Willie Rennie

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, did not include a reference to the memorandum of understanding that it signed with Heathrow Airport in support of the building of a third runway.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Aviation Statement focusses on new actions where the Scottish Government can make a meaningful contribution to growing Scotland’s direct international connectivity, securing lifeline services in the Highlands and Islands and contributing to decarbon…

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, what projections it has made of the country's aviation emissions in (a) each year between 2023 and 2030, (b) 2040 and (c) 2045.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Aviation Statement sets out our commitment to contributing to the global effort to reduce CO2 emissions and the specific actions Ministers will take to do so. The Scottish Government has not sought to predict aviation emissions for the years in question.

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the assertion in the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, that it expects to follow a similar CO2 emissions reduction trajectory to that set out in the UK Government’s Jet Zero strategy, what consideration it has given to the UK Climate Change Comm…

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The UK Government’s Jet Zero strategy, with its associated emissions trajectories, will apply throughout the UK. As the Aviation Statement makes clear, it is therefore vital that Jet Zero should benefit Scotland and Ministers will work with the UK Government …

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains its policy position that the building of a third runway at Heathrow Airport should deliver 200 extra flights to airports in Scotland per week.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: This is not the Scottish Government’s policy position. The Memorandum of Understanding with Heathrow notes the potential to offer slots for up to 21 additional daily domestic flights per day. This figure relates to the whole of the UK, not only to Scotland. T…

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the UK Climate Change Committee's report to the Scottish Parliament, which was published in March 2024, what its response is to the recommendation that it should publish a detailed strategy for decarbonising aviation as soon as possible in 2024, and that this should set out t…

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government’s response to the UK Climate Change Committee's report, including its recommendations on aviation, will be published in the coming months. Our new Aviation Statement clearly sets out the Scottish Government’s actions to support decarbo…

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the comment in the UK Climate Change Committee’s 2023 report to the UK Parliament that the continued development of airport capacity expansion proposals is currently incompatible with the UK’s Net Zero target, whether it will reconsider its continued support for the building…

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The decision to allow Heathrow expansion was taken by the Westminster Government and UK Parliament. The Scottish Government’s Memorandum of Understanding with Heathrow Airport ensures that Scotland will benefit from this major infrastructure project, which wi…

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the UK Climate Change Committee’s report to the Scottish Parliament, which was published in March 2024, what its response is to the assertion that there (a) is no strategy for decarbonising aviation and (b) has been no progress in addressing aviation demand growth.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The assertion that there is no Scottish strategy for decarbonising aviation does not take into account that aviation is reserved or that the UK Government’s Jet Zero Strategy applies throughout the UK. Separately, the Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement …

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its commitment set out in the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, that it will contribute to the global effort to reduce CO2 emissions in international aviation by 5% by 2030, how it will measure (a) Scotland’s contribution to this target and (b) …

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government publishes ‘Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics’ on an annual basis. This contains information on emissions from aviation in Scotland, including flights to Heathrow.

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the UK Climate Change Committee’s report to the Scottish Parliament, which was published in March 2024, what its response is to the observation that the Air Departure Tax is "overdue" and should be implemented as soon as possible, and whether it plans to introduce …

Answer · Shona Robison: The Scottish Government’s response to the UK Climate Change Committee's report, including its recommendation on Air Departure Tax, will be published shortly.We continue to explore all options to implement Air Departure Tax in a way that protects Highlan…

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what organisations and companies were met in preparation of the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, and on what dates.

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government publicly consulted on developing an Aviation Strategy, based on the questions in the Discussion document to inform the development of an Aviation Strategy (transport.gov.scot) . Officials also held four stakeholder workshops to exami…

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement in the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, that it carries out its work on a "airport-neutral" basis to ensure that it does not act in a way that interferes with competition, what its position is regarding whether this policy applies…

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government carries out its work to help improve Scotland’s direct international connectivity on an airport-neutral basis. By definition, our work on direct international connectivity does not apply to Heathrow or any other UK airport.

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Transport Scotland paper, Aviation Statement and Key Priorities, on what date it began work to explore all options for the implementation of its proposed Air Departure Tax (ADT); for what reason it has reportedly not yet made a referral to the Subsidy Advice Unit at …

Answer · Shona Robison: The introduction of Air Departure Tax (ADT) was deferred due to state aid issues raised in relation to replicating the existing Highlands and Islands exemption that currently exists under Air Passenger Duty. As of January 2023, Scottish Ministers have a respo…

25 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the data that it published on 15 January 2020 in response to the freedom of information request FOI/19/02661, what subsequent calculations it has made of the emissions that could be generated by extra flights between Heathrow Airport and airports in Scotland if a third runway…

Answer · Jim Fairlie: The Scottish Government has not undertaken any further calculations of extra emissions that could be generated as a result of a third runway at Heathrow.

18 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take, or has taken, prior to the commencement of the provisions under the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 that prevent any child found guilty of an offence being sent to a young offenders' institute, to ensure that there is the necessary capacity in sec…

Answer · Natalie Don: Action to prepare and plan for this transition began prior to the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 receiving Royal Assent, and is ongoing. To support the relevant commencement and transitional provisions laid in the Scottish Parliament yesterda…

18 Jul 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will commence the provisions under the Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 that prevent any child found guilty of an offence being sent to a young offenders' institute.

