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-33678

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 December 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 7 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether any formal Ministerial Direction was issued in relation to its legal position in the case of Alex Salmond vs Leslie Evans & Scottish Ministers.

The Principal Accountable Officer for the Scottish Administration (the Permanent Secretary) and Accountable Officers designated by them for parts of the Scottish Administration are under a statutory duty to obtain written authority (sometimes called Ministerial Direction) from the relevant Minister where they consider that any action they are required to take would be inconsistent with their responsibilities. These responsibilities include ensuring financial propriety and regularity and ensuring that relevant resources are used economically, efficiently and effectively (i.e. value for money).

With respect to its legal position in the case of Alex Salmond vs Leslie Evans & Scottish Ministers, no such written authority was requested by Accountable Officers or the Principle Accountable Officer.

Question reference: S5O-04812

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 December 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to research by Age UK, which suggests that 157,000 over-65s in Scotland are expecting to feel lonely over the festive season.

Question reference: S5W-33172

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £8.2 billion that the UK Government has committed to provide to it has been received, also broken down by how much has been allocated to each portfolio area.

Question reference: S5W-33171

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has received in Barnett consequentials since 23 March 2020, also broken down by how much has been allocated to each portfolio area.

At the UK Main Estimates published on 4 May, the Scottish Government received an additional £3,063m in Barnett consequentials in response to the COVID pandemic. The remainder of the guaranteed £8.2 billion of additional funding for 2020-21 will be allocated to the Scottish Government in the UK Supplementary Estimate early next year. It should be noted that Barnett consequentials are added to the total Scottish budget from where they are managed and thereafter it is not possible to make a direct link between sources of funding and individual budget allocations. Details of the net additional portfolio allocations to date (of which, £5,963 million were funded from Covid consequentials) were published in the Summer and Autumn Budget Revisions and are summarised in the following table:-

Portfolio	Summer Budget Revision	Autumn Budget Revision
	£m	£m
Health and Sport	620.0	1,843.0
Communities and Local Government	2,614.6	35.7
Finance	5.0	20.5
Education and Skills	85.8	146.7
Justice		6.5
Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity	234.3	159.9
Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform		-10.8
Rural Economy and Tourism	15.5	14.5
Economy, Fair Work and Culture	145.8	188.7
Social Security and Older People	38.2
Constitution, Europe and External Affairs		-0.7
Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service		7.8
TOTAL	3,759.2	2,411.8
of which: Covid consequentials	3,581.0	2,382.0

Full details of all budget transfers are set out in the Summer Budget Revision and Autumn Budget Revision supporting documents available at:-

Further allocations will be set out in the Spring Budget Revision to be published in early February.

Question reference: S5W-33223

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what funding packages are available to businesses that use birds of prey and are involved in what is considered a globally-significant conservation project.

The Scottish Government is not aware of any globally-significant conservation projects for birds of prey in Scotland. There is no requirement on the Scottish Government to compensate bird keepers for the measures that apply under an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ). Most of these mandatory measures are considered as best practice biosecurity measures, which should be implemented regardless of an AIPZ. The Scottish Government continues to promote and encourage sound biosecurity practices.

Question reference: S5W-33222

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 12 November 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 20 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Scotland being declared an Avian Flu Prevention Zone, what funding is available to businesses that are affected by both COVID-19 and avian flu restrictions, potentially leaving them with no revenue stream.

There is no requirement on the Scottish Government to compensate bird keepers for the measures that apply under an Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ). Most of these mandatory measures are considered as best practice biosecurity measures, which should be implemented regardless of an AIPZ. The Scottish Government continues to promote and encourage sound biosecurity practices. The sets out the Scottish Government's package of business support measures from 2 November for businesses impacted by protective measures to suppress coronavirus. The Business Fund offers grant support of up to £3,000 for businesses required to close by law, and grants of up to £2,100 for those businesses that remain open, but are required by law to modify their operations. The eligibility of a business depends on where the premises are located and the level of restrictions in place at any point in time. The schedules of contain the measures that apply to businesses for each level, and information is also published on the Scottish Government website ( .

Question reference: S5O-04773

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 November 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government on what basis the constitution secretary stated that an independence referendum would take place in 2021.

Question reference: S5W-32437

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 09 October 2020
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 29 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when regulations will be published regarding exemptions from low-emission zones under the Transport (Scotland) Act 2019.

Question reference: S5O-04720

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 October 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 4 November 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how its planning policy supports the delivery of new housing developments.

Question reference: S5T-02463

Asked by: Murdo Fraser, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 October 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 October 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what support is being given to hospitality businesses that cannot operate due to COVID-19 restrictions.