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Questions and answers

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-28991

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 08 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-28656 by Ivan McKee on 6 August 2024, in light of reported concerns that paths, play parks and community halls may not be eligible for funding through the alternative funding stream that it refers to, in contrast to the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund, which does provide funding for such amenities, what funding plans it has for organisations such as Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust, which constructs and maintains footpaths, cycle paths and trails.

Active travel infrastructure such as footpaths and cycle paths could be funded through the Active Travel Infrastructure Fund (ATIF) Tier 1 which has been provided directly to each local authority through their General Capital Grant.

Perth and Kinross Countryside Trust should engage with Perth and Kinross Council who received £738,757 ATIF Tier 1 funding for 2024-25, in order to discuss their proposals, establish alignment with the local authority’s Active Travel Strategy and whether the Council will decide to fund them.

Question reference: S6T-02065

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on the culture sector and livelihoods of the reported closure of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for Individuals due to budgetary constraints.

Question reference: S6O-03676

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the dualling of the A9.

Question reference: S6W-28656

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 19 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 6 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential closure of the Scottish Landfill Communities Fund following the implementation of landfill disposal legislation at the end of 2025, what assistance will be put in place in the Mid Scotland and Fife region to provide organisations with funding towards environmental projects.

The Scottish Landfill Communities Fund has provided an important source of funding for community and environmental projects across Scotland.

The Scottish Government recognises that the forecast decline in Scottish Landfill Tax revenues, which reflect the policy intent to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill, will reduce the contributions that landfill operators make to the Fund. We are therefore, in partnership with Revenue Scotland and the Scottish Environmental Protection Agency, carefully considering future arrangements for the Fund.

More broadly, the Scottish Government is committed to supporting local environmental projects through, for example, the growth of our national network of regional Community Climate Action Hubs. These hubs, which are supported by up to £5.5 million of funding in 2024-25, enable local communities to develop place-based approaches to reduce emissions and become more climate resilient.

Question reference: S6O-03841

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 05 August 2024
Current Status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on 4 May 2028

To ask the Scottish Government test bb 04/05/28

Question reference: S6W-28301

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 2 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service spent almost £750,000 on a fleet of state-of-the-art vehicles designed to tackle wildfires that reportedly remain in storage a year after delivery due to technical issues, what due diligence was carried out before this money was spent on vehicles that are reportedly not fit for purpose.

Prior to the development of the technical specification for the overall wildfire project, the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service (SFRS) set up a User Intelligence Group (UIG) comprising uniformed wildfire subject matter experts, with relevant union and health and safety representation. The UIG was guided by procurement and fleet technical experts. In line with European procurement law the technical specification was put to the European market further to final amendments made to it by the UIG.

The tender returns were evaluated by the UIG and awarded on the technical aspects of the end user specification and support packages. It should be noted that two representative bodies, the Fire Brigades Union (FBU) and the Fire and Rescue Services Association (FRSA) were part of the UIG for the wildfire vehicles. SFRS has been made aware of concerns raised by the FRSA regarding the all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and has engaged extensively with that group. The FBU, SFRS and wildfire experts do not share the views of the FRSA.

The ATVs are general purpose vehicles and SFRS currently has four in operation. The Service’s newest Angloco models were purchased as part of its wildfire strategy and will be introduced in conjunction with a fleet of other 4x4 vehicles, which arrived earlier this year. The 4x4 vehicles are for transportation of ATVs and once on scene will be used to convey personnel around an incident ground. Firefighter safety is paramount and all new vehicles and equipment will only be rolled out once staff are trained to operate them within safe parameters.

Question reference: S6O-03648

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to tackle any inappropriate care and overcrowding in NHS emergency departments.

Question reference: S6W-28095

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jenni Minto on 18 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of Public Petition PE2101, what its plans are for providing all primary and secondary schools with automated external defibrillators.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-14642 on 6 March 2023 , funding for local authorities is provided through the annual block grant settlement from the Scottish Government. Local authorities should use funding resources allocated to them in the manner which they believe will best meet local needs and circumstances within their respective areas. 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 .

Therefore, decisions on the installation and maintenance of defibrillators in schools is a matter for local authorities to consider at the local level.

A number of organisations provide advice and support for the purchasing and maintenance of defibrillators. This includes:

The British Heart Foundation: Defibrillators - BHF

St Johns Scotland Public Access Community Defibrillators | St John Scotland

Question reference: S6W-28056

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 June 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 June 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting small businesses to meet any potential costs associated with compliance with the requirements of Low Emission Zones.

Financial support has been provided to smaller businesses since 2019 in preparation for Low Emission Zones, through scrappage grants and retrofitting grants. Over £6.3 million has been paid out to small businesses with cars, taxis and vans whilst over 1,100 non-compliant business vehicles have been scrapped with the owner receiving a £2000 cash scrappage grant. Over 450 taxis have retrofitted using the grant funding available. A further £5 million has been allocated to the LEZ Support Fund in this financial year to help both smaller businesses and lower income households scrap or retrofit their vehicles to adapt to LEZs.

Question reference: S6O-03470

Asked by: Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 23 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what work it has undertaken to prepare for the introduction of low emission zones in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Dundee.

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