Parliamentary questions
Liam McArthur
3,644 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
22 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has changed its target for the publication of the final version of its biodiversity strategy to 2045, along with the first delivery plan, since the draft strategy was published, and, if so, what the original target was.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Our original intention was to consult on the final draft biodiversity strategy and delivery plan in Spring 2023 with a view to publishing the final strategy and delivery plan in in Summer 2023. The time frame was put back by 3 months to allow key elements of …
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14348 by Shona Robison on 31 January 2023, whether it will provide a breakdown, by local authority area, of the data for each year.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The following tables provide a breakdown of homes delivered in rural (mainland) and island areas through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund since 2016-17 by local authority area. Local Authority - Rural 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 …
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-14348 by Shona Robison on 31 January 2023, whether it will provide updated data for 2022-23.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The following table provides a breakdown of homes delivered in rural (mainland) and island areas through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund since 2016-17. RIHF 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22 2022-23 Total Homes Rural 2 21 1 35 …
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-17666, S6W-17669 and S6W-17670 by Paul McLennan on 17 May 2023, how much money has been allocated, in total, by the funds during the current parliamentary session, broken down by local authority.
Answer · Paul McLennan: A total of £18.181 million has been allocated from the demand-led Rural and Islands Housing Fund for the current parliamentary term, this includes spend of £9.088 million. The following table provides a breakdown by local authority area. Local Authority All…
17 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-17666 and S6W-17670 by Paul McLennan on 17 May 2023, whether it will provide a costing breakdown of the money that has been allocated so far in the current parliamentary session (a) in total and (b) as a proportion of the total money made availabl…
Answer · Paul McLennan: A total of (a) £18.181 million has been allocated from the (b) £30 million demand-led Rural and Islands Housing Fund for the current parliamentary term. The following table provides a breakdown of allocated funds between rural and island by local authority ar…
15 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the Ferry Replacement Task Force will next meet.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Arrangements are being made to hold the next meeting of the Orkney Islands Council Ferry Replacement Task Force soon. The minutes will be published on the Transport Scotland website in due course. I also plan to visit Orkney during summer recess where I will …
4 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether materials currently collected for recycling by (a) Orkney Islands Council, (b) Shetland Islands Council and (c) Comhairle nan Eilean Siar would be transported to the Scottish mainland under the proposed Deposit Return Scheme, and, if so, how much additional material it anticipate…
Answer · Lorna Slater: As indicated in the islands communities impact assessment , published in 2020, the introduction of Deposit Return Scheme will not increase the amount of waste that will either arise in island communities or be transported off islands. This is because most w…
4 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12122 by Lorna Slater on 23 November 2022, whether (a) SEPA and (b) Circularity Scotland has carried out any assessment of the issue raised in the question.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Island Communities Impact Assessment makes clear that the introduction of the Deposit Return Scheme will not increase the amount of waste that will arise in island communities as most waste is currently transported off the islands. Furthermore, as part of…
2 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it is giving, as part of the proposed expansion of free school meals, to prioritising sustainably-produced Scottish food in procurement for these programmes, including from farms practising organic or regenerative agriculture, in order to support Scotland’s just transi…
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: We remain committed to the expansion of free school meals in primary and special schools as described in our programme for government. All food and drink, including free school meals, served in local authority and grant aided schools must meet the standards s…
2 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of food procured for free school meals currently comes from farms practising organic or regenerative agriculture in Scotland.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: All food and drink served in local authority and grant aided schools must meet the standards set out within The Nutritional Requirements for Food and Drink in Schools (Scotland) Regulations 2020. These Regulations are supported by statutory guidance on ‘Healt…
2 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01910 by Michael Matheson on 20 August 2021, how much it estimates it will cost (a) on average and (b) in total to bring such properties up to an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of at least band C, in line with its net zero and just tran…
Answer · Patrick Harvie: There is no fixed definition of what a hard to treat home is. As noted in the response to PQ S6W-01910, the average cost of upgrading an off-gas property with an initial EPC rating between bands E and G to an EPC band C could be in the region of £17,000. As …
2 May 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16682 by Patrick Harvie on 2 May 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding what the (a) average and (b) shortest time was in (i) 2020-21, (ii) 2021-22 and (iii) 2022-23 between initial inquiries or applications being made and…
Answer · Patrick Harvie: Further to the description of each scheme provided in the response to S6W-16682, the requested figures for the Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Scheme and Warmer Homes Scotland (WHS) Scheme are set out below. HES Grant and Loan Scheme The following…
30 Apr 2023 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in light of the grounding of MV Pentalina and any impact on ferry services to and from Orkney.
27 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10631 by Shona Robison on 20 September 2022, whether it will provide an update on the total number of homes that have been built in each local authority area through the (a) Rural Housing and (b) Islands Housing Fund since November 2021.
Answer · Paul McLennan: A total of 56 homes have been completed through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund since November 2021. The following table provides a breakdown by local authority area. Local Authority Area Rural Islands Total Argyll & Bute 0 6 6 Dumfries & Galloway…
27 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on how long it anticipates the Rural and Islands Housing Funds will remain open.
Answer · Paul McLennan: Up to £30 million is being made available to the Rural and Islands Housing Fund during this parliamentary term.
