Ross Greer

12 Mar 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to question S6W-25694 by Tom Arthur on 4 March 2024 and S6W-25695 by Gillian Martin on 4 March 2024, what consideration it has given to amending the conditions of grants, loans and its contracts with third parties to preclude parties that have transferred jobs ove…

Answer · Tom Arthur: Contract terms & conditions are focused on the delivery of the contract, and are proportionate and relevant to the contract subject matter. Procurement rules require equal treatment, transparency, and proportionality in public procurement processes, precludin…

29 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding the reported oil leak in Glen Fruin, responded to by SEPA on 2 January 2024, what information it can provide on the exact scale of the leak, including (a) how it happened, (b) how long the clear-up is expected to take, (c) when the road restrictions are expected to be lifted a…

Answer · Mairi McAllan: SEPA have been regularly monitoring the Fruin Water since 3 January 2024, following reports of a small quantity of light crude oil surfacing from an underground pipeline. They will continue to do so until the clean-up is concluded. The exact scale of the lea…

21 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that Thermo Fisher Scientific has recently announced a high number of staff redundancies in Scotland after having received substantial sums of public money, and what its position is on whether any companies that move jobs overseas to reduce costs should be…

Answer · Gillian Martin: I was concerned to learn of potential job losses at Thermo Fisher Scientific. I am due to speak with the company in the near future to discuss the situation. Additionally, officials in Scottish Enterprise are actively engaging with Thermo Fisher Scientific to…

21 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the total value is of any (a) contracts and (b) grants awarded to Thermo Fisher Scientific by Scottish public bodies in each of the last five years.

Answer · Tom Arthur: A full breakdown of the total number and value of contracts awarded to Thermo Fisher Scientific for the last five fiscal years covering all Scottish public bodies is provided in the following table. Year Number of Contracts Total Contracts Value 19-20 11…

20 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of East Dunbartonshire Council’s Local Transport Strategy 2020-25 and Local Development Plan 2 both committing to safeguarding land for an Allander rail station between Milngavie and Hillfoot, what its position is on whether it supports East Dunbartonshire Council’s aspiration …

Answer · Fiona Hyslop: Currently the Scottish Government has no evidence to support a new Allander rail station. East Dunbartonshire Council undertook a transport appraisal in 2018 for the A81 corridor which concluded none of the rail options offered sufficient value for money. My…

7 Feb 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23536 by Mairi McAllan on 14 December 2023, when the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP) governance review will conclude.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: Further to the answer provided to PQ S6W-23536, the timeline and development of the governance review of the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP) is a matter for the CMPP. While it is the role of Scottish Government to provide support to regional partners…

30 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the appointment of Edel Harris OBE to chair the Independent Review of Adult Disability Payment, how the review will progress, and how (a) members of the public and (b) organisations can best provide their views to the review.

Answer · Shirley-Anne Somerville: The independent review will consider the current rules and experience of delivery in the first year of Adult Disability Payment and will take no more than 18 months to complete. Whilst it is for the chair of the review to decide how to conduct it, the review …

22 Jan 2024 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the latest position is of the four-day working week public sector pilot, as outlined in its Programme for Government.

Answer · Neil Gray: The Scottish Government can confirm today work has commenced on the 4 Day Working Week Public Sector Pilot to assess the wellbeing, environmental and productivity benefits a 4 Day Working Week could bring. We have appointed Autonomy as our expert partner to …

18 Jan 2024 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister whether he will provide an update on how the Scottish Government will continue to protect tenants in the private rented sector after the expiry of the rent cap under the Cost of Living (Tenants Protection) (Scotland) Act 2022.

9 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it considers the list of conditions that indicate whether an individual is deemed to be at higher risk from COVID-19 infection, as outlined in Tables 3 and 4 of Chapter 14a of the Green Book, to be non-exhaustive, and whether medical discretion lies with the relevant GP or other …

Answer · Jenni Minto: Scottish COVID-19 vaccination policy and delivery is based on advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation and the information contained within the COVID-19 Green Book Chapter. Individuals who have a condition that puts them at higher clin…

8 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23928 by Jenni Minto on 3 January 2024, when it plans to bring forward secondary legislation to enable the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

Answer · Jenni Minto: The secondary legislation to enable HIS to regulate independent healthcare services, including non-surgical cosmetic procedures, which are provided by pharmacists and pharmacy technicians from premises other than registered pharmacies and/or outwith the terms…

8 Jan 2024 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the consultation on Land and Buildings Transaction Tax - Additional Dwelling Supplement legislation changes, what plans it has to reform the timelines, and when it expects such reforms to be in place.

Answer · Tom Arthur: The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Miscellaneous Amendments)(Scotland) Order 2024 was laid before Parliament on the 19 January 2024. The Order proposes a number of amendments to the arrangements for the Additional Dwelling Supplement, including the exten…

18 Dec 2023 · Inspired Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of its plans for the future of the Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan, in light of the upcoming reform of the post-school education and skills landscape.