Answer · Natalie Don: The Children (Care and Justice) (Scotland) Act 2024 (Commencement No.1 and Transitional Provision) Regulations 2024 were laid in the Scottish Parliament on 15 August. The Scottish Government does not generally lay secondary legislation during Parliamentary re…

14 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it expects the reported reduction in the intake of students to Bachelor of Dental Surgery courses in 2021 and 2022 will have on the future dental workforce.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Following recommendation from the Deans of the Scottish Dental Schools, with respect to competence and confidence of pandemic-affected students, undergraduates and vocational trainees in the system during the pandemic were required to repeat the 2020-21 acade…

14 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the forecast in the Dental Workforce in Scotland 2021 report that the supply of dentists will fall short of the number required to maintain current registration rates.

Answer · Jenni Minto: It should be noted that the Dental Workforce in Scotland 2021 report was published at the height of pandemic interruptions to dental training in Scotland, and we look forward to contemporary data in September 2024. The Scottish Government has been clear that…

14 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total registration rate for NHS dentistry amongst children has been in each of the last five years.

Answer · Jenni Minto: This information is not held centrally. Since 2024, the statistics for registration and participation are released by Public Health Scotland (PHS) on a quarterly basis. Reports can be accessed at NHS dental data monitoring report - Quarter Ending March 2024 …

14 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the registration rate for NHS dentistry amongst children reportedly falling between 2019 and 2020, for the first time since 2006.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Scottish Government recognises that the registration rate for NHS dentistry amongst children fell between 2019 and 2020, and this can be attributed to the impact of the pandemic which significantly curtailed dental activity, including registration of new pati…

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05314 by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022, whether it has now carried out an assessment.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government has not carried out an overarching assessment of the typical environmental remediation costs for sites of former steelworks in Scotland.

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05329 by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022, whether it can provide any further evidence to support the view expressed by the then Minister for Business, Trade, Tourism and Enterprise on 15 December 2021.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Liberty Steel Dalzell continues to trade. At the time of the deal, in 2016, a parent company guarantee was signed with Liberty House, which meant that, if the part of the company at Liberty Steel Dalzell ceased to exist, the liabilities would pass to the wide…

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06254 by Ivan McKee on 10 February 2022, whether there were any benefits to (a) Tata Steel and (b) Liberty Steel from the Scottish Government owning the Dalzell steelworks for a short period, and, if so, what any such benefits were.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government owning the Steelworks for a short period of time enabled all parties to achieve what they required from the sale and purchase of the business. The Scottish Government in doing so, supported the recommencement of steel production in Sco…

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-08347 by Ivan McKee on 16 May 2022, whether it can now provide a response on the status of the parent company guarantee that was signed with Liberty House.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The parent company guarantee remains valid.

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-10100 by Ivan McKee on 19 August 2022, whether it will provide the information requested regarding what prevented a direct sale of the asset without the Scottish Government owning the steelworks for a short period.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Tata Steel, Liberty House and the Scottish Government were all aligned in agreeing a transaction that secured the earliest realisation of the commercial and wider economic benefits of the deal, and the selected structure was the best available means to delive…

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-06379 by Ivan McKee on 23 February 2022, whether its position, regarding what would happen in the event that there was any environmental remediation attached to the site in the future, remains the same.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government’s position remains the same.

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has made any assessment of the potential impact on Dalzell steelworks in the event that Liberty Steel's productions in Europe remain idle.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government has not conducted any assessments regarding Liberty Steel’s production facilities in Europe.

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has received any representations from (a) IndustriALL Global Union and (b) IndustriALL Europe Union regarding reported concerns in relation to Liberty Steel's operations, in light of reports that the unions have asked the European Commission to set up a taskforce to look at Li…

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government has no record of receiving representations from IndustriALL Global Union or IndustriALL Europe Union regarding Liberty Steel’s operations.

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether SEPA has carried out a compliance assessment of Dalzell steelworks and its handling of waste, and whether any assessment has resulted in (a) a further investigation of the site and (b) fines.

Answer · Tom Arthur: As an executive non-departmental public body SEPA operates independently from ministers and is accountable to Parliament. SEPA can confirm if they have carried out a compliance assessment and its outcome.

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Sanjeev Gupta, and whether it will publish the minutes of any recent meetings that it has had.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition met Sanjeev Gupta on 27 March 2024. Minutes of ministerial meetings are not routinely published.

5 Jun 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-05308 by Ivan McKee on 27 January 2022, what (a) meetings and (b) correspondence it has had with (i) Tata Steel and (ii) Liberty Steel in the last two years regarding the sale of the Dalzell steelworks in 2016.

Answer · Tom Arthur: Since June 2022, Scottish Government officials have met with Tata Steel UK on 23 June 2022 and 5 December 2022 regarding the sale of the Dalzell steelworks in 2016. No meetings have been held with Liberty Steel on this topic during the last two years.