Parliamentary questions
Daniel Johnson
1,103 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
2 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the Green Jobs Workforce Academy website is still updated and maintained, and when it was last updated.
Answer · Graeme Dey: This is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland. I have asked the Chief Executive of SDS, Damien Yeates to write to you with details on whether the Green Jobs Workforce Academy website is still updated and maintained, and when it was last update…
2 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the current budget is for the Green Jobs Workforce Academy.
Answer · Graeme Dey: This is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland. I have asked the Chief Executive of SDS, Damien Yeates to write to you with details on current budget allocated for the Green Jobs Workforce Academy.
2 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the "pipeline of investment propositions backed by clear information about the timing and nature of renewable energy opportunities", as set out in its Green Industrial Strategy, is currently recorded and monitored.
Answer · Kate Forbes: Officials are working to update the national pipeline on an ongoing basis and are developing governance and information management protocols to ensure appropriate controls are in place to manage commercially sensitive information.
2 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many full-time equivalent staff are currently employed to support the Green Jobs Workforce Academy.
Answer · Graeme Dey: This is an operational matter for Skills Development Scotland. I have asked the Chief Executive of SDS, Damien Yeates to write to you with details of how many full-time equivalent staff are currently employed to support the Green Jobs Workforce Academy.
2 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many projects are currently in the "pipeline of investment propositions backed by clear information about the timing and nature of renewable energy opportunities", as set out in its Green Industrial Strategy.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The national pipeline contains information on a range of investment propositions or projects, all of which are at different stages of development.
2 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it has taken since the publication of its Green Industrial Strategy to (a) raise the profile of green job opportunities and (b) support people to retrain to take up any such opportunities.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Scotland is leading the way in the green jobs revolution. The PwC Green Jobs Barometer shows that 5.6% of all job adverts in Scotland in 2024 were for jobs that have a positive impact on the environment, meaning Scotland is once again first place among the 12…
2 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which minister leads on developing and maintaining a "pipeline of investment propositions backed by clear information about the timing and nature of renewable energy opportunities", as set out in its Green Industrial Strategy.
Answer · Kate Forbes: The commitment to develop a national pipeline of investment propositions is led by myself, working across portfolios and with public sector delivery partners.
2 Apr 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people it estimates are currently employed in renewable energy supply chains in Scotland.
Answer · Gillian Martin: Work by the Fraser of Allander Institute in 2023 estimated that in 2021 Scotland’s renewable energy industry and supply chain supported over 42,000 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs across the Scottish economy.Of these, around 16,800 FTE jobs were associa…
25 Mar 2025 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the reported prevalence and trend of crimes committed where the perpetrator was wearing a disguise, particularly in relation to antisocial behaviour.
18 Mar 2025 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to improve access to low-carbon heating and retrofitted insulation in homes across tenures.
12 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the (a) ages and (b) prior qualifications, by SCQF level, were of people starting a graduate apprenticeship in each year since 2017-18.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The latest Graduate Apprenticeship statistics are available on the Skills Development Scotland website covering the 2021-22 academic year - https://www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk/publications-statistics/statistics/graduate-apprenticeshipsInformation brok…
7 Mar 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much the (a) Scottish Funding Council and (b) Student Awards Agency for Scotland has spent on the delivery of (i) Graduate and (ii) Foundation Apprenticeships in each of the last five years, and what that spend delivered.
Answer · Graeme Dey: FundingThe following tables set out how much the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) and the Student Awards Agency for Scotland (SAAS) has spent on the delivery of Graduate Apprenticeships (GAs) and Foundation Apprenticeships (FAs) in each of the last 5 complete f…
24 Feb 2025 · Topical Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it will work with the UK Government on the recently announced £200 million investment in Grangemouth, as part of the National Wealth Fund.
29 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scottish Engineering report, Engineering Skills Gap Analysis for Scotland.
Answer · Graeme Dey: The Deputy First Minister and Cabinet Secretary for Economy and Gaelic, myself, and Scottish Government officials have held several meetings with Scottish Engineering to discuss the report Engineering Skills Gap Analysis for Scotland. We will continue to enga…
8 Jan 2025 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many grants it has awarded to Tesla Inc in each year since 2016; what the total value of any such grants is, and whether it will provide details of each project funded by any such grants.
Answer · Shona Robison: No grants have been provided to Tesla Inc from 2016 to 2024 directly by the Scottish Government.