Answer · Lorna Slater: The Climate Emergency Skills Action Plan (CESAP) published in 2020 provided an important springboard for net zero skills planning and we have made good progress since its publication. The recent CESAP Pathfinder publication highlights that investment in ne…

13 Dec 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures.

Answer · Jenni Minto: Following the Scottish Government’s 2020 consultation on the regulation of non-surgical cosmetic procedures (that pierce or penetrate the skin), officials are working on introducing secondary legislation to enable HIS to regulate independent healthcare servic…

30 Nov 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what the outcome was of the governance review of the Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP), and which organisations are represented on the CMPP board as a result.

Answer · Mairi McAllan: The Clyde Marine Planning Partnership (CMPP) are currently undertaking a governance review including the make-up of the CMPP Board. This process is ongoing and is yet to conclude. When and if changes are agreed and adopted by the partnership, they will notify…

28 Nov 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it is addressing the ticketing issues raised by the Cumbrae Ferry Committee and Cumbrae Community Council.

23 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the COVID-19 face masks and face coverings guidance withdrawal issued to social care workers on 9 May 2023, whether social care workers will still have the personal choice to wear PPE, even when this is not recommended in the National Infection Prevention and Control Manual …

Answer · Maree Todd: Social care workers have always been, and continue to be, able to choose to wear a mask. The Scottish Government’s guidance on the extended use of face masks and face coverings was first published in June 2020. It was an adjunct to guidance for social care w…

23 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made towards delivering the action set out in the National Strategy for Economic Transformation to "undertake and publish a review of how best to significantly increase the number of social enterprises, employee-owned businesses and cooperatives in Scotland, suppor…

Answer · Tom Arthur: The review is in-progress and is being led by a representative stakeholder group, chaired by Neil McInroy, Global Lead for Community Wealth Building with The Democracy Collaborative, and also Chair of the Economic Development Association of Scotland (EDAS). …

3 Oct 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21585 by Richard Lochhead on 3 October 2023, whether (a) it has changed its relationship and (b) public bodies have changed their relationships with any companies listed by the UN Human Rights Office as involved in activities related to the ille…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: I refer the member to my answer to S6W-21585 on 3 October 2023, outlining Scottish Government action. The Scottish Government asked public bodies to consider the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) list as part of their d…

27 Sep 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration has been given to any proposals to increase the frequency of services on the Milngavie rail line. 

26 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government whether it maintains a central list of any businesses and other organisations that are prohibited from engaging with Scottish public bodies due to human rights concerns, such as the use of forced labour.

Answer · Richard Lochhead: The Scottish Government does not maintain such a list. Our 2018 guidance on human rights due diligence sets out recommendations on how we, our executive agencies and non-departmental public bodies (NDPBs) should undertake appropriate due diligence on compa…

20 Sep 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government how it ensured that the views and experiences of young people, in particular LGBTQ young people, were reflected in the new draft guidance, Delivery of Relationships, Sexual Health and Parenthood (RSHP) Education in Scottish Schools.

19 Sep 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answers to questions S6W-00207 and S6W-00208 by Ivan McKee on 27 October 2021, whether it will publish (a) a list of any companies that it has written to due to their appearing on the UN Human Rights Office list, (b) a summary of each response, and (c) details of any furt…

Answer · Richard Lochhead: In December 2021 the Scottish Government wrote to Public Bodies in Scotland to ask that they consider the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights’ (OHCHR) list of companies involved in listed activities in illegal Israeli settlements, …

11 Sep 2023 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking in response to the first UN global stocktake report on the Paris Climate Agreement.

4 Sep 2023 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister how the Scottish Government plans to maximise the economic benefits, including the number of new jobs, that result from any growth in renewable energy sources, including onshore wind.

30 Aug 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are being taken to eliminate sexual harassment in schools.

6 Jun 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to strengthen tenants’ rights.

Answer · Patrick Harvie: We believe that a well-regulated private rented sector is good for landlords and tenants. Since 2016 we have ended no-fault evictions and expanded access to tribunal services. We strengthened eviction protections, both in the Coronavirus Recovery and Reform …

22 May 2023 · First Minister's Question

To ask the First Minister what impact the Scottish Government's Nature Restoration Fund is having on communities on Arran.

16 May 2023 · Written Question

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding distributed by (a) Scottish Enterprise, (b) Highlands and Islands Enterprise and (c) South of Scotland Enterprise in each of the last three financial years was issued to cooperatives, and what proportion of overall funding this represented.

Answer · Neil Gray: Research shows that co-operatives, and other inclusive business models, are fair and inclusive places to work and as a result enjoy financial and social resilience. Co-operative business models can play a critical role in economic recovery, supporting the Sco…

18 Apr 2023 · General Question

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether businesses, which make use of unpaid trial shifts, should be disqualified from receiving public sector grants and procurement contracts.