Parliamentary questions
Maurice Golden
1,697 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
10 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31903 by Gillian Martin on 6 December 2024, what analysis has been conducted on the effectiveness of previous efforts to raise public awareness of proper battery disposal, and what deficiencies were identified in the previous methods taken. &n…
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government has not conducted specific analysis on the effectiveness of previous efforts to raise public awareness of proper battery disposal. However, feedback from stakeholders, including local authorities and industry partners, has highlighted …
6 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it will launch a consultation on banning domestic coal use.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Any move towards cleaner fuels must take place as part of a just transition, whilst ensuring that no one is left in fuel poverty.The Scottish Government is currently gathering further evidence around the potential impacts of taking forward a ban on the sale o…
6 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any reports of coal being bought in Scotland and transported for use in England, following a ban being introduced on selling house coal for domestic burning in England.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Although the Scottish Government does not hold any specific information, there is potential for coal purchased online from solid fuel merchants based in Scotland to be transported to England.Individual merchants are responsible for making clear to their custo…
5 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is still committed to implementing a Deposit Return Scheme in Scotland by October 2027, in light of the reported announcement by the Welsh Government that it will no longer seek to participate in the planned UK-wide approach to this scheme.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The UK Government’s decision to remove glass from its own scheme and refusal to agree a full Internal Market Act exclusion for Scotland’s own scheme meant we were left with no choice but to delay our scheme last year.Scotland’s scheme would …
4 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will align with the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA)-led Quota Application Mechanism to grant additional quota to fishing businesses that demonstrate that they have reduced their environmental impact and/or are deploying selective approaches to fishin…
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: In 2025, the Scottish Government will distribute a portion of West of Scotland cod based on an application process which will place environmental considerations at its heart. This seeks to incentivise the use of selective fishing gear and fishing techniques o…
4 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken to ensure that the fishing quota for Scotland following exiting the EU has been used to support the fishing businesses with the most selective and/or lowest impact approach to fishing, in line with duties set out in section 25 of the Fisheries Act 2020.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: Since exiting the EU, the Scottish Government has set aside additional quota for use by our 10 metre and under sector (predominantly inshore vessels that make up the vast majority of the Scottish fishing fleet). These vessels are associated with fishing metho…
4 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish the criteria that it will use when allocating fishing quotas in 2025, as required by section 25(1)(a) of the Fisheries Act 2020, which states that these must be "transparent and objective".
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Quota Management Rules were published on 18 September 2024, these detail how fishing opportunities are distributed to the Scottish fishing industry.The rules state that a further update may be made, when the application process for West of Scotla…
4 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to questionS6W-25287 by Lorna Slater on 22 February 2024, whether it will provide anupdate on what engagement it has had with the UK Government Office for theInternal Market (OIM) regarding its proposals to ban single-use items usingpowers under the Circular E…
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 does not grant Scottish Ministers the power to ban single-use items. Section 10 of that Act does provide Scottish Ministers with the power to make regulations to require suppliers of single-use items to charge for spec…
4 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many abandoned lead mines there are in each local authority area, also broken down by how many have been identified as being contaminated by the lead; what date this identification was made, and how many remain contaminated.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government does not collect this information centrally. It is the responsibility of local authorities to identify contaminated land within their respective areas, and thereafter, except in the case of contaminated land designated as a special sit…
4 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government who is responsible for identifying landcontaminated from abandoned lead mines; when such work was last carried out,broken down by local authority area, and who is responsible for informing thepublic of any risk identified.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Local Authorities are responsible for identifying potentially contaminated land within in their areas, and when any contaminated land is identified, informing SEPA, the land owner, the occupier(s) of the land, and any person who appears to be an appropriate p…
1 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether public understanding of the correct disposal method for batteries and battery products is sufficiently high.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government recognises the importance of ensuring that the public has a clear understanding of the correct disposal methods for batteries and battery-containing products. While progress has been made in raising awareness, we acknowledge that more …
1 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to a deposit return scheme for batteries and battery-containing products.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government is actively engaging with the other UK nations to explore opportunities to update and strengthen the current battery recycling regulations. This collaborative approach ensures that any future measures are both effective and consistent …
1 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to chemistry-specific recycling targets.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Circular Economy (Scotland) Act 2024 requires that Scottish Ministers publish a circular economy strategy and make regulations to set circular economy targets.The development of the circular economy strategy and associated monitoring and indicator framewo…
1 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what work is being conducted in relation to the development of domestic rare earth material circularity.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The availability and affordability of rare earth materials are critical to supporting our transition to a net zero economy.The Scottish Government recently published the Green Industrial Strategy, which focuses on seizing the economic opportunities of the glo…
1 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-24509 by Mairi McAllan on 23 January 2024, whether it will provide an update on its efforts to collect enough data to establish a marine plastic pollution baseline.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government annual surveys continue to gather data, in order to support future assessments on microplastics in surface water. Although there is currently no internationally agreed baseline for microplastics in surface water, as referenced in S6W-2…
1 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to The Circularity Gap Report: Textiles, published by Circle Economy.
