Maurice Golden

4 Mar 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when Zero Waste Scotland will publish (a) the 2019 update and (b) other upcoming updates to the Material Flow Accounts and accompanying carbon footprint of waste.

Answer · Gillian Martin: With regards to the 2019 update, I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-23191 on 7 December 2023 by Lorna Slater MSP. This update to the old model will not be published to ensure clear communication of Scotland’s current material consumption. …

24 Feb 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it will next raise the matter of the use of electric shock collars on dogs with the Rural Affairs and Islands Committee.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission has been asked to look at aversive devices training devices and is expected to report in the near future. A Review of electric shock collars is also underway as part of the wider review of the Animals and Wildlife (Penal…

24 Feb 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many GP surgeries there are and how many are recruiting new GPs, broken down by geographical area. 

Answer · Neil Gray: Public Health Scotland publish data in relation to the number of GP practices currently operating in Scotland – the data can be accessed at: https://publichealthscotland.scot/healthcare-system/primary-care/general-practice/general-practice-data/general-…

17 Feb 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve the way the justice system handles crimes involving animals.  

14 Feb 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any government-initiated programmes and initiatives focused on improving environmental outcomes since 2016 that it considers have been unsuccessful in achieving their stated outcomes, and what the original estimated costs and benefits were, based on…

Answer · Gillian Martin: Individual Scottish Government strategies and policies are periodically reviewed, taking account of progress towards objectives. Strategies and policies with environmental goals can be found on the Scottish Government’s website at https://www.gov.scot/e…

14 Feb 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has conducted an analysis of any potential efficiency savings in the judicial system from the establishment of a dedicated environmental court, and, if not, whether it has any plans to do so.

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government made a written statement to Parliament on 19 November 2024 on the effectiveness of environmental governance arrangements, following an earlier report and consultation. As stated in those documents, the Scottish Government does not see …

11 Feb 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of its buildings have had (a) renewable energy generation equipment, such as solar panels, installed and (b) investment in renewable energy generation projects in each of the last 10 years, and what proportion of overall energy use in these building this covers.

Answer · Ivan McKee: (a) 6 owned buildings on the core Scottish Government estate have solar PV (photovoltaic) panels, 2 buildings have biomass boilers, 1 building has an air source heat pump.(b) Investment in renewable energy generation projects in owned core Scottish Government…

31 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28038 by Mairi McAllan on 14 June 2024, whether Scottish Water is now in a position to provide a detailed response on resolving water deficits in each water zone.

Answer · Gillian Martin: As shown in Scottish Water’s Long Term Strategy which was published on 4 February 2025, resolving water deficits is a matter for everyone not simply Scottish Water. At 180 litres per person per day Scotland has one of the highest rates of water consumpt…

28 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many funding packages, whether loans or grants, have been provided by the Scottish National Investment Bank to supply chain businesses involved in supporting ScotWind projects.

Answer · Kate Forbes: The Scottish National Investment Bank is operationally independent of the Scottish Government, it invests on a purely commercial basis and does not distribute grants of any kind.Full details of the Bank’s portfolio can be found on its website and this p…

15 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will authorise a review of fire safety procedures at waste management facilities.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Following the fire at the WEEE Solutions site in Linwood in June 2024, I asked my officials to consider the safety of these sites and battery energy storage (BESS) sites. In particular, this was to examine whether existing safety provisions and regulations ar…

15 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the findings were of the investigation into the fire at Shore Recycling in Perth on 28 February 2023, and which recommendations from that investigation were taken forward.

Answer · Siobhian Brown: The investigation following the fire at Shore Recycling in February 2023 remains ongoing and is being led by the Health and Safety Executive. The Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) cannot comment on the findings until the investigation is concluded. SFRS…

10 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32129 by Shona Robison on 8 January 2025, whether it will confirm whether it records, in an easily accessible format, the (a) amount of public money spent on court cases that it is a party to, as opposed to general government legal costs, and (b) nu…

Answer · Shona Robison: A) The Scottish Government does not record the information you have requested in an easily accessible format. The costs for each case are recorded in the individual case files or across multiple sources of information. As set out in the answer to question S6W…

10 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32391 by Gillian Martin on 8 January 2025, what plans it has to conduct any of the analytical methods outlined, and how it will ensure accurate monitoring of potential continued supply and usage of the single-use plastic items prohibited for supply …

Answer · Gillian Martin: Research into the implementation of the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 is underway and is scheduled to be published in early 2025. The findings of this research will include both qualitative and quantitative…

9 Jan 2025 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many animal disqualification and deprivation orders were issued in the period 2022-24; how this compares with 2017-22, and what underlying causes are behind any increase in number.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The number of disqualification or deprivation orders imposed in 2022-24 was 307. In the period 2017-22 the number imposed was 255. While numerous factors can contribute to fluctuations in these numbers, it is likely that amendments to the Animal Health and We…

7 Jan 2025 · Portfolio Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to transform participation rates for women in entrepreneurship.

