Chamber and committees

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

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S6W-26638

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the First Minister's attendance at the meeting of the Conveners Group on 27 March 2024, and his statement that, if the details of some of the cases in Scotland were made public, people would be "horrified" if these convictions were overturned, whether it will publish any (a) advice and/or speaking notes that were provided to the First Minister as part of his attendance and (b) briefing that he has been provided on the cases in Scotland involving the Post Office's Horizon IT system.

Question reference: S6W-26636

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 23 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 8 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the consultants, Deloitte, provided evidence to the Post Office in 2017 suggesting that errors in the Horizon IT system or remote tampering could have caused the financial losses that were being investigated, what its position is on whether any convictions in Scotland that involved evidence related to the Horizon IT system (a) can be considered safe and (b) should be quashed.

Question reference: S6W-26487

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the proposals for minimum energy efficiency standards and deadlines to be imposed from 2028 under the forthcoming Heat in Buildings Bill, what its response is to reports that the proposals could have the effect of forcing existing landlords to withdraw properties from the private rental market, and whether it has carried out any study or research into whether the proposals could have the potential impact of reducing the number of properties available for private let.

We are aware of the important role privately rented homes play as part of Scotland’s housing stock, and the wider pressures on this sector. We will continue to engage with the sector on our proposals, taking account of the wider environment in which it operates.

The recent consultation on a Heat in Buildings Bill included a proposal that a minimum energy efficiency standard could be met by installing a straightforward list of energy efficiency measures. Any homeowner who had installed these measures – or as many of them as are feasible for the type of home they live in – would be considered to meet the new standard. This final list of measures will be developed to prioritise those that have most impact for homes with the lowest amount of cost and disruption. This will provide a simple approach for landlords and other homeowners to follow, and to comply with the standard.

The Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the private rental market. As part of this project, researchers are conducting interviews with stakeholders from the property market, including from the rental sector. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.

Question reference: S6W-26485

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the proposals included in the forthcoming Heat in Buildings Bill, whether it has received any representations regarding whether (a) they could adversely impact upon the mortgage market, (b) mortgage valuation assessments could have to be changed for Scotland as a result of the proposals requiring homebuyers to commit to upgrading to clean energy systems, (c) they could lead to higher interest rates for mortgage holders in Scotland compared with the rest of the UK, and (d) they could create a reported "material shock to the Scottish housing market that could have a detrimental impact on consumers and the wider economy".

The Scottish Government recently consulted on proposals for a Heat in Buildings Bill, this consultation closed on 8 March 2024. We are currently analysing all responses received. This analysis will inform the further design of policy provisions together with any feedback gathered during wider consultation engagement events and workshops. All responses will be published in full, in accordance with Scottish Government guidance.

Ahead of the launch of the consultation and in preparing the proposals, I met with several retail banks to discuss their role in supporting consumers in meeting the costs of the proposed standards. In addition, I attended a Scottish Financial Enterprise hosted roundtable to discuss lenders' role and the potential impacts that the proposals may have on the housing market. As we finalise our proposals we will take this feedback into account.

In addition, the Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the mortgage market. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.

Question reference: S6W-26486

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Patrick Harvie on 17 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commission independent advice regarding whether the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill could adversely impact upon the mortgage market.

The Scottish Government has commissioned research through ClimateXChange to investigate the potential impact of the proposed Heat in Buildings Bill on the Scottish Housing Market. The scope of this project includes an investigation into the impact on the mortgage market. As part of this research, researchers are conducting interviews with stakeholders from the property market, including the finance sector. This research is currently being carried out, and findings will be published later this year.

Question reference: S6W-26188

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 18 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 15 April 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill, which aims to exonerate people who were wrongfully convicted as a result of the reported issues with the Post Office accounting system, Horizon, not applying to Scotland, what action it will take to ensure that the exoneration of anyone wrongly convicted in Scotland will not be delayed and will not take longer to be effected than in England and Wales.

The Scottish Government has repeatedly made it clear to the UK Government that the best way to ensure that there is a quick, fair and equal solution for all affected sub-postmasters is for a UK-wide Bill. It is not too late for the UK Government to change their position, and we will continue to press for a UK-wide solution as the Post Office (Horizon System) Offences Bill progresses through the Westminster Parliament.

If the scope of the UK Bill is not extended we will do everything in our power to work as quickly as possible to introduce Scottish legislation that delivers justice for all those affected. Any such legislation can however only be passed after the UK Bill has been passed, to allow account to be taken of any amendments made during passage at Westminster. This is required to ensure full compatibility with UK legislation and the UK compensation scheme, in which the Scottish Government has no locus.

Question reference: S6W-26642

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 April 2024
Current Status: Answer expected on 1 May 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what security, guarantee or other assurance was provided to Biffa in relation to its obligations under the contract that it entered into with Circularity Scotland, and whether it will publish the full details of these, including any letters or other written documentation.

Question reference: S6O-03284

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will reconsider its decision to pause capital funding for NHS Highland in respect of completion of the refurbishment of Grantown Health Centre, in light of reports that these works were nearly completed and that the pause of the contract may lead to additional costs in excess of the notional sum saved.

Question reference: S6W-25625

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 18 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the use of emergency legislation to quash wrongful convictions in Scotland of sub-postmasters and mistresses that were based on evidence from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system, and, if it is the case that it prefers an alternative approach, whether it will provide details of this.

Question reference: S6W-25626

Asked by: Fergus Ewing, MSP for Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 March 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 18 March 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the potential issues arising from the Post Office’s Horizon computer system in Scotland, what its response is to the comments of former sheriff Kevin Drummond KC that an approach to resolving the potential issues “could be done tomorrow… by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service and Crown Prosecution Service bringing to their respective criminal appeal courts a list of convictions with case references and informing the court that investigations have revealed these convictions to be flawed and inviting the court to overturn the convictions”.

The Scottish Government is aware of this proposal. During the Lord Advocate’s statement to Parliament on 16 January 2024, I am aware there was discussion of this issue. The Lord Advocate explained that:

‘… It is misleading to suggest that I could simply attend the appeal court with a list of cases and tell the court of criminal appeal to quash the convictions. There is such a process but, for reasons of sound public policy and in recognition of the constitutional role of our court of appeal, prosecutors always have to be able to explain why they are no longer relying on a conviction. As I have explained, not every Horizon case will involve a miscarriage of justice. In some cases, there was sufficient evidence to support a criminal conviction. That is demonstrated by the material from England and Wales that shows that, of the cases that have been referred to the Court of Appeal in England, only some—not all—have resulted in a conviction being quashed because of a miscarriage of justice. Therefore, it is not as simple as my providing a list of convictions to be quashed.’