Parliamentary questions
Maurice Golden
1,697 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) agency staff and (b) other third party contractors it employed to provide services related to (i) research, (ii) planning and (iii) implementation of the Deposit Return Scheme in each year since 2017, broken down by associated costs for each year.
Answer · Lorna Slater: As part of the development of the Deposit Return Scheme, Zero Waste Scotland has undertaken various pieces of work for the Scottish Government. This includes impact assessments, including the Business Regulatory Impact Assessment, and managing the return poin…
10 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21948 by Fiona Hyslop on 26 October 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding how many air quality sensors have been deployed in each year since 2021.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transport Scotland has contracted Hagar Environmental & Atmospheric Technologies (HEAT) to deploy remote sensing equipment on both local and trunk roads in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Remote sensing equipment uses laser spectroscopy to measure the real-world emissi…
10 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment has been made of the area of land suitable for food production that (a) has received planning approval and (b) a planning application has been made in respect of, in the past three years, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Joe FitzPatrick: Planning applications are determined by planning authorities locally in the first instance and are not recorded centrally. The information requested is not held centrally.
10 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of any impact of renewable energy projects on food production.
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government has not carried out a specific assessment of the potential impacts of renewable energy projects on food production. National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) policy 5 ‘Soils’ is clear that that development proposals on prime agricultural l…
10 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work (a) has been and (b) is planned to be carried out in relation to mapping biofuel feedstock production.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government has commissioned several pieces of research to consider biofuel feedstock production in recent years. The report Perennial energy crops and their potential in Scotland: evidence review examines the potential for a sustainable expans…
9 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted an impact assessment of the potential cumulative effect of a deposit return scheme, extended producer responsibility and package recovery notes on drinks producers in Scotland.
Answer · Lorna Slater: An underlying principle of producer responsibility policies for packaging, covering the existing package recovery notes (PRN) system, reforms to Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) for packaging, and the Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) for single use drinks co…
1 Nov 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on Dundee City Council only posting a draft statement of its accounts for the financial year 2021-22.
Answer · Tom Arthur: Dundee City Council published its audited 2021-22 annual accounts on Monday, 7 November 2022. The accounts are available for inspection on its website: Dundee City Council Audited Annual Accounts for the year ended 31 March 2022 | Dundee City Council
1 Nov 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the social justice secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding how to improve access to energy efficient housing in rural communities
24 Oct 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what discussions the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth has had with ministerial colleagues regarding efforts to ensure that circular economy practices are embedded in public procurement.
19 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what progress Zero Waste Scotland has made on working with the textiles industry to encourage the use of natively grown sustainable fibres.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Zero Waste Scotland recognises the importance of natively grown sustainable fibres in the transition to a Circular Economy for textiles. Zero Waste Scotland are undertaking research on the textiles industry in Scotland to understand material flows and busines…
19 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has established a long-term strategy for sustainable fibre production in Scotland, and, if so, what the goals of the strategy are.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22317 on 7 November 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-committe…
19 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of the natively grown sustainable fibres that it has identified for support in any of its economic or environmental strategies or plans.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government does not collect data specific to the production of flax or other sustainable fibre crops. Currently, flax is not a major crop in Scotland, however we recognise there are potential benefits to flax production, and we are keen to speak …
19 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has had any recent engagement with industry representatives or stakeholders that are seeking to expand flax production in Scotland.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22317 on 7 November 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-committe…
19 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what mechanisms are available to support demonstrator projects for sustainable fibre production, and how much funding has been granted to such projects in the last five years, broken down by project.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22317 on 7 November 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-committ…
19 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much flax fibre is currently produced annually in Scotland, and what assessment has been made of any potential benefits of increased production.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-22317 on 7 November 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-committe…
17 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of plastic collected in Scotland for recycling has been recycled in (a) Scotland and (b) outwith Scotland in each of the past five years.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Information on the percentage of plastic collected and recycled in Scotland, and outwith Scotland is available from SEPA (Scottish Environment Protection Agency) via its ‘waste from all sources’ data reporting tool: https://informatics.sepa.org.uk/WasteAllSo…
17 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05058 by Lorna Slater on 21 December 2021, whether it will provide an updated list setting out the level of local authority readiness to comply with the delayed ban on waste to landfill.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Local authorities are responsible for the provision of local waste services and are, therefore, best placed to comment on their readiness to comply with the ban on sending biodegradable municipal waste to landfill in 2025. We continue to provide procurement …
17 Oct 2023 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the education secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding action to reduce instances of vaping in schools.
