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: S6W-06097

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will update building standards to ensure that, within the next five years, all new housing is built to Passivhaus standards, as recommended by Scotland's Climate Assembly in its report, Recommendations for Action.

Our response to the recommendation of the Climate Assembly agrees with the need for review of regulation to further improve energy and environmental standards for new homes. It noted the relevance of the current review of Scottish building regulations, due to be completed this year. It provides an assurance that the outcome sought by the recommendation will be reported on, as part of the current review of standards.

I can confirm that we are looking at opportunities to move to Passivhaus or an equivalent standard within the timescale indicated by the Assembly. I have asked that work on this topic be undertaken over the coming months, in support of the ongoing review of Scottish building regulations and for this be reported back to the Assembly as work progresses.

Question reference: S6T-00537

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government about using the sanctions regime to prevent Russian government-owned tankers entering ports in the UK, including in Orkney.

Question reference: S6W-06449

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it expects all of the provisions of the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Act 2021 to be in force.

Question reference: S6W-06451

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Ash Regan on 25 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when regulations will be laid to bring into force (a) section 1 (dealing with serious harm); (b) section 6 (dealing with publication on a matter of public interest), and (c) section 32 (dealing with the single publication provisions) of the Defamation and Malicious Publication (Scotland) Act 2021.

Question reference: S6W-06064

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it or its agencies and non-departmental public bodies have, in accordance with the document, Guidance on due diligence: human rights, undertaken human rights checks on organisations that have successfully bid for offshore wind projects under the ScotWind leasing round announced on 17 January 2022.

ScotWind leasing is administered by Crown Estate Scotland who are responsible for completing the process of due diligence in line with relevant guidance.

Crown Estate Scotland advises that all project partners were required to make a declaration providing Crown Estate Scotland with written assurance that they have not been convicted of unlawful activity in relation to a range of requirements, including aspects such as; corruption, bribery, fraud and human trafficking and exploitation, within the last five years. Only companies providing such assurances were allowed to proceed with bids.

The ScotWind terms and conditions make clear that Crown Estate Scotland reserves the right to void any application which is found to have provided false information. If any companies have been found to have made false declarations on these matters Crown Estate Scotland will take the appropriate action.

The Scottish Government is clear that both public authorities and private enterprises have a responsibility to ensure human rights are respected and protected in the workplace. Scottish Ministers remain committed to defending the vitally-important legislation which protects human rights in Scotland and in the UK – including both the Human Rights Act 1998 and the constitutional protections built into the Scotland Act 1998.

Question reference: S6W-06100

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish the Islands Energy Strategy.

We will consult on the draft Islands Energy Strategy during the summer of 2022.

The Strategy will set out an approach to supporting island residents and communities to decarbonise, and to develop renewable energy solutions that can promote resilience, enhance sustainability, and meet their energy needs.

In developing the draft Strategy, we will engage with our island stakeholders, to ensure we reflect their differing needs and priorities and work alongside the Carbon Neutral Islands initiative to maximise impact and shared learning.

Question reference: S6W-06063

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 22 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government which of its agencies and non-departmental public bodies it expects, in accordance with the document, Guidance on due diligence: human rights, to have undertaken human rights checks on organisations that have successfully bid for offshore wind projects under the ScotWind leasing round announced on 17 January 2022.

Question reference: S6W-06096

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 21 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether the Islands Energy Strategy will take account of the reportedly significantly higher costs of retrofitting in island communities.

The Scottish Government recognises that island communities can face distinct challenges in the transition to zero emissions heating. We are committed to continuing to make higher levels of funding available per head through our energy efficiency/fuel poverty delivery programmes in remote rural areas, where we know installation and labour costs are higher.

Through our Islands Energy Strategy – of which a draft is due to be published later this year, we will work with stakeholders to take an evidence based approach to explore the need additional support for those rural and island homes which require bespoke and targeted advice for heat and energy efficiency.

Furthermore, our Heat in Buildings Supply Chain Action Plan, due to be published later this year will include a specific focus on developing local supply chains, including in our islands and remote communities, to help bring costs down.

Question reference: S6W-06098

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 18 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to making all public sector buildings net zero by 2030, with an interim target of 75% by 2027 and a target for absolute zero by 2035, as recommended by Scotland's Climate Assembly in its report, Recommendations for Action.

The Scottish Government agrees with the Assembly on the importance of rapidly decarbonising public sector buildings. We are committed to developing and agreeing, through consultation, a series of phased targets for the decarbonisation of public sector buildings. Targets will start in 2024, with the most difficult buildings like hospitals being decarbonised by 2038 and for all publicly owned buildings to meet net zero emission heating requirements by 2038. This is seven years earlier than the backstop of 2045 for the rest of Scotland’s building stock.

Action is being taken by the Scottish Government to support Scotland’s public sector to meet these targets:

The Scottish Green Public Sector Estate Decarbonisation Scheme will distribute £200 million of capital funding during this parliamentary session to aid the decarbonisation of Scotland’s public sector estate.
NHS Scotland’s £10 billion programme of investment in new hospitals and healthcare facilities is guided by a commitment that all new buildings and major refurbishments will produce net zero emissions and use renewable heat.
The £2 billion Learning Estate Investment Programme, managed by the Scottish Futures Trust, aims to benefit around 50,000 pupils across Scotland by the end of the next Parliament by delivering digitally enabled, low-carbon schools and campuses.

Question reference: S6W-06099

Asked by: Liam McArthur, MSP for Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 18 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish a monitoring and evaluation framework for the Heat in Buildings Strategy, as recommended by the Climate Change Committee in its report, Progress reducing emissions in Scotland - 2021 Report to Parliament.