Parliamentary questions
Colin Smyth
990 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
8 Feb 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the SME Loan Scheme.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government has spent £292,985 (inc vat) on administering the SME Loan and Grant Scheme over the period 2019-20 – 2022-23 as set out in the following table. This scheme has provided significant financial support to SMEs in Scotland to decarbonise,…
8 Feb 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the Electric Vehicle Loan scheme.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government has provided funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST), an independent organisation working to address the climate emergency, to administer the Low Carbon Transport Loan each year since 2011. The administrative costs including staffing cost…
8 Feb 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the Home Energy Efficiency Equity Loan pilot.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government has spent £37,698 including VAT on administration costs for the Home Energy Efficiency Equity Loan pilot over the current contractual period of 2019 – 2023. The reduction in costs for 2022-2023 reflects the end of the pilot in March 20…
8 Feb 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the eBike Loan scheme.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The programme costs for administering the ebike loan scheme are set out below. In financial years 2018-19 and 2019-20, the scheme was part of the Low Carbon Transport Loan and programme costs were covered from one budget. Year Programme Costs 2020-21 £143…
8 Feb 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the Used Electric Vehicle Loan scheme.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14969 on 21 March 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-committee…
8 Feb 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan scheme.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government has spent £187,547 (£225,058 including VAT) on administering the Private Rented Sector Landlord Loan Scheme over the period 2019 to 2023, as set out in the following table. This funding has helped to install various measures across pri…
8 Feb 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the Zero Emission Bus Market Transition Scheme.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is providing £50,000 in grant funding to Energy Saving Trust (EST), an independent organisation working to address the climate emergency, to administer the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Market Transition Scheme in the 2022-23 financial ye…
8 Feb 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on administering the MCS Certification Fund.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Government spent £886 on the MCS Certification Fund in the 2021-2022 financial year, and £14,987 so far over the 2022-2023 financial year as set out in the table below. The total spend since the scheme started until 15 February 2023 is £15,874. T…
31 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been (a) received, (b) approved and (c) rejected in each round of the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, also broken down by (i) how much has been awarded, (ii) the average award provided and (iii) how many awards have been given to businesses with…
Answer · Michael Matheson: Through the Scottish Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (SIETF ), we are co-investing with a diverse range of Scottish manufacturers to reduce energy costs and carbon emissions through increased energy efficiency and deep decarbonisation projects. The requ…
31 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the SME Loan Scheme have been (a) received, (b) approved and (c) rejected in each year since 2020-21, also broken down by the (i) annual expenditure on the scheme and (ii) average size of (A) loan and (B) cashback awarded.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Scottish Governments SME Loan and Cashback scheme has provided significant financial support to SMEs in Scotland to decarbonise, improve their energy efficiency, cut energy bills and become more economically competitive over the Scheme’s lifespan. The ta…
27 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of disease prevention measures for pets brought into Scotland under the Pet Travel Scheme.
Answer · Mairi Gougeon: The Scottish Government continually monitors animal disease outbreaks internationally and in the UK to ensure disease prevention measures required under pet travel rules remain relevant. Any future policy will be guided by risk assessment. The pet travel ru…
26 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed reduction in the Major Public Transport Projects budget for 2023-24 will have any impact on the delivery of the rail projects outlined in Transport Scotland’s Control Period 6 plans.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Rail enhancement projects successfully completed in Control Period 6 include Queen Street station redevelopment, new stations at Robroyston, Reston and Inverness Airport and Far North Enhancements. The Glasgow to Barrhead electrification project and the new E…
26 Jan 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether the proposed reduction in the Major Public Transport Projects budget for 2023-24 will have any impact on jobs and staffing across Network Rail Scotland, contractors and the wider supply chain.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: Network Rail is ultimately accountable to the UK Government, however, Scottish Ministers have made it clear that any decisions it makes in relation to staffing and staffing levels must be in line with the Scottish Government’s Fair Work principles. The secu…
20 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it is promoting the support available to help with the rising cost of living to people without access to the internet.
Answer · Ivan McKee: Scottish Government communications have supported individuals with no access to the internet through a number of offline channels. 300,000 copies of the cost of living support leaflet ( https://www.gov.scot/publications/cost-of-living-support-leaflet/ ) w…
20 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to promote the uptake of social security benefits by older people, including those who do not use the internet.
