Parliamentary questions
Liam Kerr
2,165 questions tabled in the Scottish Parliament, most recent first.
28 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds on the number of sewage discharges by (a) incidence and (b) hours of discharge, into Peterhead Lido, in each year since 2017 up to the latest available data; what the approximate volumes were of any such discharges in each year; what assessment has been made of the pot…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: There are no sewage discharges into Peterhead Lido, designated bathing water. The recent Scottish Liberal Democrat analysis of Scottish Water’s published Combined Sewer Overflow (CSO) spill data stating that ‘sewage was discharged for a staggering 483 hours l…
24 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the latest round of Just Transition Funding, when applications will (a) open and (b) close; what the criteria are for successful applications; who will judge the applications; when successful applicants will receive the funding, and whether previous applicants are able to appl…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Fund's focus in 2023-24 will be on deploying £25 million in capital grants, as part of the £50 million multi-year programme that was announced last year. Additionally, £25 million has been allocated to the Scottish National Investment Bank for 2023-24 to…
24 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16202 by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2023, what average contract for difference (CfD) price for an operating (a) offshore and (b) onshore wind farm it uses in its calculations when developing policy and taking decisions related to energy developments…
Answer · Gillian Martin: As set out in my answer to question S6W-16202 the Contracts for Difference Scheme is a UK Government mechanism. Matters relating to policy decisions around it are therefore for the UK Government.
21 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the commitment on page 22 of the publication, Equality, opportunity, community: New leadership – A fresh start, to have "doubled the electric charge point network to at least 6,000" by 2026, what the projected cost of achieving this will be; whether these will be public or pri…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government’s Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Fund aims to leverage £60m of public and private investment to double the size of Scotland’s public electric vehicle charging network to 6,000 charge points by 2026. This alone will be over and above t…
21 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture's recent attendance at New York City Tartan Week, who attended in an official capacity with the Cabinet Secretary; what the full itemised cost was of the Cabinet Secretary's attendance, along with the cost of…
Answer · Angus Robertson: My visit aimed to cover a number of areas in the Scotland/US relationship. It had a particular focus on trade and investment, culture, higher education and – linking all of these things – Scotland’s network in the US. This visit offered an opportunity to buil…
7 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16276 by Kevin Stewart on 6 April 2023, in which it refers to the publication of the outline business case for the Aberdeen to Central belt rail enhancement project as planned for “later this year”, for what reason the publication has been delayed f…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: As previously explained, the business case for the Aberdeen to Central Belt project was delayed while Network Rail took more time than first expected to complete some of its activities. There is also a fundamental need for the business case to fully recognise…
7 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16273 by Kevin Stewart on 6 April 2023, whether it will provide specific details of each of the upgrades, broken down by (a) geographical location, (b) anticipated time-saving and (c) projected cost.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-17176 on 9 May 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-committees/w…
7 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16274 by Kevin Stewart on 6 April 2023, whether it will provide the information requested in the previous question in relation to its pilot to remove peak ScotRail fares regarding what its rationale is for running the pilot over a six-month period, …
Answer · Kevin Stewart: On 18 April 2023 the First Minister announced that the ScotRail Peak Fares pilot will commence at the start of October 2023 and last for 6 months. Transport Scotland , Scottish Rail Holdings and ScotRail are currently finalising the design, monitoring and eva…
7 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-16277 by Kevin Stewart on 6 April 2023, which states that “Transport Scotland intends to achieve journey time savings via a series of infrastructure upgrades including signal enhancements and specific capacity alterations to facilitate the operation…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: As set out in my response to PQ S6W-16276 on 6 April 2023, Transport Scotland intend to publish the Outline Business Case for the Aberdeen to Central Belt Rail Enhancement Project later in the year. This will provide the requested details of the specific infr…
7 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government in relation to the Social Housing Net Zero Fund, how many of the properties that have been awarded funding since the fund was established involve the replacement of a gas boiler with a zero emissions heating system.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: Several of the projects funded by the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund have been awarded funding involving the replacement of a traditional gas boiler. The Scottish Government can provide an estimate, based on the applications received since 2020, that the a…
7 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the average award per property has been for funding awarded from the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, since the fund was established.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The estimated average award per property for which funding has been awarded for the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund for capital funding since it was established is an estimated £13,184. The funding awards included projects submitted under Theme 1 for Zero …
7 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the total value is of applications received to the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund since it was established.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The total estimated value of applications received to the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund since it was established is £62,951,713 for capital funding and £1,105,865 for development funding. The applications include projects submitted under Theme 1 for Zero…
7 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund, how many applications it has received to date, and, of those applications, how many have been (a) awarded and (b) rejected.
Answer · Patrick Harvie: The Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund has received various applications from local authorities and registered social landlords (RSLs) since its inception in 2020. To date the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund has received 65 applications since 2020 for capit…
7 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government when the contract between Ferguson Marine and BAE systems, which is currently requiring a £25,000 working capital loan, is expected to conclude.
Answer · Neil Gray: The current contract between Ferguson Marine and BAE Systems ends on 30 June 2023.
4 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which companies and industry bodies from the energy sector the new Minister for Energy has met with since taking on her new role.
