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Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

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Question reference: S6W-36407

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32194 by Gillian Martin on 3 January 2025, whether SEPA's assessment of flood protection schemes completed for the 2021 Flood Risk Management Plans is available to view.

Question reference: S6W-36404

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-30798 by Gillian Martin on 7 November 2024, whether it will meet all final costs, regardless of any increase compared with the initial estimate.

As outlined in the answer to question S6W-30798 on 7 November, since 2016, the Scottish Government has allocated £570 million to local authorities for flood protection schemes and flood resilience. In this period, the estimated costs of cycle one schemes eligible for funding has risen.

A joint Scottish Government/ COSLA Funding Working Group was established to make recommendations to Ministers and COSLA Leaders on how to improve the affordability of the remaining cycle one schemes. This has resulted in the removal of 6 schemes that failed to meet key progress deadlines from the funding programme.

The Funding Working Group are considering whether further recommendations are required to ensure the programme remains affordable.

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/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-36409

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32194 by Gillian Martin on 3 January 2025, when it last met with COSLA.

Question reference: S6W-35692

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will put in place a moratorium on all battery energy storage system planning applications until the findings of any investigation into the recent fire at the battery energy storage system site at Rothienorman in Aberdeenshire are published.

The Scottish Government has no current plans to introduce a moratorium on battery energy storage system developments. There is a statutory structure that must be followed for all decision-making. Where new development proposals come forward, each application must be considered on its individual merits.

Where the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) receive information about a proposed BESS site they refer those duty holders (site operators) responsible for the plant to the National Fire Chief Council's (NFCC) Grid Scale Planning Guidance for FRS. These guidelines detail, amongst other elements, minimum standards for fire safety systems and design features, water requirements for firefighting, and access requirements.

BESS sites also fall under special fire precautions which are regulated by the Health and Safety Executive under the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 due to the equipment used to collect, store and release electricity as required.

Question reference: S6W-36408

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 April 2025
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 22 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-32194 by Gillian Martin on 3 January 2025, whether it will provide an update on the (a) current status (b) available funding and (c) expected costs for all flood protection schemes

Since the answer given to question S6W-32194 on 3 January:

1.The position on funding for new flood protection schemes has not changed since 3 January 2025.

2.The total available funding to date for flood resilience including flood resilience schemes has not changed since 3 January 2025.

3.Potential new Flood Protection Schemes outlined in Local Authority Flood Risk Management Plans in 2021 will be considered as part of any new funding agreement – this will require updated estimated costs from Local Authorities for cycle 2 schemes.

Expected costs for cycle 1 schemes are given below. This updates the information given in response to question S6W-30798 on 7 November. 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/written-questions-and-answers.

Table for local authorities for cycle 1

	Scheme name	Local authority	Cost estimate (£m) (100%) (24/25)	Status
1	Huntly	Aberdeenshire	3.814	Complete
2	Newmill	Moray	1.800	Complete
3	Dundee	Dundee City	6.917	Complete
4	Kirkwall	Orkney	1.750	Complete
5	White Cart Water Phase 3	Glasgow	7.231	Complete
6	Camlachie Burn	Glasgow	1.767	Complete
7	Port Glasgow - Bouverie Burn	Inverclyde	0.400	Complete
8	Smithton and Culloden	Highland	10.042	Complete
9	Broughty Ferry	Dundee City	16.272	Complete
10	Kirkintilloch - Park Burn	East Dunbartonshire	0.397	Complete
11	New Cumnock	East Ayrshire	8.350	Complete
12	Drumnadrochit	Highland	5.073	Complete
13	Arbroath	Angus	13.53	Complete
14	Caol and Lochyside	Highland	15.235	Complete
15	Stonehaven	Aberdeenshire	27.501	Complete
16	Millport Coastal	North Ayrshire	48.600	Complete
17	Stranraer	Dumfries and Galloway	1.594	Complete
18	Kilmacolm – Glenmosston Burn	Inverclyde	0.500	Complete
19	Upper Garnock	North Ayrshire	18.504	Complete
20	Campbeltown	Argyll and Bute	16.006	Under construction
21	Hawick	Borders	78.647	Under construction
22	Comrie	Perth and Kinross	40.820	Under construction
23	Milnathort	Perth and Kinross	0.910	Construction due 2025
24	Port Glasgow - Bouverie Burn	Inverclyde	0.400	Construction due 2025
25	Dumfries - Whitesands	Dumfries and Galloway	69.420	Legal confirmation complete
26	Mill Burn Millport	North Ayrshire	3.000	Legal confirmation complete
27	Dumbarton Gruggies Burn	West Dunbartonshire	39.000	Notified March 2024
28	South Kinross	Perth and Kinross	15.075	Notified March 2024
29	Musselburgh	East Lothian	106.000	Notified March 2024
30	Bridge of Allan	Stirling	17.311	Notified March 2024
31	Newton Stewart/ River Cree	Dumfries and Galloway	19.056	Notified March 2024

Question reference: S6W-36223

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 17 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider changing the eligibility criteria for the Home Energy Scotland grant to install a heat source pump, to allow one application per homeowner regardless of this being their main residence, in order to bring this in line with the equivalent UK Government grant.

Question reference: S6O-04569

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 April 2025
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring access to early learning and childcare for families in rural areas, in light of reports of recent nursery closures.

Question reference: S6W-35784

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 18 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 25 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the brokerage discussions with NHS Grampian regarding the overspend for 2024-25.

Question reference: S6W-35632

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 March 2025
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 21 March 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of it being approved by the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency for the rest of the UK, for what reason the medication, Givinostat, for people with Duchenne muscular dystrophy, is not available through NHS Scotland.

A conditional marketing authorisation was granted by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency for givinostat (Duvyzat®) on 20 December 2024. A conditional marketing authorisation is an early temporary licence.

The pharmaceutical company that markets Duvyzat® has offered a national Early Access Programme which provides free of charge access to the medicine for the treatment of ambulant young people aged six years and older with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This has been in place since late December 2024.

It is for individual Health Boards to consider the implementation of any new medicine, and ultimately for the clinician in charge of a person’s care to advise on suitable treatment options. The Scottish Government is aware that Health Boards are currently considering how to schedule offering this medicine in the most fair and equitable manner.

Question reference: S6W-35665

Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
Current Status: Answer expected on 2 April 2025

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-35018 by Alasdair Allan on 24 February 2025, whether it will provide an update on what engagement and analysis it has undertaken with the UK Government to understand what the financial impact will be on consumers facing a change in tariff as a result of the ending of the Radio Teleswitch Service, such as those with Total Heating Total Control meters.

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