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-26488

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 4 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has revised the estimated £13 million in annual savings for local authorities from a deposit returns system that was set out in the 2015 paper, Review of feasibility study for a Deposit Return System for Drinks Containers, and, if so, what the latest estimate is.

The Scottish Government’s “Deposit Return Scheme: Full Business Case Stage 1”, published on 8 May 2019, estimates an overall net economic benefit of £191 million for local authorities over 25 years as a result of the scheme’s introduction. This includes £133 million in reduced disposal costs for residual waste and £27 million in savings as a result of local authorities handling less dry recyclate. Zero Waste Scotland continues to work with local government to refine these numbers further.

Question reference: S5W-26448

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 3 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of the trees planted in Scotland using public funds are UK-sourced and grown.

The Scottish Government does not collect data on forestry plants grown outside of the UK and imported to Scotland and therefore these are not available.

Data on forestry plant imports are collected at the GB level for the tree species covered by The Forest Reproductive Material (Great Britain) Regulations 2002. It is not possible to disaggregate this data to a national level and to provide a figure for how many of the imported plants were used in grant funded schemes in Scotland. From the GB level data we know that the bulk of planting material used in GB is being grown by one of Scotland's four nurseries or others in GB.

Question reference: S5W-26449

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 3 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26437 by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 November 2019, what the (a) financial and (b) staff time cost was of re-branding Scottish Natural Heritage as NatureScot.

The financial cost of Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) rebranding its public-facing name to NatureScot, with effect from 1 May 2020, is projected to be £63,000 in total over a three-year period.

A breakdown of SNH staff time cost in support of the rebranding cannot be provided as the work has been undertaken as part of normal duties, including the design work which was carried out in-house. A phased approach is being adopted to minimise costs, including taking advantage of planned replacement of corporate clothing, fleet livery and marketing materials.

Question reference: S5T-01904

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 December 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 December 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the targets set out in the Queensferry Crossing Public Transport Strategy, what its response is to reports that, in the last year, over one million extra vehicle journeys have been made over the crossing.

Question reference: S5W-26447

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to use the International Year of Plant Health to improve biosecurity measures.

I set out the Scottish Government's approach to marking the International Year of Plant Health in a statement to Parliament on 19 November. That statement can be found

The Scottish Government is engaged continuously including by working with administrations and partners across the UK on biosecurity. More detail about activity planned activity for the International Year of Plant Health will be set out in due course.

Question reference: S5W-26349

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding (a) it and (b) the Cairngorms National Park Authority allocated each year to the Wildlife Special Constables pilot project.

Question reference: S5W-26346

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 12 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 25 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of the Wildlife Special Constables pilot project; how many constables participated each month in this, and how many suspected crimes they reported, also broken down by how many led to subsequent (a) arrests, (b) charges, (c) prosecutions and (d) convictions.

a)The Scottish Government is currently undertaking an evaluation of the Special Constable Pilot Project in conjunction with Police Scotland and the Cairngorms National Park Authority. We will announce a decision on the future direction of the project in due course.

b) There were five special constables in the project, employed on a part-time basis.

c) and d) From the information gathered in the review conducted by Police Scotland, there were no recorded crimes reported by the Special Constables during their patrols in the 12 month trial period. However, Special Constables were involved in meeting stakeholders and partners operating within the Cairngorms National Park to build relationships and understand the needs and demands of National Park users which will aid future intelligence gathering.

Question reference: S5W-26389

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much is being spent on the project to trial driverless buses on the Forth Road Bridge.

Question reference: S5W-26116

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 31 October 2019
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what advice it has provided to local authorities regarding the use of herbicides in public greenspaces.

The Scottish Government encourages membership of the Amenity Forum. The Amenity Forum is a UK voluntary initiative, recognised by the Scottish Government, which promotes best practice in all forms of weed management to ensure approaches that provide safe and healthy amenity spaces. We are working with the Amenity Forum to improve communications with Scottish local authorities and disseminate information on Integrated Pest Management (IPM) to the amenity sector. Included in this work to improve best practice by local authorities will be an event in early 2020 on IPM hosted jointly by the Scottish Government and the Amenity Forum, to which, all local authorities will be invited.

The Scottish Government promotes the use of IPM, which aims to help land managers optimise and target pesticide use and make the most suitable use of all methods for controlling insect pests, weeds and disease.

Question reference: S5W-26343

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-26108 by Roseanna Cunningham on 11 November 2019, on what dates (a) ministers and (b) officials have met the Health and Safety Executive to discuss operations at the Fife Ethylene Plant at Mossmorran.

Officials met with representatives from the Health and Safety Executive to discuss the operations at Mossmorran on 14 November 2019. There have previously been telephone discussions with representatives from the Health and Safety Executive on 3 July, 17 September and 29 October 2019 in relation to Mossmorran. The purpose of these contacts was to gain a fuller understanding of the action that HSE is taking in relation to the plant.

There is extensive contact between SEPA and HSE on matters related to Mossmorran as a result of their respective regulatory functions.