- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 24 January 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 February 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides for island musicians to attend events on the mainland and for musicians to visit the islands.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of musicians being able to travel to and from the mainland to undertake their work. The importance of music on the islands was recently set out in the first ever National Islands Plan in December 2019, the implementation of which will build on existing culture and language policies and approaches.
Specific support for musicians to travel, perform and showcase is provided by Creative Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. Opportunities from Creative Scotland include its Open Project Fund, the Youth Music Initiative, and the Made in Scotland Showcase Fund/Onward International Touring Fund. Its island-based Regularly Funded Organisations can provide assistance to bring in musicians and other artists from other areas. The Touring network operates a Go See Fund for promoters in the Highlands and Islands. Highlands and Islands Enterprise also provides a range of assistance, including support for musicians and artists to maximise opportunities to engage with industry specialists and mentors so that they can get to the next stage of their development. It also works with islands based musicians through Feisean nan Gaidheal.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Friday, 10 January 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 22 January 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-25733 by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 October 2019, whether it will provide an update regarding by what date section 14 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 will come into force.
Answer
Guidance and templates relating to Section 14 of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, which refer to retrospective Island Communities Impact Assessments (ICIAs), are being developed.
We have analysed the responses received during the extensive consultation process, and policy instructions are now being drafted. Officials are also working to finalise an illustrative timetable and, ideally, the regulations will come into force prior to the Summer recess.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 07 January 2020
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 22 January 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of premises in the R100 North Lot will be reached through aligned interventions.
Answer
On 21 November 2019, I confirmed that BT plc had been selected as the preferred bidder for the north lot of the R100 procurement. However, you are likely aware that this decision has subsequently been challenged by Gigaclear Limited, putting contract signature on hold. Until that challenge is resolved, we cannot discuss what that contract might deliver and, as a result, which premises will require to be reached through the voucher scheme.
Anyone who will not be able to access superfast broadband by the end of 2021 – regardless of whether or not build through the R100 contracts will ultimately reach them – will be eligible for that voucher scheme.
The voucher scheme will launch later this year and will provide grants to broadband customers in non-domestic and domestic premises, offering support to access a range of technologies and suppliers.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 December 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 14 January 2020
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when the final National Islands Plan will be published.
Answer
As set out in Programme for Government, the National Islands Plan was published on 27 December 2019.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 January 2020
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that the number of primary schools exceeding their capacity has increased by a third since 2009.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 January 2020
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 December 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by John Swinney on 10 January 2020
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the letter from the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Skills to the Education and Skills Committee, which was referred to at the meeting of the Public Petitions Committee on 19 September 2019 (Official Report, c.10), whether officials have reviewed the guidance on home education, which the Cabinet Secretary indicated would be undertaken in 2019, and whether any changes have been made.
Answer
My officials are continuing to review the current Home Education guidance. Officials met and corresponded with local authorities and representatives of home education organisations during 2019. Their views are currently being considered and an updated version of the guidance will be prepared for consultation in 2020.
I wrote to Johann Lamont MSP, Convener of the Public Petitions Committee on 19 October 2019 and confirmed that my officials will inform the Committee when a revised version of the Home Education Guidance is published for consultation.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 28 November 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the details about which organisation has submitted the most competitive bid not being publicly available, for what reason a spokesperson for David MacBrayne Ltd was able to comment in The Herald on 12 October 2019 that CalMac had "won the tender for the Northern Isles ferry services on price".
Answer
The purpose of the tender is to attract the Most Economically Advantageous Tender, based on an evaluation criteria of 65% price and 35% quality. This was explained in the Invitation to Tender, issued to bidders on 17 January 2019. The instructions to participants, also issued to bidders on 17 January 2019, made clear how tenders would be evaluated.
As the procurement procedure remains ongoing until the contract is formally awarded, there is a limit on what we can say due to the commercially sensitive nature of the competition.
We will publish the contract on Transport Scotland's website following the completion of the procurement process, redacted as appropriate to protect matters of commercial confidentiality.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 27 November 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made on the business case submitted by Shetland Islands Council for funding to replace the ferry, Good Shepherd IV, and associated infrastructure upgrades, which connects Fair Isle to mainland Shetland.
Answer
Shetland Islands Council (SIC) is wholly responsible for the inter-island ferry services which it provides. Consequently, SIC currently remains wholly responsible for its vessels and infrastructure, and for planning for their replacement.
However, the Scottish Government understands that significant financial challenges can fall on individual local authorities such as Shetland and, in these exceptional circumstances, we have provided additional one-year funding to SIC of £5.0m in 2018-19 and £5.2m in 2019-20, or a total of £10.2m in the last two financial years, to support the operation of SIC’s internal ferry services, in addition to grant-in-aid funding through the annual financial settlement for local government.
Transport Scotland, on the behalf of the Scottish Ministers, continues to discuss long term solutions with both SIC and Orkney Islands Council (OIC). We are now considering, the final report from the officials working group which we established to examine these issues. This report included SIC’s preferred option and estimated capital costs for investment in ensuring the sustainability of the Fair Isle service. SIC expects to finalise, and submit, its more detailed Outline Business Case for the replacement of their Fair Isle vessel in the coming weeks and we will continue to engage with SIC on the financial sustainability of Shetland’s internal ferry services.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 26 November 2019
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the Shetland sites included in the 4G infill programme.
Answer
The Scottish 4G Infill (S4GI) Programme is working to deliver three sites in the Shetland Isles: Reawick, Foula and Bruray. A fundamental requirement for progressing any S4GI site to build is gaining commitment from at least one mobile network operator to use the mast. In addition, we also require agreements with landowners as well as securing planning permission.
At Raewick, agreement with a mobile network operator has been reached and we anticipate site build to commence in early 2020. However at this stage no firm timescale for the availability of 4G services can be provided.
Whilst the site at Foula yielded some initial interest from a mobile network operator, no definite commitment can be confirmed at this time. At present, no mobile network operator has shown interest in using the Bruray site.
Progress updates to the programme will be published on the Scottish Government’s website.
- Asked by: Beatrice Wishart, MSP for Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 November 2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-14527 by Fergus Ewing on 28 February 2018, whether it will provide an update on what meetings it has had with stakeholders regarding the seafood import provision of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act.
Answer
Since February 2018, the Scottish Government has been in frequent dialogue with stakeholders about the import provisions of the US Marine Mammal Protection Act, in order to ensure that Scotland can continue to export quality Scottish seafood to the US.
Details of specific meetings include:
- March 2018 – SFIA: Seafood Regulation Expert Group.
- July 2018 – Scottish Government internal conference call.
- May 2018 – Meeting with Scottish Government and Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation.
- October 2018 - Meeting with Officials from Canada, Chile, Norway and Scotland under the auspices of the International Memorandum of Understanding on aquaculture.
- May 2019 – Meeting with Scottish Government and Faroese Government.
- July 2019 – Conference with Scottish Government and the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs.
- August 2019 - Conference call with Scottish Government and the Department for the Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Marine Management Organisation, Seafish and Joint Nature Conservation Committee.
- August 2019 – Meeting with Officials from Canada, Chile, Norway and Scotland under the auspices of the International Memorandum of Understanding on aquaculture.
- September 2019 – Meeting with Scottish Government and Scottish Salmon Producers Organisation.
- October 2019 – Meeting with Scottish Government and Genuswave.
- November 2019 – Conference call with Scottish Government and the British Trout Association.