21 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 12 actions in Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy 2020-2030 Delivery Plan have been achieved to date.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy is a ten year strategy and most of the actions relate to the ongoing delivery of our management functions. The progress being made with these will help ensure a stable context for fishing businesses to operate wi…

21 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when remote electronic monitoring will be fitted to inshore trawlers to ensure that fish caught in Scottish inshore seas is landed in local ports.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government’s amended economic link conditions took effect in 2023 to increase landings of key stocks into Scotland and ensure there is a significant economic benefit to Scottish coastal communities from this fishing opportunity.Indications …

21 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023, what action it is taking to promote low-impact, sustainable fishing, in light of it reportedly being a more stable and reliable part of the fleet.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Scottish Government acts on many fronts to promote low-impact, sustainable sea fishing.Our Future Fisheries Management Strategy sets out our vision for Scotland to be a world class fishing nation, delivering responsible and sustainable fisheries managemen…

21 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the publication of the Scottish Sea Fisheries Statistics 2023, whether discarding is continuing in the Nephrops trawl fishery, and what action is being taken to reduce any such food waste or ecosystem harm.

Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The abundance of fish in Scottish waters means that a varied industry has developed over time, with many different types of fishing vessels operating as part of a mixed fishery. There are different target fish species, depending on the type of fishing vessel …

19 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31906 by Gillian Martin on 16 December 2024, what discussions it has held over the past year with (a) academia and (b) private sector companies regarding any expansion of reuse and recycling of rare earth materials.

Answer · Gillian Martin: We must keep our precious resources in use as long as possible, in line with our circular economy ambitions and reusing and recycling materials has an important part to play in Scotland’s response to tackling the climate crisis. I have not held discussi…

19 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many cases of animal cruelty were reported to the police in 2023-24; of these cases, how many resulted in a (a) prosecution and (b) conviction, and, of those that resulted in a conviction, what proportion resulted in a custodial sentence.

Answer · Angela Constance: There is no single crime of animal cruelty and such crimes are identified differently in the annual Accredited Official Statistics publications on Recorded Crime in Scotland and Criminal Proceedings in Scotland. These publications are based on separate and un…

19 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how many people were banned from keeping animals in 2023-24.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: In the 2023-24 financial year, the number of case-accused with at least one charge that resulted in them receiving either a deprivation or disqualification order was eighty-five.

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31981 by Gillian Martin on 17 December 2024, whether it has asked SEPA to review local authority efforts to identify contaminated land downstream of disused lead mines, in light of reports of the UK Government tasking the Environment Agency to do so…

Answer · Gillian Martin: Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, land contamination is the responsibility of local authorities. Any land which is identified as being contaminated, including any downstream of disused lead mines, should be managed in accordance with their routine …

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31982 by Gillian Martin on 17 December 2024, what plans it has to assess any land contaminated by historic metal mining.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, land contamination is the responsibility of local authorities. Any land which is identified as being contaminated, including any contaminated by historic metal mining, should be managed in accordance with their rou…

18 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31983 by Gillian Martin on 17 December 2024, on what dates its meetings with the UK Government Office for the Internal Market (OIM) in 2024 took place; which of those meetings were attended by a cabinet secretary or minister, and at which of those m…

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Internal Market Act (IMA) was imposed on the Scottish Parliament without its consent, and radically undermines its powers. Every party in the Scottish Parliament, barring the Scottish Conservatives, voted for its repeal in October 2023, and the Scottish G…

13 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31828 by Gillian Martin on 10 December 2024, in light of the information not being held centrally, which sources would be required to gather the information requested.

Answer · Gillian Martin: Data on the usage of the noted material could be obtained through a range of activity including population surveys, waste composition analysis, cross-border trade analysis and studies of the weight and carbon impact of typical products.It should be noted that…

13 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31828 by Gillian Martin on 10 December 2024, what quantity of single-use plastic items has been seized from individuals and/or businesses in contravention of the Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 sinc…

Answer · Gillian Martin: The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 do not include a power to seize single use plastic items. They do, however, allow the taking of samples of articles or substances found in any premises that the enforcement…

13 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31784 by Neil Gray on 9 December 2024, whether it will provide an overview of how the Scottish Ambulance Service Special Operations Response Team (SORT) capabilities will be delivered across Scotland following the most recent review, including (a) g…

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Ambulance Service (SAS) are currently reviewing its operational delivery model for SORT. The findings of the review will be discussed with the Scottish Government to ensure any changes in operational delivery meet with the expectations set out in…

10 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31824 byShona Robison on 9 December 2024, for what reason it considered that therewould be a disproportionate cost in providing data for appointments prior to2020, in light of such data being provided in the answer to question S6W-12529,and whether …

Answer · Shona Robison: In accordance with the Public Appointments Team’s data retention policy, the retention period for documents supporting the public appointments process is five years after the appointment tenure in post has ended. Therefore we do not hold any information…

10 Dec 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31821 by Shona Robison on 9 December 2024, whether it will provide the (a) estimated cost of supplying the information requested and (b) number of legal cases it would have to consider in order to provide an answer to the question, and what range of…

Answer · Shona Robison: a) The exact cost of obtaining the information has not been calculated but it is estimated to exceed the cost limit due to the number of cases and other matters that would require to be considered individually by officials.b) Link to the published SG accounts…