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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-02079

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it is taking to ensure that public transport is accessible.

Question reference: S6W-15882

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reflect the urgency of climate (a) mitigation and (b) adaptation in the final version of its Future Catching Policy.

The Future Catching Policy (FCP) is being developed to deliver increased selectivity and sustainability across Scotland’s diverse and varied fishing fleet. Once implemented, the FCP will support increased confidence in, and an increased accountability of, Scotland’s fishing fleets. The consultation on the FCP closed last year and analysis of responses is now complete with a full report, and government response, to be published this year.

Question reference: S6W-15883

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 10 March 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 17 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to reflect the urgency of climate (a) mitigation and (b) adaptation in the final versions of Scotland’s Fisheries Management Plans.

Fisheries Management Plans (FMPs) are being developed by the Scottish Government in line with the Fisheries Act 2020, and will be published by the end of 2024, as set out in the Joint Fisheries Statement. The 21 Scottish-led FMPs will reflect the urgency of climate mitigation by outlining the policies the Scottish Government is developing to ensure sustainable fisheries. These policies include measures to reduce bycatch and entanglement, such as the Future Catching Policy.

FMPs will also be an important tool for climate adaptation, because FMPs will state the maximum sustainable yield for a stock, where this is available, and include an overview of the health and location of a stock over time. FMPs will be revisited at least every six years, which will support management of our fish stocks as the marine environment changes.

The development of the FMPs will include discussions with our core stakeholder Fisheries Management and Conservation (FMAC) Group. We will also be addressing climate change from a fisheries perspective through the FMAC Climate Change Subgroup and we aim to develop a work programme in partnership with concrete actions for the industry, the Scottish Government, academia and others to take in order to mitigate the impacts fishing has on climate change .

Question reference: S6O-02044

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what analysis has been carried out of recorded crime in South Ayrshire.

Question reference: S6O-02018

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 March 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 March 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of any potential impact that the UK Government’s proposed Illegal Migration Bill could have on devolved social justice powers and the duties of Scottish local authorities.

Question reference: S6W-14866

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what data it holds regarding the carbon emissions (a) directly from the operations and (b) indirectly from the impacts on blue carbon, of Scotland’s fishing industry.

The Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics quantify emissions from fishing vessels at sea. This is an estimate based on activity data and statistical modelling. In 2020, the latest year available, these were 0.3 mega tonnes carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO2-e). Marine Scotland Directorate, through ClimateXChange, commissioned research to obtain improved estimates of emissions from fishing vessels at sea. The full report can be accessed at https://www.climatexchange.org.uk/research/projects/assessing-greenhouse-gas-emissions-from-scotland-s-fishing-fleet/ .

As detailed in in response to S6W-12151 on 24 November 2022, the UK Climate Change Committee briefing on blue carbon , published in March 2022, recognised the challenges in estimating the climate change impact of fishing through disturbance to sea floor sediments and the current, significant evidence gaps. The briefing concluded that fundamental scientific uncertainties currently prevent accurate quantification of this effect. This has been an area of focus for the Scottish Blue Carbon Forum since its establishment in 2018, and we continue to develop our approaches to better understand the interaction. The latest research suggests that any disturbance of blue carbon by fisheries is not uniform, dependant on a number of factors and the consequences for blue carbon disturbed remain unknown.

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

Question reference: S6W-14867

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 February 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what (a) plans and (b) policies it has in place to assist the fishing industry to (i) reduce its carbon emissions and (ii) ensure a just transition for the sector.

Scotland has a target to reduce the country’s greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2045. The fishing industry has an important part to play, alongside all sectors of our society, in reducing emissions and helping to create a low carbon economy with clean, green jobs – and of course it already provides a low-carbon source of food in many cases.

As part of Scotland’s Fisheries Management Strategy 2020-2030 (FFM Strategy) we have committed to developing a climate change action plan for sea fisheries in partnership with stakeholders. Our immediate focus has been on identifying and filling key evidence gaps. This has included a range of research projects, focused conversations with stakeholders and a wide-ranging survey to help us understand the industry’s attitudes and needs. We have also committed funding through Marine Fund Scotland to support innovation and development of fishing vessel adaptation solutions.

We have committed to establishing a Fisheries Climate Change Sub-group which will be part of our already established stakeholder forum – the Fisheries Management and Conservation Group (FMAC). Together with FMAC we will commence the development of a fisheries climate change mitigation project to focus activity and identify key actions for progression.

The transition to net zero will no doubt be challenging for the fishing sector, but also presents an opportunity to make a positive impact by adjusting practices and growing Scottish businesses and supply chains in a sustainable way. We are currently scoping our broader approach to Just Transition and this will be a key theme part of our climate change planning.

Question reference: S6O-01840

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 January 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 February 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact on culture organisations in Scotland of the UK Government Levelling Up funding.

Question reference: S6O-01678

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the development of a Talent Attraction and Migration service will impact on the delivery of its Covid Recovery Strategy.

Question reference: S6O-01647

Asked by: Siobhian Brown, MSP for Ayr, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 November 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the UK Government following the Supreme Court’s verdict on the ability of the Scottish Parliament to legislate for an independence referendum.