Parliamentary questions
Patrick Harvie
1,454 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
29 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has ever been formally approached by Glasgow City Council to adopt the Clyde Tunnel as national infrastructure, and, if so, when any such approaches were made, and what its position is on this.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transport Scotland was approached by Glasgow City Council in 2008, 2011, 2016 and 2023 in relation to the funding for the Clyde Tunnel and to gauge the possibility of adopting it as a trunk road. The Scottish Government’s position is that the Clyde Tunn…
29 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions its (a) ministers and (b) officials have had with Glasgow City Council regarding any potential changes to the operation of the Clyde Tunnel.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Discussions that have taken place to date between Ministers/officials and Glasgow City Council have been to confirm that the Scottish Government’s position is that the Clyde Tunnel is a local road under the responsibility of the Council and is appropria…
29 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on (a) Glasgow, (b) the NHS and (c) emergency services of the reported proposed industrial action by staff at the Clyde Tunnel.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transport Scotland are aware of the proposed industrial action by staff at the Clyde Tunnel, however no assessment has been made as the Clyde Tunnel is a local road under the responsibility of Glasgow City Council.It would be a matter for the Council to asses…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding planning decisions in cases where aviation operators have objected to renewable energy developments, what discretion it has to ensure that financial contributions sought by aviation operators are justified, proportionate and based solely on actual incurred costs.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Depending on the circumstances of the case, financial contributions in connection with planning consent may be secured either by conditions or by planning obligations. The use of both planning conditions and obligations is subject to a series of tests: the fo…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to reduce any barriers posed by aviation radar issues to renewable energy developments.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Aviation radar issues are a key consideration by Scottish Ministers in determining planning and consenting applications for on and offshore renewable energy developments. Scottish Government officials work with applicants and stakeholders to ensure the potent…
22 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the upgrading of aviation radar systems to ensure that windfarm developments can proceed without objection, including how the costs incurred by aviation operators can be (a) independently verified and (b) appropriately split be…
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Scottish Government officials are involved in a number of initiatives with UK Government focussed on the interaction between on and offshore windfarms and aviation radar systems.Officials from the Scottish Government work with stakeholders, including the Mini…
8 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what communications it has had with the UK Government regarding any negotiations that it has had, or plans, with the USA regarding a potential trade deal between the UK and USA.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government has had regular engagement with the UK Government at both official and Ministerial level on US developments and the implications of tariffs. I met with the UK Minister for Trade Policy twice recently to discuss this, and the First Mini…
8 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it (a) has carried out and (b) plans to carry out an impact assessment of a potential trade deal between the UK and USA on sectors in Scotland, including farming, food, environmental protection, technology and public services.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The shape of any potential trade deal between the UK and the US remains unclear, which makes analysis of potential impacts challenging.The Scottish Government is engaging with the UK Government at ministerial and official level to get the details needed to an…
27 Mar 2025 · First Minister's Question
Question to be taken in Chamber.
20 Mar 2025 · First Minister's Question
Question to be taken in Chamber.
19 Mar 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the regulatory approach to AI and any impact that differences between regulations in the UK and the EU could have on Scotland's economy.
12 Mar 2025 · SPCB Oral Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body whether it will consider removing from its catering outlets any products made by companies identified by the UN Human Rights Office as being involved in activities related to illegal Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
12 Mar 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the criminal justice system applies its public health approach to reducing the harm caused by drug use.
6 Mar 2025 · First Minister's Question
Question to be taken in Chamber.
27 Feb 2025 · First Minister's Question
Question to be taken in Chamber.
10 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what formulation is used when setting the value of the living grant for trainee educational psychologists; whether inflation is taken into account, and whether this has been reviewed since the grant was introduced in 2018.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: In partnership, the Scottish Government and COSLA provide £2m investment per year to deliver the training programme for educational psychologists.The formulation for this investment takes into account the number of students, the tuition fees paid for ea…
10 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing a requirement that car parks over a certain capacity should install solar panels to cover the park.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government’s Solar Vision, which will be published in due course, will set out the commitments that we will take to enable greater deployment of solar in Scotland. We will continue to support the sector to minimise barriers to deployment, w…
10 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is aware of the reported emerging trend of unaccompanied young people arriving in Glasgow, and whether it is gathering any data on this issue.
