment of approximately £11 million in match funding across Scotland and has delivered over 100 indoor tennis courts.

Membership of Tennis Scotland has increased by more than 42% since 2009-10 with strong growth in both adult and junior membership predicted and a target of 57,000 by October 2017. The number of people playing tennis within the Disability Tennis Network has seen a 35% increase – from 275 to 372 players.

Question reference: S5W-02308

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 9 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on preventing plastic microbeads from entering the marine environment.

Scotland’s Marine Litter Strategy sets out the Scottish Government’s policy to reduce and prevent litter entering the sea, including plastic microbeads. The strategy includes over 40 actions such as raising public awareness, encouraging companies to produce alternatives to plastic microbeads, as well as undertaking research to address gaps in knowledge.

The Scottish Government are also supportive of the recent announcement by the UK Government to ban microbeads in cosmetics and personal care products. This is consistent with Scotland’s Marine Litter Strategy and we will work with the UK Government in developing these proposals.

Question reference: S5W-02059

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 8 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what incentives there are in public procurement frameworks that encourage waste minimisation and reuse.

The Scottish Government uses procurement and climate change policy, law and practice to drive waste minimisation and reuse in public contracts and frameworks.

Techniques such as Life Cycle Impact Mapping are outlined in the statutory guidance on the Sustainable Procurement Duty that is a core part of the . Products and services specifications routinely include environmental standards, while environmental evaluation criteria contribute to contract award decisions.

‘’ commits to working with public organisations to identify the products and services where innovation and best practice in public procurement can have the greatest benefit in promoting circular approaches such as leasing, repair and remanufacture, while delivering value for money. It also addresses how to expand that best practice, e.g. through collaborative procurement, guidance or regulation.

While the Scottish Government does not hold details of resource efficiency incentives in public procurement frameworks in the wider public sector, the Scottish Government’s Facilities Management contract is an example of environmental impact reduction. Since 2012, this has led to significant improvements in recycling rates, with a consequent reduction in tonnage to landfill sites of over 11%.