Parliamentary questions

Elena Whitham

86 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.

18 Oct 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any discussions with the UK Government, in light of the concerns raised with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy regarding the Retained EU Law (Revocation and Reform) Bill.

10 Oct 2022 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government what further support it will provide to low income families this winter.

Answer · Shona Robison: To enhance the support available for low income families with school age children, the Scottish Government will double the final Bridging Payment due to be paid in December 2022. This will increase the payment from £130 to £260 for every eligible child. This…

27 Sep 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has carried out of the impact on farmers in Scotland of the UK Government’s energy price cap.

16 Jun 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it can provide an update on the uptake to date of the Young Persons’ (Under 22s) Free Bus Travel, and what assessment it has made of the impact of the scheme on children in households on the lowest incomes and their ability to access opportunities.

Answer · Jenny Gilruth: As of close of business on 27 June 2022 a total of 426,397 cards had been issued under the Young Persons Scheme (YPS). This includes the number of cards that have collected a travel product from the Transport Scot Pass Collect mobile application held by Trans…

8 Jun 2022 · SPCB Oral Question

To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether an assessment has been made of the chairs in the MSP block for use by members and staff, in relation to occupational health and the latest standards.

Answer · Christine Grahame (on behalf of the SPCB): Our office furniture contracts require suppliers to ensure that chairs meet all relevant standards in force at the time of purchase. We inspect chairs at regular intervals to ensure that they remain in safe condition and replace them when they reach end of li…

26 Apr 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask what assessment the Scottish Government has made of the potential impact on Scotland of the outcome of the French presidential election.

25 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much it (a) has spent on funding Discretionary Housing Payments (DHPs) in each year for which it has been responsible for doing so and (b) estimates it will spend on funding DHPs in the current financial year, all broken down by how much was in relation to (i) the removal of the spar…

Answer · Shona Robison: (a) Scotland has budgeted £429 million in total for Discretionary Housing Payments since DHPs were devolved in 2017 to the 2022-23 financial year. This is broken down into £349 million for mitigation of the bedroom tax and £80.4 million for mitigating the imp…

21 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to implementing a rapid food production impact assessment of all existing and new legislation and policy affecting agricultural land use and practice, in order to avoid any undermining of the potential for, or increases to the costs of, food production.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scottish Ministers have established a short-life Food Security and Supply Taskforce, together with industry. The Taskforce met for the first time on 18 March and again on 01 and 20 April. It will monitor, identify and respond to any current and potential disr…

21 Apr 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to making food security impact assessments an immediate requirement for any application for largescale forestry expansion on productive agricultural land, in order to ensure that all productive land can be prioritised for food production rather than carbon…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government requires that where large scale forestry expansion is proposed, that may impact upon productive agricultural land, that consultation takes place between the applicant, Agriculture and Rural Economy (ARE) and Scottish Forestry (SF) coll…

15 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the most recent known levels of charges for (a) NHS prescriptions and (b) eye tests in Scotland, and how this compares with (i) England and (ii) Wales.

Answer · Maree Todd: Prescription charges were abolished in Scotland on 1 April 2011. The prescription charge in England is £9.35 per item from 1 April 2021. Prescription charges were abolished in Wales on 1 April 2007. Unlike England and Wales, Scotland provides free NHS-funded…

15 Mar 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement it has had with the UK Government regarding a lifetime commitment to thalidomide health grants and support beyond 2023.

Answer · Kevin Stewart: Scottish Government officials have had initial discussions with the UK Government, and other administrations regarding continued support for the survivors of Thalidomide in Scotland. Officials also continue to engage with the Thalidomide Trust to discuss futu…

11 Mar 2022 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government what further steps it is taking to respond to the Ukrainian refugee crisis.

Answer · Nicola Sturgeon: This is an unprecedented time and we are witnessing a humanitarian crisis in Europe not seen since World War II. The Government is actively working with the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, councils and the Scottish Refugee Council to ensure that Sco…

23 Feb 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to dairy farmers to promote sustainability and fairness in the supply chain.

9 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact new offshore installed power generation will have on the reported concerns regarding onshore landscape capacity.

Answer · Michael Matheson: Scottish Government is working with key stakeholders in the process to try and address challenges and ensure as far as possible that connections to the network do not act as a barrier to the delivery of our ambitious offshore wind aspirations. Our draft Nati…

9 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what considerations it will put in place for onshore wind turbine planning consents (a) in areas where the onshore installed power generation is already at a high level and (b) where rural communities feel that they are already contributing significantly towards renewable targets.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Our Draft National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) sets out how our approach to planning and development will help achieve a net zero, sustainable Scotland by 2045, including through a suite of 35 proposed new or updated national planning policies. Draft policy 1…

9 Feb 2022 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether the onshore wind turbines planning advice guidance will be updated to reflect considerations for applications for turbines of 200m and over that are in close proximity to individual rural dwellings or settlements, and to require turbines of 150m and over to be illuminated.

18 Jan 2022 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to extend financial support for outdoor clothing to early learning and childcare settings.

11 Jan 2022 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the designation of UNESCO biosphere reserves in Scotland as areas of significance for sustainable development and climate change.

17 Nov 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the measures it has been taking as part of the Women’s Health Plan to improve access for women to appropriate support, speedy diagnosis and best treatment for endometriosis.

27 Oct 2021 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the measures it has been taking to protect and enhance the marine environment through no-take zones and marine protected areas.

21 Oct 2021 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the actions ministers have taken under section 9 of the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020, regarding opportunities to advance equality and non-discrimination when exercising their functions under the Act.

Answer · Angus Robertson: Section 9 of the Coronavirus (Scotland) Act 2020 requires that the Scottish Ministers have regard to opportunities to advance equality and non-discrimination when exercising functions under Part 1 of the Act. The following provisions under Part 1 of the Act …

21 Sep 2021 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to increase the capacity of on-street charging infrastructure as drivers switch to electric vehicles.

1 Sep 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on progress with its joint action plan with COSLA, Improving the Lives of Scotland’s Gypsy/Travellers 2019-2021.

25 Aug 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that water scarcity reporting is accurate and reflective of all areas of Scotland.

8 Jun 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that the prosecution system delivers fairer and more effective justice.

2 Jun 2021 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support communities to play their part in achieving Scotland's net zero targets.