Answer · Natalie Don-Innes: The Scottish Government is aware that unaccompanied young people have arrived in Glasgow in significant numbers in recent years.Asylum processes are reserved to the UK Government, and therefore local authorities are not asked to routinely provide data to the …
12 Dec 2024 · First Minister's Question
Question to be taken in Chamber.
11 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what finance mechanisms are being considered by the Green Heat Finance Taskforce to deliver the clean heat transition.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Green Heat Finance Taskforce’s Part 1 report identified a range of finance mechanisms that could be expanded or developed to support individual property owners finance the upfront costs of installing clean heat and energy efficiency measures. These …
11 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31510 by Alasdair Allan on 28 November 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of the outturn on energy efficiency and decarbonisation for the three-year Budget period of 2021-24.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Between 2021 and 2024, expenditure under the Heat in Buildings Programme totalled £493m. The annual spend is as follows:21-2222-2323-24£68m£175m£250m
11 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government by what date the Green Heat Finance Taskforce will publish part 2 of its report.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Green Heat Finance Taskforce is currently finalising its Part 2 report and will publish it in early 2025.
11 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timeline is for carrying out the Scottish Climate Survey, which aims to assess public awareness and understanding of the heat transition, and by what date this will be published.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Climate Survey is gathering data on public awareness and understanding of a variety of climate-related topics, including the heat transition. Data collection began in October 2024 and is continuing until January 2025. A report of findings is expe…
11 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, following the publication of the Heat in Buildings: progress report 2024, what action it is taking to strengthen the sources and quality of data on the number of (a) domestic and (b) non-domestic properties operating with zero emissions heating, including heat pumps, heat networks and e…
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Our progress report highlighted gaps in data that made reporting on some areas challenging, particularly heat networks and non-domestic properties.Future reporting of heat network data will be improved through the introduction of a new GB-wide heat network au…
11 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what solutions it is exploring to scale up the private finance needed for the clean heat transition.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Government has allocated £1.3 billion through its Heat in Building Programmes in this Parliamentary Session, investment it is committed to continuing in 2025-26 with over £300 million capital funding allocated in the draft budget. How…
11 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what correspondence it has had with the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero regarding improving the quality of heat networks metering and billing regulations notification data on the clean heat supplied through the heat networks in Scotland.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: With the introduction of a new heat network authorisation and consumer protection regime being developed under the Energy Act 2023, my officials have focused their efforts on engaging with the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero and Ofgem regarding…
11 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its draft Budget 2025-26, whether it has reached its target of allocating at least £1.8 billion to support the Heat in Buildings programme over the current parliamentary session and, if not, what the allocation is.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: With the draft 25-26 budget allocation, the total allocation for Heat in Buildings within this parliamentary session is £1.7bn.
11 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what dates the Green Heat Finance Taskforce has met since July 2024, and when the next meeting will take place.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Green Heat Finance Taskforce met on 16 July 2024 and 9 October 2024. The Taskforce’s next meeting is scheduled for 15 January 2025 when it will seek to finalise its Part 2 report.
11 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the £349.1 million energy efficiency and decarbonisation expenditure announced in its draft Budget 2025-26.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Work is underway to review and allocate the budget across the schemes funded through the Heat in Buildings programme. The allocations will be submitted for review to the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy early in the new year.
26 Nov 2024 · SPCB Written Question
To ask the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body what action it is taking to ensure that all parts of the parliamentary estate will be able to maintain a reasonable temperature for the wellbeing of staff, during the winter months.
Answer · Claire Baker (on behalf of the SPCB): The SPCB can confirm that temperatures will be maintained to allow building users towork comfortably within their specific work areas. We are aware that the temperature in the building recently was below comfortable levels. We are currently undertaking a majo…