4 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it remains committed to providing the full £100 million of funding to the Green Jobs Fund over the lifetime of the initiative.
Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Green Jobs Fund was created to support new and increased opportunities for green job creation across Scotland, by providing up to £100 million capital investment over a five year term. Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and South of Sc…
4 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of (a) its and (b) each of its agencies' vehicle fleet is comprised of zero-emission vehicles, and what information it has on how this compares with other public bodies.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: a) Presently, Scottish Government's overall fleet is comprised of 69% ultra-low and zero emission vehicles. Zero emission vehicles make up 26% of the total Scottish Government fleet. b) Data held by Transport Scotland on the % of zero emission vehicles in Sc…
2 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last requested updated advice from Zero Waste Scotland on identifying circular economic opportunities in the textiles sector.
Answer · Elena Whitham: Zero Waste Scotland last provided advice on textiles to the Scottish Government in August 2023.
1 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to commissioning "population research on the long term effects of air pollution", as committed to in the Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 report.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: In March 2023, the Scottish Government commissioned a literature review to assess the evidence on health impacts of low level air pollution in countries with ambient air pollution levels comparable to Scotland. Following publication of this literature review,…
1 Oct 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many air quality emissions monitors have been installed on local and trunk roads, broken down by local authority area, since the publication of the Cleaner Air for Scotland 2 progress report that committed to "establish a comprehensive network of cutting-edge remote sensing air quali…
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Transport Scotland has contracted Hagar Environmental & Atmospheric Technologies (HEAT) to deploy remote sensing equipment on both local and trunk roads in 2021, 2022 and 2023. Remote sensing equipment uses laser spectroscopy to measure the real-world emissi…
15 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted a climate impact assessment of its Infrastructure Investment Plan for the period 2021-26, and, if so, when the assessment will be published.
Answer · Shona Robison: Annex C of the Infrastructure Investment Plan (IIP), published February 2021, used a taxonomy approach to assess planned infrastructure spend into low, neutral and high carbon categories, drawing on the annual carbon assessment of the capital budget. The 2022…
15 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20826 by Neil Gray on 12 September 2023, whether it will provide the information requested regarding what proportion of the Scottish National Investment Bank’s investment activity has been used to support companies able to demonstrate savings in bot…
Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish National Investment Bank sets out its approach to assessing its impact in its annual Impact Report. The member may wish to note the Bank reports on the amount of capital it has committed against each of its missions and the impacts delivered acr…
15 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20817 by Fiona Hyslop on 12 September 2023, whether any minister has met with original equipment manufacturers of electric vehicles in the past three years.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Since September 2020, Scottish Ministers have had a significant number of meetings with electric vehicle manufacturers, including Alexander Dennis Ltd, Wrightbus, Switch, Volvo, Hydrogen Vehicle Systems, Tesla, Hitachi, and Alstom, as well as the Society of M…
14 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20825 by Fiona Hyslop on 12 September 2023, how many kilometres of rail track were electrified in each of the last five years.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Electrification is commissioned at the completion of works and last schemes to be commissioned were Shotts Line Electrification (74km) and Stirling-Dunblane-Alloa Electrification (110km). Work on the development, design and construction of further electrifica…
13 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government for what proportion of species at risk of extinction it considers there is currently (a) sufficient and (b) insufficient data on (i) abundance and (ii) distribution.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The IUCN Red List classifies species at risk of global extinction into nine categories: Not Evaluated, Data Deficient, Least Concern, Near Threatened, Vulnerable, Endangered, Critically Endangered, Extinct in the Wild and Extinct. NatureScot, working with sta…
13 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-20814 by Lorna Slater on 12 September 2023, how much of the investment in battery recycling/reprocessing has been made in each year since 2021.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Since 2021, the only investment has been through the Just Transition Fund and is as follows: 2022-23: £457,559 2023-24: £169,175
7 Sep 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the five actions listed on page 25 of its report, Cleaner Air For Scotland 2: Towards a Better Place for Everyone, broken down by which actions (a) have been completed, (b) are underway and (c) have not yet started.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: An update on progress with these actions is included in the Cleaner Air for Scotland 2023 annual report, which will be published on 27 September 2023.