Answer · Gillian Martin: I have engaged with a number of stakeholders across the energy sector. On 13 April 2023, I visited the Hydrogen Refuelling site in Aberdeen, met Aberdeen City Council officials and technical experts, attended an Aberdeen Hydrogen Hub stakeholder meeting, and …
4 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which companies and industry bodies from the energy sector the new Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Just Transition has met with since taking on her new role.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: I have engaged with a number of stakeholders across the energy sector since taking on my new role. These include meetings with a range of stakeholders in Aberdeen on 4 April 2023, including Aberdeen South Harbour; OPITO; Net Zero Technology Centre; Opportunit…
4 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a complete list of all industry engagement that took place before, and specifically to inform, the announcement of the £25 million investment for the north east on 4 April 2023.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Just Transition Fund sends a clear signal of our support for the North East and Moray however government alone cannot finance the region’s journey to net zero. The Scottish National Investment Bank will invest this £25 million funding in line with the Ban…
4 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government on what basis it determined that the £25 million investment for the north east, which was announced on 4 April 2023, was the amount that should be allocated from the existing Just Transition Fund for that purpose; whether it will provide its (a) written analysis and (b) evidential bas…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The £25 million which has been allocated to the Scottish National Investment Bank for 2023-24, is part of the ten year, £500 million Just Transition Fund. It will be invested on a commercial basis in line with the Bank's Investment Strategy. Officials and th…
4 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of the £25 million investment from the Just Transition Fund for the north east, which was announced on 4 April 2023, including which organisations will receive the funding, when the funding be delivered and what criteria will be used to determine who re…
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The £25 million funding will be allocated to the Scottish National Investment Bank for 2023-24 to invest in line with the Bank’s Investment Strategy, and in support of a Just Transition to net zero in the region. The funding will be invested by the Bank on a …
4 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government which companies in the offshore and energy sectors the former Minister for Just Transition, Employment and Fair Work met with between August 2022 and March 2023.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: Richard Lochhead, the former Minister for Just Transition, Fairwork & Employment engaged with a wide range of stakeholders in the offshore energy sector during this period. A comprehensive list of all Ministerial engagements for the year 2022 has been publish…
2 Apr 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-13727 by Michael Matheson on 18 January 2023, whether the "annual summary analysis report", referred to in the answer, is now published.
Answer · Mairi McAllan: The annual summary analysis report will be published on or before? 1 May on the Sustainable Scotland Network website ( Sustainable Scotland Network - The Sustainable Scotland Network ).
28 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much it has spent on what it classifies as "maintenance and safety schemes" on each of Scotland's A roads in each year since 2007, also broken down by individual A road.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Scottish Government spend on “maintenance and safety schemes" on each of Scotland's A roads in each year since 2007, also broken down by individual A road, is in SPICe at BIB 6412.
26 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government what the timetabled dwell time at (a) Usan and (b) Montrose junction (signals MN39 and MN5) is, and on how many occasions in the last 24 months the dwell time has been exceeded to the extent that trains were officially "delayed" on this section of the railway.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: This is an operational matter for Network Rail and ScotRail and as such Transport Scotland does not hold the information requested.
26 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it plans to make road improvements to increase road safety at Toll of Birness on the A90; what the evidence base is that indicates that any such road improvements will increase safety specifically at that junction, and, if (a) it has no su…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Transport Scotland undertakes an annual assessment of the safety performance of the entire trunk road network, including the A90. This assessment considers accident patterns and rates in the form of Route Accident Reduction Plans (RARP), and screens all locat…
26 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its pilot to remove peak ScotRail fares, what its rationale is for running the pilot over a six-month period, and what its position is on whether this will be a sufficient period of time during which to assess the success or otherwise of the trial; what it considers w…
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The ScotRail peak fares removal pilot reflects the cost of living crisis and takes account of changing travel patterns in the post-Covid period. Further details on the Scottish Government’s ScotRail peak fares pilot will be confirmed in due course.
26 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how it proposes to reduce the ScotRail journey time between (a) Aberdeen and Dundee by three minutes and (b) Dundee and Edinburgh by 17 minutes, by 2026.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Transport Scotland intends to achieve journey time savings via a series of infrastructure upgrades including signal enhancements and specific capacity alterations to facilitate the operation of more and faster trains on the same route.
26 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its funding of £200 million for the north east through the Aberdeen City Region Deal to reduce the ScotRail journey time between Aberdeen and Edinburgh by 20 minutes, on what measures, and where, geographically, will the funding be spent.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: Funding will be spent on a series of infrastructure upgrades on the route south from Aberdeen to the Central Belt, including signal enhancements and specific capacity alterations to facilitate the operation of more and faster trains on the same route.
26 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Aberdeen to Central Belt rail enhancement project, when it expects to publish the outline business case that it had previously planned to publish in 2022.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The Outline Business Case for the Aberdeen to Central Belt Enhancement Project is currently planned to be published later this year.
26 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government how much subsidy it provided to ScotRail in each financial year since 2017-18, and how much it expects to provide in each of the five financial years after 2022-23.
Answer · Kevin Stewart: The subsidy provided to ScotRail from 2017 to 2022 is contained within Transport Scotland’s annual report and accounts which is published on Transport Scotland’s website. The hyperlinks listed below cover the financial years from 2017 to 2022. For financial …
24 Mar 2023 · Written Question
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will undertake a review of the Scottish Biodiversity Strategy to 2045: Tackling the Nature Emergency in Scotland, in light of the new assessment report by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), and, if so, when it anticipates any such work will take place.
Answer · Lorna Slater: The draft Scottish Biodiversity Strategy reflects the interdependence of climate, biodiversity and the close linkages between climate change adaptation, mitigation, ecosystem health, human well-being and sustainable development in the same way as the IPCC’s 6…