18 Dec 2024 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to grow Scotland's arts, culture and creative sector.
17 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many people it has helped back into the labour market from being economically inactive in each of the last five years, and to which programmes this was attributable.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government recognises that supporting labour market participation and reducing economic inactivity requires a concerted approach from a range of services, including employability, health and childcare. We are currently taking action to support th…
17 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent analysis it has undertaken of people who are currently economically inactive and the reasons for their economic inactivity.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government routinely analyses data on economic inactivity published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and publishes this data on the Scottish Government’s website.The Labour Market Trends: December 2024 publication was released o…
17 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of people who are economically inactive want to work.
Answer · Tom Arthur: The Scottish Government routinely analyses data on economic inactivity published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), and publishes this data on the Scottish Government’s website.The latest Scotland’s Labour Market Insights statistical pub…
17 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to make a decision on the future of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: Following the Scottish Budget, announced on 4 December 2024, details on the future of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund will be finalised following the 2025-26 budget approval.
11 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what methodology it used to calculate the increase of around 1% in real terms to the 2025-26 block grant settlement compared with the latest 2024-25 allocation, as set out in its draft Budget 2025-26, including the (a) figures and (b) sources of figures used in this calculation, and, fol…
Answer · Shona Robison: All figures are drawn from Table A.02 set out in Annex A of the 2025-26 Budget publication. The around 1% real terms increase figure quoted is in relation to the change in real terms in Resource Barnett Block Grant between the latest 2024-25 figure and the 20…
10 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31715 by Alasdair Allan on 9 December 2024, what individual projects have been funded in each year that the fund has been in operation.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: A total of 28 projects have been funded through the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF). Refer to the Scottish Government website which includes a list of projects that have received SIETF grant offers from 2021 to 2024, along with case stu…
10 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-31715 by Alasdair Allan on 9 December 2024, what the total size of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund is, and whether the additional funding received as a result of the UK Government's £185 million investment has been incorpora…
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The total size of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund is £34 million. The UK government budget committed funding from which Barnett consequentials will be received, however, these are accrued to the Scottish Government as a whole and it i…
9 Dec 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the proposal in its draft Budget 2025-26 that hospitality firms liable for the basic property rate will be eligible for 40% non-domestic rates relief, how much it would cost to extend this to retail sector businesses liable for the (a) basic, (b) intermediate and (c) higher p…
Answer · Shona Robison: The following table includes estimated costs to extend the 40% relief for hospitality premises liable for the Basic Property Rate to retail premises liable for the Basic, Intermediate and Higher Property Rates respectively. These costs are in addition to the …
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will review the 29-day waiting period by which couples must give notice to the registrar of where they plan to get married.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: Under the Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977, a registrar cannot issue a Marriage Schedule to permit a marriage to proceed within 28 days of the receipt of a couple’s marriage notices unless the registrar has been authorised to do so by the Registrar General …
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered introducing a cap on the cost for a registrar to conduct a marriage ceremony.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: Registration services fees are set by the Registrar General for Scotland with the approval of the Scottish Ministers. The fee for a civil marriage ceremony conducted by a registrar is £55. This fixed fee applies in all parts of Scotland and has been in …
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered removing the requirement for a formal wedding ceremony in order for couples to get married.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: The Marriage (Scotland) Act 1977 requires that for a marriage to take place, a completed Marriage Schedule must be available and both parties to the marriage must be present along with the registrar or celebrant and two witnesses aged 16 or over.For couples c…
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has considered waiving or greatly reducing the cost of (a) marriage notices, (b) marriage certificates and (c) ceremony fees to make the legal process of getting married more equitable.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: Registration service fees are set by the Registrar General for Scotland with the approval of the Scottish Ministers.The Scottish Government has not considered waiving or reducing the statutory fees associated with marriage. The Scottish Government’s pol…
27 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to make the legal process of getting married more equitable.
Answer · Siobhian Brown: In addition to making it possible for same sex couples to marry, the Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2014 made some changes to marriage procedures. These changes included putting belief celebrants on an equal footing with religious celebrants an…
22 Nov 2024 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £34 million Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund was allocated in each year of its operation.
Answer · Alasdair Allan: The Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF) has offered: £3.1 million during 2021; £6.8 million during 2022; and £7.5 million across 2023 and 2024 combined.Many projects are implemented in the subsequent year, or years. Theref…