Parliamentary questions
Mercedes Villalba
523 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
4 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, what legal consideration it gave when setting the permitted rate of rent increase to 3% for private rented sector tenancies.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government does not routinely disclose the content or source of any legal advice it has received on any topic or whether it has received any legal advice.
4 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Rent Adjudication (Temporary Modifications) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, what legal consideration it gave in relation to the determination of rent payable for private residential tenancies expiring on 31 March 2025.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government does not routinely disclose the content or source of any legal advice it has received on any topic or whether it has received any legal advice.
4 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Rent Adjudication (Temporary Modifications) (Scotland) Regulations 2024, what legal consideration it gave when setting the determination of rent payable for private residential tenancies.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government does not routinely disclose the content or source of any legal advice it has received on any topic or whether it has received any legal advice.
4 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Housing (Scotland) Bill, what contact it has had with (a) individual tenants and (b) representative tenant bodies.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government has engaged with individual tenants and representative tenant bodies and more information can be found in the Housing Policy Memorandum and Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA) .Since introduction of the Bill, the Scottish …
4 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022, what legal consideration it gave in relation to the permitted rate of rent increase of 3% for private rented sector tenancies expiring on 31 March 2024.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government does not routinely disclose the content or source of any legal advice it has received on any topic or whether it has received any legal advice.
4 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Rent Adjudication (Temporary Modifications) (Scotland) Regulations 2024 and the Housing (Scotland) Bill, whether it has considered any impact of tenants potentially being left without any protections between the expiration of rent adjudication on 31 March 2025 and the…
Answer · Paul McLennan: The temporary modifications were introduced as part of the Cost of Living (Tenant Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022 to support a cost-of-living crisis. The Housing (Scotland) Bill will seek to introduce permanent rent control legislation.From 1 April 2025, exis…
27 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) shore side and (b) seafaring jobs in Scotland it estimates will be supported by the key construction suppliers listed by the developers of the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Scotland’s offshore wind sector is expected to generate significant employment opportunities. Based on evidence available across a number of individual studies, the Scottish Government’s Offshore Wind Focus paper estimates the Offshore Wind sector…
27 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an updated assessment of the pay and conditions of seafarers working on vessels chartered to survey the site of the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm in 2019.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Seafarer employment legislation is reserved and a matter for the UK Government. Guidance published by the UK Government in 2018, and updated following 2020 legislation, can be found here: Minimum wage: seafarers and other people working at sea - GOV.UK.As suc…
27 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it is having with the UK Government regarding (a) trade union recognition and (b) the application of the national minimum wage in the maritime supply chain for the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Employment and industrial relations legislation is reserved to the UK Parliament. While this remains the case, the Scottish Government will continue to use our Fair Work policy to drive up labour market standards for workers across the Scottish labour market.…
27 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Crown Estate Scotland regarding employment conditions in the supply chain for the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm.
Answer · Gillian Martin: While Scottish Government officials regularly engage with Crown Estate Scotland, which administers seabed leasing for offshore wind and sets the terms of those leases, employment conditions in the supply chain for the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm have not bee…
27 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an estimate of the total fees that will be paid to Crown Estate Scotland by the developers for the 50-year lease for the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm site.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Crown Estate Scotland estimate £186 million will be paid by the developers for the 50-year lease for the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm site. This figure is based on Minimum output and tenant projections for production over the 50 year period, based on 20…
27 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, with reference to Scottish Renewables’ Supply Chain Impact Statement 2023-24, how many of the 20 principal work packages for the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm have been directly awarded to employers in Scotland.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Renewables’ Supply Chain Impact Statement 2023-24 highlighted that, at the time of publication, 105 different Scottish suppliers, firms and consultancies have helped to progress and shape the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm. Inch Cape may cons…
27 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that the Fair Work Action Plan is adopted by all employers contracted by the developers of the Inch Cape Offshore Wind Farm.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Through the Scottish Government’s Fair Work policy, all employers across Scotland, which would include those involved in the Offshore Wind sector, are encouraged to adopt Fair Work principles. The Fair Work Action Plan asks employers right across Scotla…
25 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its guidance on applying the waste hierarchy, what targets have been set on the implementation of waste hierarchy in managing waste.