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government welcomes the insights provided by The Circularity Gap Report: Textiles published by Circle Economy. The report highlights critical challenges and opportunities in transitioning towards a circular economy within the textiles sector.The …
30 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on reported efforts to officially recognise the Highlands as the home of tartan textiles.
Answer · Angus Robertson: The Scottish Government recognises the essential role that heritage has in shaping Scotland's identity, and the importance of protecting and caring for it in a sustainable way so current and future generations can enjoy and benefit from it.Tartan is inextrica…
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04456 by Lorna Slater on 18 November 2021, what information it has regarding the (a) weight and (b) carbon impact of the single-use (i) plastic cutlery, (ii) plastic plates, (iii) plastic straws, (iv) plastic beverage stirrers and bal…
Answer · Gillian Martin: The Scottish Government does not hold this information centrally.The Environmental Protection (Single-use Plastic Products) (Scotland) Regulations 2021 make it an offence for a person who, in the course of a business, supplies, offers to supply, or has in the…
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-04033 by Graeme Dey on 1 November 2021, how much grant funding it has provided to each local authority to purchase and/or lease zero emission vehicles in each year since 2021-22.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The Scottish Government has continued to support local authorities to decarbonise fleets and since 2014 we have now provided over £41 million to fund leasing and purchase of ultra-low and zero emission vehicles and installation of associated infrastruct…
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-12880 by Richard Lochhead on 20 December 2022, what information it has regarding what the (a) claimant count and (b) unemployment rate in Dundee has been in each year since June 2022, broken down by ward area.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Office for National Statistics (ONS) produces Claimant Count estimates at Local Authority and Ward level, and model-based unemployment at Local Authority level based on the Annual Population Survey and Claimant Count.The claimant count rate for Dundee Cit…
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many patients have had treatment in a private hospital paid for by the NHS in each of the last five years, broken down by NHS board.
Answer · Neil Gray: The total number of NHS patients that have been treated in private (independent) hospitals in each of the last five financial years and reported to PHS is presented in the following table.Number of NHS patients treated in Private (independent) hospitals1 by N…
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many appointments by ministers to positions on (a) public bodies and (b) NHS boards there have been in each year since 2007 in which the appointee has declared a political affiliation, broken down by political party declared.
Answer · Shona Robison: Announcements of ministerial appointments to all public bodies, including NHS boards, since 2020 can be found on the Scottish Government website at https://www.gov.scot/collections/public-appointments-announcements/. Each announcement includes a declaration o…
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many road accidents there have been in each of the last five years in which a (a) defective and (b) poor road surface was recorded as a contributory factor, broken down by local authority area.
Answer · Fiona Hyslop: The following table provides the number of recorded injury road collisions where a police officer attended the scene and ‘poor or defective road surface’ was recorded as a contributory factor.As this is recorded as a single contributory factor, it…
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding it has provided towards research on (a) strokes, (b) heart disease, (c) cancer, (d) hearing loss and (e) sight loss in each year since 2016.
Answer · Neil Gray: Funding provided by the Scottish Government (Chief Scientist Office) for research falls into three broad areas of activity, i.e. research studies, capacity building and supporting infrastructure.The specific amounts provided by condition are set out below alt…
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown of any costs that it has incurred through legal action that it has been party to in each year since 2007.
Answer · Shona Robison: The information requested could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.
26 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it last conducted a review of Special Operations Response Team coverage across Scotland, and what the outcome was of any such review.
Answer · Neil Gray: Scottish Government regularly reviews the Scottish Ambulance Service - Special Operations Response Team (SORT) arrangements as part of an agreed Service Level Agreement. This ensures delivery of SORT capabilities are maintained across Scotland.
25 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its proposed Natural Environment Bill.
Answer · Gillian Martin: As set out in the 2024-25 Programme for Government, the Scottish Government has committed to introduce the Natural Environment Bill as part of the year four legislative programme. Due to parliamentary procedure, we are unable to provide the precise date for i…
25 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30360 by Alasdair Allan on 9 October 2024, whether it will provide details of where the last remaining population of grey squirrels are located.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: In my response to question S6W-30360 on 9 October 2024 I said “funding has enabled a concentrated effort to eradicate the last remaining isolated population of grey squirrels in the North East of Scotland.”I should clarify that the last remaining,…
25 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated red squirrel population is in the priority area of (a) Argyll, the Trossachs and Stirling, (b) Tayside, (c) North East Scotland and (d) South Scotland, and what its position is on what would be considered a healthy population in each of these areas.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Red squirrel populations fluctuate throughout the year and between seasons and it is not possible carry out direct counts across wide areas.The most recent review of the population of British mammals, published in 2018, estimated the Scottish population of re…
25 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30360 by Alasdair Allan on 9 October 2024, whether it will provide a breakdown of how the recent £1 million funding award to the Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrels (SSRS) partnership project is being distributed across projects and localiti…
Answer · Alasdair Allan: As I set out in response to questions S6W-30360 on 9 October 2024 and S6W-30743 on 11 November 2024 we are providing a range of support and funding to work that aims to promote red squirrel populations.A total grant of £1,052,796 has been awarded to the…