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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

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: S6O-03021

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 25 January 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to encourage consumers to support businesses in their communities by shopping locally.

We are committed to bringing people back into towns and encouraging local footfall as we continue to implement the Town Centre First Principle and deliver the Town Centre Action Plan.

In collaboration with Scotland’s Towns Partnership, we continue to support the Scotland Loves Local programme, which encourages people to think local first, increase footfall in town centres and ultimately support local shops and businesses. This package of support includes the Scotland Loves Local week, highlighting good practice, and continued promotion of the physical and digital Gift Card.

Question reference: S6O-02901

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 December 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it engaged with fishing industry stakeholders as part of the annual fisheries negotiations.

Question reference: S6W-23481

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 November 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Mairi McAllan on 30 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support people, businesses and communities to recover from Storm Babet.

Following the first meeting of the Ministerial taskforce, we announced a grant scheme to support those suffering from the impacts of Storm Babet. After the second meeting of the Taskforce held on Wednesday 29 November, I can announce that applications for these grants will open on Monday 4 December. The grants will comprise a £1,500 community recovery payment for people whose properties have been flooded, and a £3,000 business recovery grant for businesses, community groups and organisations impacted by flooding. Grants will be administered by eligible local authorities which are those that had an exceptional red warning for rain during October’s storm - Angus Council and Aberdeenshire Council - and also in areas that were affected with catchments that cross local authority boundaries.

As well as these individual grants, the Scottish Government is providing more support in a range of ways. We want to do all we can to help people rebuild their lives. The Scottish Government is therefore providing additional funding of up to £100,000 to help those families who have lost everything to resettle. We have announced funding to help farmers repair floodbanks damaged by the extreme rainfall during October.

We have also initiated the Bellwin Scheme to help councils with weather related costs, and have extended it by two months. We will also share technical advice and expertise to help Angus Council identify and provide for future housing need.

This support is over and above our long-standing annual funding of £42 million and the additional £150 million for flood risk management together with our £12 million commitment for coastal change adaptation over the course of this parliament.

We continue to work with local authorities and those directly affected by Storm Babet, to help councils, people, businesses and communities to recover in the short term, but also to consider longer term issues like repairing infrastructure.

Question reference: S6O-02798

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how the proposals outlined in its latest Building a New Scotland paper, Our marine sector in an independent Scotland, will support Scotland's fisheries and coastal communities.

Question reference: S6W-23177

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 November 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects the next paper in the Building a New Scotland series to be published.

The Scottish Government continues to deliver on its commitment on building the case for an independent Scotland within the EU, through the development of a prospectus to give people the information they need to make an informed choice about their future, and I can confirm that today we are publishing “Our marine sector in an Independent Scotland”.

This is the eighth paper in the Building a New Scotland series, which focuses on Scotland’s marine sector, describing how independence would allow it to achieve its full potential to get the support it needs and the prioritisation it deserves. It includes proposals for how an independent Scotland in the EU would benefit fisheries and seafood businesses, coastal communities and marine science sector, and how Scotland could make a constructive contribution to the development of current and future EU strategic priorities such as reforms of the Common Fisheries Policy, the transition to renewable energy and growing the blue economy. It also sets out details of how Scotland would have a voice on the world stage, with the ability to negotiate for fisheries and other interests at international level, join international bodies and work in partnership with other countries on global marine agendas in our own right.

The Scottish Government is continuing to prepare further papers in the Building a New Scotland series and more will follow shortly.

Building a New Scotland: Our marine sector in an Independent Scotland is available to view on the Scottish Government website from today at www.gov.scot/newscotland

Question reference: S6O-02617

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 October 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the announcement by the First Minister that it will more than double investment in Scotland’s arts and culture over the next five years, how it is ensuring that rural communities benefit from current and future cultural investment.

Question reference: S6O-02526

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of how its EU alignment policy could be impacted by potential EU expansion, in light of the remarks of the President of the European Commission in her State of the European Union address.

Question reference: S6O-02496

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 06 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the First Minister's commitment in the Programme for Government 2023-24 to publish a new delivery plan for mental health and wellbeing, what it is doing to improve pathways to diagnosis for neurodivergent children.

Question reference: S6O-02475

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support the development of the necessary harbour infrastructure, including in relation to the operations and maintenance support phase of offshore wind, to deliver a just transition to rural communities, such as Fraserburgh.

Question reference: S6W-20615

Asked by: Karen Adam, MSP for Banffshire and Buchan Coast, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 August 2023
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Gillian Martin on 14 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making towards delivering sustainable fisheries management as part of its Fisheries Management Strategy.

The Scottish Government’s Fisheries Management Strategy sets out a clear approach for managing sea fisheries in partnership with our stakeholders in a way that balances environmental, social and economic interests.

The Scottish fishing industry is incredibly important to Scotland and we must recognise and nurture the socio-economic benefits derived from it, such as supporting employment and the economy in rural areas, and providing a source of healthy, high-protein food.

Whilst we are already delivering good outcomes, we know we need to deliver better. Our growing knowledge of the nature and climate crises has put into stark relief that ecosystems are degrading. In order ensure that our historic fishing industry thrives for generations to come we must safeguard and improve the marine ecosystems on which our fishing industry is built. It is a symbiotic relationship, and there must be space for fisheries to continue to operate – in a sustainable way.

We must embrace change to enhance our fisheries management and continue to develop solutions to difficult challenges. Through the development of a suite of measures, our Future Catching Policy, Remote Electronic Monitoring Policy and Inshore Vessel Tracking and Monitoring policy, we are taking steps to ensure we are at the forefront of establishing enhanced sustainable fisheries management measures.

The Scottish Government is pleased to announce the publication of the outcomes of last year’s consultations on the Future Catching Policy and Remote Electronic Monitoring. The Future Catching Policy will take positive action to increase the sustainability of fishing activity in Scottish waters, supporting fishers to avoid catching fish and other sensitive marine species which they do not want to land, or catch in the first place – reducing waste and increasing biodiversity outcomes.

Remote Electronic Monitoring will deliver increased accountability and confidence in our sea fishing activities, ensuring that we have the right data and knowledge available on which to base management decisions.

The Scottish Government has also published a consultation on the use of inshore vessel tracking and monitoring, with proposals for how we can improve fisheries data by requiring electronic tracking and monitoring technology on under 12 metre commercial fishing vessels. These proposals build on successful trials of vessel tracking, such as the Outer Hebrides Pilot, and will improve our understanding of where inshore vessels are fishing, delivering spatial data that will help us to manage fisheries sustainably for the future, deliver enhanced marine environmental protection, improve control and enforcement tools and, inform marine planning. We have a strong record of engaging with our stakeholders and I would encourage all of them to respond to this consultation.

The consultation documents can be found here: https://consult.gov.scot/marine-scotland/improving-inshore-fisheries-data/ - Consultation on extending vessel tracking and monitoring technology on under 12 metre commercial fishing vessels

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805256595 - Analysis of Consultation: Marine Resources – Ensuring Long Term Sustainability: Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM)

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805256588 - SG Response to Consultation: Marine Resources – Ensuring Long Term Sustainability: Remote Electronic Monitoring (REM)

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805257165 - Future Catching Policy Consultation Analysis Report

https://www.gov.scot/isbn/9781805259916 - Future Catching Policy: Scottish Government response to consultation analysis report