Answer · Gillian Martin: To drive progress towards our circular economy goals, Scotland had a set of waste and recycling targets in place over the past decade running to 2025, and spanning the waste hierarchy.As our Circular Economy & Waste Route Map set out, while these previous…
25 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its guidance on applying the waste hierarchy, what discussions it has had with (a) SEPA and (b) affected communities regarding new energy-from-waste incineration sites that have already received approval, including what consideration has been made for community (i) consent a…
Answer · Gillian Martin: There are currently three Energy from Waste (EfW) sites currently in construction and commissioning and SEPA keeps the Scottish Government updated about their development.With respect to community consent, these facilities require planning consent from the re…
25 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its guidance on applying the waste hierarchy, what independent mechanisms oversee the implementation of waste hierarchy in managing waste.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Scottish waste legislation is underpinned by the waste hierarchy and Scottish Government has a range of laws and policies which implement it in managing waste.The Waste (Scotland) Regulations 2012 require Scottish households and businesses to present recyclab…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) contractors and (b) sub-contractors received funding from the £3.7 million it has provided for the Offshore Skills Energy Passport.
Answer · Gillian Martin: OPITO was the sole recipient of Scottish Government’s Just Transition Fund support for developing the Offshore Energy Skills Passport over the period 2022 to 2024. Our records show that five sub-contractors were engaged by OPITO in supporting the Passpo…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support an increase in (a) training and (b) employment in the offshore wind supply chain for seafarers in north east Scotland.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government is investing up to £500 million over five years to anchor our offshore wind supply chain in Scotland. This investment will support market certainty, and help create a highly productive, competitive offshore wind economy that supp…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the most recent information it has is, regarding the number of workers directly employed in the (a) offshore decommissioning sector and (b) carbon capture, utilisation and storage sectors.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Data on direct employment in offshore decommissioning is not held centrally. However, these jobs will be included as part of the data from Office of National Statistics, on overall employment for the “oil and gas extraction support services” secto…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it expects to publish its Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.
Answer · Gillian Martin: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-32265 on 6 January 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at: https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committe…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has provided to the Just Transition Commission to date.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The details of the budget we have provided to the Just Transition Commission to date is as follows:Financial YearSpend2022-2023£102,0002023-2024£138,5912024-2025£215,214*2025-2026 *Final spend will be available end March 2025The budget …
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on what the average cost is to drivers or operators to meet the requirement for specific MOT testing for licensed taxi (a) licensing, (b) testing and (c) retesting.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-35156 on 27 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-a…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to taxi licensing, what information it has on what the average cost is to drivers or operators to meet the requirement for a taxi with tinted windows to have CCTV installed.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: Taxis and private hire cars (PHCs) are licensed under the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982.While the Scottish Government has responsibility for the overarching legislation, the day to day administration of the licensing regime is devolved to independent l…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to taxi licensing, testing and retesting, what information it has on what the average cost is to drivers or operators of (a) gaining a taxi licence, (b) testing and (c) retesting.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: I refer the member to the answer to the question S6W-35156 on 27 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-a…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to taxi licensing, testing and retesting, which local authorities currently require licensed taxis to be retested more than once every year.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: I refer the member to the answer to questions S6W-35156 and S6W-35159 on 27 February 2025. This information is not held centrally. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be f…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to nationally standardise licensed taxi (a) licensing, (b) testing and (c) retesting rules across all local authorities.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35156 on 27 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committ…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered any impact of local authorities continuing to use delegated powers on licensing committees, and what action it has taken in this regard.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-35156 on 27 February 2025. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committ…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to taxi licensing, testing and retesting, which local authorities currently require licensed taxis to be retested every year.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: I refer the member to the answers to questions S6W-35156 and S6W-35159 on 27 February 2025. This information is not held centrally. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be …
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to taxi licensing, which local authorities currently have a requirement for taxis with tinted windows to have CCTV installed.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: I refer the member to the answers given for S6W-35156 and S6W-35159 on 27 February 2025. This information is not held centrally.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can b…
20 Feb 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which local authorities currently have a requirement for specific MOT testing for licensed taxi (a) licensing, (b) testing and (c) retesting.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: I refer the member to the answers given for S6W-35156 and S6W-35159 on 27 February 2025. This information is not held centrally.All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can b…