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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-12345

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Neil Gray on 5 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether exceeding the headline advice for stocks with precautionary advice meets the precautionary, scientific, ecosystem and sustainability objectives of the Fisheries Act 2020.

The Fisheries Act 2020 outlines that sustainable fishing means environmental, economic, and social considerations are appropriately balanced when managing our fisheries to benefit present and future generations. To ensure we are achieving this balance, we will take management decisions and negotiation positions that are informed by the best available evidence. The recently published Joint Fisheries Statement further outlines that we consider both the short-term and the long-term impacts of decisions on fish stocks and the fishing industry before taking action. This aligns with the sustainability, precautionary, scientific evidence, and ecosystem Objectives in the Act as well as wider international treaties, such as UNCLOS.

The Scottish Government’s approach to negotiations on Total Allowable Catch (TAC) limits is underpinned by the best available scientific information, usually the advice from ICES, and we fully support following the headline scientific advice and setting fishing opportunities that are consistent with the Maximum Sustainable Yield (MSY) approach wherever appropriate. However, setting an MSY-based TAC is not always possible, and it is sometimes more appropriate, for the stock and for fishing industries, to set a TAC above or below the headline scientific advice. There are a number of stocks where MSY based reference points are not available, for instance due to the data being limited. These stocks include North Sea and West of Scotland ling, North Sea and West of Scotland tusk, North Sea blue ling, and Rockall Cod. In the absence of better evidence being available, we believe following other models recommended by ICES should also be considered as being sustainable.

Question reference: S6W-12382

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much funding would potentially be released, which could be used to meet the goals of its Vision for Agriculture, in the event that current direct payments made through the Basic Payment Scheme and Greening payments to each Integrated Administration and Control System (IACS) claimant were capped at (a) £5,000, (b) £10,000, (c) £15,000, (d) £20,000, (e) £25,000, (f) £30,000, (g) £35,000, (h) £40,000, (i) £45,000, (j) £50,000, (k) £75,000 and (l) £100,000 per year.

Question reference: S6W-12371

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to implement any capping, front-loading and/or tapering of base-level agricultural payments.

Question reference: S6W-12369

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to its commitment in the Programme for Government to explore capping and/or tapering base-level agricultural payments, how this work will be taken forward.

Question reference: S6W-12370

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 December 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether there will be a public consultation on any proposals to cap, front-load and/or taper base-level agricultural payments.

Question reference: S6W-12048

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 November 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-11056 by Mairi Gougeon on 30 September 2022, what number of each type of vessel is fitted with the specified capability.

The previous answer detailed the percentage of vessels fitted with the specified capability, this has been amended to include the number of vessels.

	Vessel Monitoring System	Electronic Logbook	Remote electronic monitoring system (minimum of GPS and sensor/s)	Total number of vessels
Over 12 m Pelagic	100%	100%	0%	20
Over 12m Scallop Dredge	100%	100%	98% (53 vessels)	54
Over 12m Demersal	100%	100%	0%	92
12m & Under	0%	0%	3% (43 vessels)	1706

	Vessel Monitoring System	Electronic Logbook	Remote electronic monitoring system (minimum of GPS and sensor/s)	Number of vessels
Over 12 m Pelagic	100%	100%	0%	?
Over 12m Scallop Dredge	100%	100%	98%	53
Over 12m Demersal	100%	100%	0%	?
12m & Under	0%	0%	3%	43

Question reference: S6W-11802

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether a carbon assessment has been undertaken of the policies in the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), and if this is the case, whether the assessment will be publicly available.

In keeping with our statutory and other assessment requirements we published our Integrated Impact Assessments (IIA) alongside Draft NPF4, and invited comment. This included an Environmental Report, setting out the likely significant environmental effects of Draft NPF4 including on climatic factors. Our assessment findings and the comments received have been taken into account in finalising the Revised Draft NPF4 which was laid in Parliament on 8 November. The IIA is available from the Scottish Government’s website: www.gov.scot .

Question reference: S6W-11666

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made in securing increased and backdated wages for Robertson Facilities Management staff who work at New Craigs Hospital in Inverness, and what correspondence has the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care had with NHS Highland since the health board's reported announcement on 3 October 2022 that it would not honour the agreed pay awards and the Agenda for Change terms and conditions for such workers.

The Scottish Government have been in dialogue with NHS Highland on the matter raised. NHS Highland have confirmed that they will honour the two tier agreement in respect of facilities management colleagues working on behalf of NHS Highland at New Craigs Hospital. This will ensure that these staff are on terms and conditions that are no less favourable than the Agenda for Change equivalent. The Health Board are now working with Robertson Facilities Management and local trade union representatives to ensure a smooth transition.

Question reference: S6W-11803

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 28 October 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 10 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the carbon emissions generated from new house building, and whether estimates for new housing in the draft fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) have been assessed against the Scottish carbon budget.

An explanation of how the Minimum All-Tenure Housing Land Requirements (MATHLR) for each planning authority in Scotland have been arrived at is set out in the Housing Land Requirement Explanatory Report, which was published alongside Draft NPF4 and is available from the Scottish Government’s website: www.gov.scot . The MATHLRs are broad, reasonable and long-term figures based on evidence of need and demand for housing.

In keeping with our statutory and other assessment requirements, we published our Integrated Impact Assessments (IIA) alongside Draft NPF4 and invited comments. This included an Environmental Report, setting out the likely significant environmental effects of Draft NPF4, including on climatic factors. Our assessment findings and the comments received have been taken into account in finalising the Revised Draft NPF4, which was laid in the Scottish Parliament on 8 November 2022. The NPF4 IIA is available from the Scottish Government’s website: www.gov.scot .

Whilst a more specific quantitative assessment against the Scottish carbon budget has not been made in arriving at the MATHLRs, future proposals for new homes will be considered against NPF4 as a whole including its policies on climate and nature crises, as well as on quality homes. These will influence both the location and design of individual proposals for new homes. As land is allocated for housing development in Local Development Plans, further impact assessment will be required.

Question reference: S6W-11986

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 November 2022
Current Status: Answer expected on 22 November 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether a carbon assessment of the policies in the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) has been undertaken, and, if so, whether this assessment will be made publicly available.