27 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding in total is still available to applicants through the (a) Rural Housing and (b) Islands Housing Fund.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Rural and Islands Housing Fund has £11.8 million remaining available to allocate during this parliamentary term to fully developed, consented main fund project applications in rural and island communities.
27 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its commitment, announced on 23 April 2023, to support affordable housing for key workers in rural areas, whether it plans to make funds available for community-led housing projects in rural areas that aim to provide affordable housing to key workers.
Answer · Paul McLennan: Development Trusts and others taking forward community led housing already have access to the demand-led £30 million Rural and Islands Housing Fund. This fund already supports community organisations to bring forward new housing projects, or to renovate empty…
27 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to its commitment, announced on 23 April 2023, to support affordable housing for key workers in rural areas, for what reason community development trusts have reportedly been excluded from this initiative.
Answer · Paul McLennan: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17667 on 17 May 2023. 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-committees/…
27 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity during the ministerial statement on the Deposit Return Scheme on 20 April 2023, whether it will provide details of the concerns that businesses and trade associations have raised about the scheme…
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government and delivery partners such as Circularity Scotland, SEPA, and Zero Waste Scotland have regularly engaged with businesses on the Deposit Return Scheme. There are a number issues which businesses are working with partners on to ensure al…
27 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17639 by Neil Gray on 27 April 2023, how many jobs in Scotland it estimates this development will create; whether a site or sites have been identified for this development; when it will open, and whether it committed to any financial support for the…
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government welcomes Sumitomo’s proposed investment in Scotland and is working closely with our enterprise agencies and other partners to support the investment and ensure it delivers maximum benefit for Scotland. Sumitomo has confirmed more than …
27 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity during the ministerial statement on the Deposit Return Scheme on 20 April 2023, which (a) businesses and (b) trade associations have expressed concerns relating to uncertainty around the scheme f…
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government and delivery partners such as Circularity Scotland, SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland continue to regularly engage directly with businesses on matters which are within our control to ensure all involved are ready for successful launch on 1 …
27 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Green Skills, Circular Economy and Biodiversity during the ministerial statement on the Deposit Return Scheme on 20 April 2023, which (a) businesses and (b) trade associations have confirmed to the minister that their “number one concern” is u…
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government and delivery partners such as Circularity Scotland, SEPA and Zero Waste Scotland continue to regularly engage directly with businesses on matters which are within our control to ensure all involved are ready for successful launch on 1 …
20 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish (a) the final version of and (b) the first delivery plan for the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045: Tackling the Nature Emergency in Scotland.
Answer · Lorna Slater: A consultation on the final Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and its first Delivery Plan will take place over Summer 2023. Publication of the final versions of both the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and the first Delivery Plan will follow in Autumn 2023.
12 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the April 2023 SkyeConnect survey, which reportedly found that 10% of self-catering or bed and breakfast businesses will close due to short-term let licensing, and that a further 20% are considering leaving the sector, and what impact it anticipates this could hav…
Answer · Paul McLennan: Short-term let licensing and powers to designate control areas allow local authorities to strike a balance between the economic benefits of short-term lets and the needs and concerns of communities in their areas. It is for local authorities to use the powers…
12 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many businesses (a) have closed and (b) are considering closing as a result of short-term let licensing.
Answer · Paul McLennan: The Scottish Government does not hold information on businesses that have closed, or are considering closing as a result of the short-term let licensing scheme. Existing hosts, those operating before 1 October 2022, have until 1 October 2023 to apply for a li…
30 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what additional support will be made available to support the construction of social housing when the Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard is introduced.
Answer · Paul McLennan: When applying for grant assistance at tender stage to deliver homes for social rent, grant applicants are required to self-certify that the amount of funding that they are requesting is the minimum required for a project to be financially viable for their org…
30 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to enhance the financial support available to (a) individual developers and (b) community groups for Rural and Islands Housing Fund projects, in the event that the introduction of a Scottish equivalent to the Passivhaus standard adds additional costs to construction in r…
Answer · Paul McLennan: As the Rural and Islands Housing Fund is part of the Affordable Housing Supply Programme, the Scottish Government will consider any additional costs associated with improved quality standards for homes delivered through the Rural and Islands Housing Fund and …
29 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16134 by Patrick Harvie on 28 March 2023, what specific delivery programmes and support are available to help people to move immediately to zero or low emissions heating systems, in the event there is a sudden unexpected failure of a fossil fuel boi…
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government’s heat and energy efficiency schemes are not designed to act as an emergency response for households who have experienced a sudden failure in their heating system. Support is available through Scottish Government schemes for household…
24 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it invited Circularity Scotland to respond to its consultation on the post-legislative scrutiny of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The Scottish Government did not specifically invite Circularity Scotland Ltd to respond to the Access to Information Rights in Scotland consultation, however it was open to anyone to respond to via the Scottish Government consultation hub. The Scottish Govern…
24 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it can request that Circularity Scotland voluntarily responds to any requests for information regarding the company's role in the operation of the Deposit Return Scheme in line with the principles of Freedom of Information legislation.
Answer · Lorna Slater: As a private company, Circularity Scotland Ltd is not obligated to comply with requests under Freedom of Information legislation. Circularity Scotland already engage with requests regarding their role in the Deposit Return Scheme, including providing evidence…