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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: S6W-05468

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide details of what is meant by "relevant legal conditions" in relation to the designation of new national parks, as referred to in its shared policy programme with the Scottish Green Party.

The National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 defines the conditions which the Scottish Ministers must be satisfied or may be satisfied before an area may be proposed for designation as a National park. Under Section 2(2) of the Act the Conditions are:

a. that the area is of outstanding national importance because of its natural heritage or the combination of its natural and cultural heritage,

b. that the area has a distinctive character and a coherent identity, and

c. that designating the area as a National Park would meet the special needs of the area and would be the best means of ensuring that the National Park aims are collectively achieved in relation to the area in a co-ordinated way.

Question reference: S6W-05466

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to go further than the commitment it made in its shared policy programme with the Scottish Green Party to designate "at least one new National Park", and designate more than one new national park by the end of this parliamentary session.

The process for identifying and designating one or more new National Parks in Scotland will involve a fair and transparent bidding and evaluation process to identify the area or areas which will be put forward to obtain National Park status and allow the statutory process to begin. The Scottish Government remains open minded about the number of areas which will be progressed to National Park designation during the lifetime of this Parliament.

Question reference: S6W-05469

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the concepts of progressive land use and progressive development, as referred to in its shared policy programme with the Scottish Green Party regarding the designation of new national parks, relate to sustainable land use and sustainable development.

Scotland’s land and the natural capital it supports is one of our most valuable assets, vital to our national prosperity and to our wellbeing as individuals and communities. By addressing the twin climate and biodiversity crises while improving individuals public and community wellbeing, progressive land use and development brings many positive benefits to Scotland by combining sustainable land use/development and people’s requirements in a fair and accountable way. As such it is in line both with our long standing vision and objectives for sustainable land use in Scotland as set out in our Land Use Strategy and the overarching principles of our Just Transition.

Question reference: S6W-05467

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to include any new national parks as a national development in the forthcoming National Planning Framework 4, in light of the national spatial strategy, which is set out in the draft framework.

Question reference: S6W-05470

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 31 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it expects future national parks to be smaller in scale than existing national parks, as referred to in its shared policy programme with the Scottish Green Party.

Question reference: S6O-00694

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 2 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it will undertake with COSLA and individual local authorities on the COVID-19 Strategic Framework that is currently being developed.

Question reference: S6W-05487

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 21 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the five commitments regarding stroke made in its 2019-20 Programme for Government.

The five commitments made in the 2019-20 Programme for Government were; 1) appoint a Chief Medical Officer Speciality Advisor for stroke care, 2) review and improve the current stroke care bundle to improve outcomes for patients, 3) collaborate across government on stroke prevention and raising awareness of the signs of stroke, 4) begin work to scope out and define what a progressive stroke unit looks like, and 5) ensure that a national planning framework is in place for a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service.

Updates are as follows;

Professor Martin Dennis (Chief Medical Officer Specialty Advisor for Stroke) and Dr Fiona Wright (Deputy Chief Medical Officer Speciality Advisor for Stroke) were appointed in 2020.

The Scottish Stroke Care Audit standards have, for several years, included the proportion of patients with a final diagnosis of stroke who were managed in accordance with all four standards comprising the care bundle. The standards within the bundle include the prompt delivery of: a) admission to a stroke unit; b) brain scanning; c) screening for swallow problems; and d) administering aspirin (unless contraindicated). The standards are regularly reviewed in line with current evidence and updated guidelines.

We have progressed with work to scope out and define a progressive stroke pathway. The resulting document is expected in early 2022. It will set out our vision for what stroke services across Scotland should deliver across the whole patient pathway, including prevention, recognition of stroke, timely access to acute and hyperacute care and the provision of stroke rehabilitation.

We remain committed to introducing a high quality and clinically safe thrombectomy service in Scotland. A pilot thrombectomy programme began in the North of Scotland at NHS Tayside on 9 November 2020 and the East of Scotland began their pilot service on the 6th September 2021. A Scotland wide service is expected to be operational by 2023.

Question reference: S6W-05429

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 24 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 13 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it expects to publish the results of its consultation on a Sectoral Marine Plan for offshore wind for Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas Decarbonisation.

Question reference: S6O-00604

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what the environmental priorities will be for the new Chief Scientific Adviser for Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture.

Question reference: S6W-04803

Asked by: Paul McLennan, MSP for East Lothian, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 03 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the (a) direct and (b) wider impact on the (i) retail and (ii) tourism sector in (A) the Lothians and (B) Scotland of the UK Government's decision to withdraw tax-free shopping from the start of 2021, and what representations it has made to UK ministers on the matter.

We have heard directly from retail businesses advising that the impact of these changes are already being felt, and that the new rules put Scottish and UK-wide businesses at a disadvantage when compared to other European destinations who continue to operate VAT refund schemes.

Following the announcement of the changes to tax-free shopping on 11 September 2020, the then Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, Fiona Hyslop, and I wrote a joint letter to the UK Chancellor opposing the proposed changes; especially at such a challenging time for businesses. No action was forthcoming from the UK Government, so on 20 December 2021 I sent a follow-up letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to reiterate the Scottish Government’s concerns on the matter, and request any data and analysis on the impact of these changes.