Answer · Ben Macpherson: Our second Benefit Take-up Strategy, published in October 2022, sets out how we are working to ensure people can access the support they are entitled to, including older people. We are working closely with stakeholders to break down the barriers which limit t…
14 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to Transform Scotland’s report, Fair Fares – Rebuilding Scotland’s Public Transport through Accessible and Affordable Ticketing.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government is actively engaging with Transform Scotland, and other key stakeholders, as we progress our Fair Fares Review, which is being undertaken to ensure a sustainable and integrated approach to public transport fares. I thank Transform Scot…
14 Dec 2022 · General Question
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to close the autism spectrum employment gap.
7 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with SEPA regarding any increased risk to bathing waters being below sufficient classifications for swimming in, during winter weather.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Bathing Waters (Scotland) Regulations 2008 aims to minimise the risks to public health at designated locations and during periods when a large number of people bathe. However, it remains the personal responsibility of every individual to assess the risks …
7 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to increasing the quantity of environmental bathing water sampling from six months a year to 12, in light of the increase in wild swimming as a hobby across Scotland, and the reported increased risk of sewage overflows in winter weather, and what its posit…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Bathing Waters (Scotland) Regulations 2008 enable Scottish Ministers to designate a bathing season in a period where they expect a large number of people to bathe at a designated bathing water. The definition of bathers, in this instance, is exclusive to …
6 Dec 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many active working groups there are that fall under the remit of (a) just transition, (b) net zero and (c) energy, and whether it will provide a list of these groups.
Answer · Michael Matheson: The Scottish Government works with a variety of stakeholders, who support and shape work on the just transition, net zero and energy. The input from our stakeholders is invaluable and plays a vital role in helping deliver a just energy transition to net zero.…
23 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on Scotland, what its position is on whether the UK Government should leave the Energy Charter Treaty.
Answer · Ivan McKee: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12547 on 5 December 2022 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…
23 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on Scotland, what its position is on whether the Energy Charter Treaty is functioning well.
Answer · Ivan McKee: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12547 on 5 December 2022. 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…
23 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on Scotland, whether it considers the Energy Charter Treaty should be reformed, and, if so, what its position is on how it should be reformed.
Answer · Ivan McKee: The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy about the continuing discussions to renegotiate the Energy Charter Treaty, with a view to identifying and mitigating any particular …
23 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding reform of the Energy Charter Treaty.
Answer · Ivan McKee: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12547 on 5 December 2022. 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…
15 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how many additional public electric vehicle (EV) charging points are planned across Scotland, broken down by (a) local authority area and (b) estimated timescale for delivery.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: The Scottish Government has invested over £65m in the ChargePlace Scotland Network that now has over 2,400 publicly available electric vehicle charge points, alongside supporting homes and businesses to install almost 20,000 charge points. A range of factors …
15 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its current estimate is of the amount of community benefit funds currently being paid for both onshore and offshore wind developments.
Answer · Michael Matheson: It is not possible for the Scottish Government to mandate the provision of community benefits through energy regulation because the relevant powers are reserved to the UK Government. However, we continue to encourage renewable energy businesses to offer commu…
11 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it supports the reopening of the railway between Dumfries and Stranraer.
Answer · Jenny Gilruth: An option for reopening the rail line between Dumfries and Stranraer was assessed as part of the second Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2). The outcome of this was that this option did not form part of the strategic transport investment recommendatio…
10 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether section 9 (6) of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 has been successful in conserving and enhancing the natural heritage of National Park areas.
Answer · Lorna Slater: National Park Authorities are committed to conserving and enhancing natural heritage within Scotland’s National Parks and their decision making has been guided by the National Park aims set out in the National Parks (Scotland) 2000 Act and the principle set o…
10 Nov 2022 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how the Sandford principle, as expressed through section 9 (6) of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, is applied.
Answer · Lorna Slater: Paragraph 9(6) of the National Parks (Scotland) 2000 Act states that, if it appears to the National Park Authority that there is a conflict between the National Park aim set out in section 1(a) (i.e. to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage o…
9 Nov 2022 · Portfolio Question
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of 2021 graduate probationary primary teachers have secured full-time employment in Scottish state schools after completing their probation.