Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-01318

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 August 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the Health and Care Experience Survey 2021-22 in relation to patient satisfaction with GP services.

Question reference: S6W-09839

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 11 August 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many land sales in excess of 3,000 hectares (a) have there been (b) have been registered, in each of the last 10 years.

This is a question for the Keeper of the Registers of Scotland (RoS). She advises me that RoS does not hold information on transfers which may have occurred but for which no registration application has been submitted.

In relation to registrations in each of the last 10 years the position is given in the following table.

These numbers include transfers for value (sales) and transfers which are not for value (such as succession), but do not include voluntary registrations (where a property owner voluntarily moves their property from the Register of Sasines to the Land Register with no change in ownership).

As at 22 July 2022, in total there are 396 titles with an area over 3000 hectares registered in the Land Register of Scotland. A further 32 titles with a provisional extent over 3000 hectares are currently undergoing first registration.

Year	Total Ownership Changes
2012	13
2013	33
2014	22
2015	42
2016	70
2017	98
2018	100
2019	116
2020	87
2021	100
2022	53

Question reference: S6W-09702

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 29 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has, aside from any plans by Circularity Scotland, to inform the public that 16 August 2022 marks one year until the proposed launch date for Scotland's Deposit Return Scheme.

Question reference: S6W-09706

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 27 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will outline any role that an offshore energy passport will play in Scotland's National Strategy for Economic Transformation.

The National Strategy for Economic Transformation contains bold and ambitious actions - within the powers currently available to us - to deliver economic prosperity for all Scotland’s people and places. The strategy sets out our ambition that, by 2032, Scotland will be an international benchmark, showcasing how an economy can transform itself, de-carbonise and rebuild natural capital whilst creating more, well-paid and secure jobs and developing new markets based on renewable sources of energy and low carbon technology.

One of the strategy’s transformational programmes of action is developing a more skilled workforce. Actions contained within the strategy include implementing the next phase of the Green Jobs Workforce Academy and launching a new skills guarantee for workers in carbon intensive industries. Looking forward, we are committed to delivering a lifetime upskilling and retraining offer that is straightforward, accessible, and ambitious. We are also supporting a Just Transition. The Just Transition Fund is a ten year, £500m investment to support a fair transition to net zero and to diversify the regional economies of the North East and Moray.

The strategy introduces a streamlined delivery model and a robust governance structure, co-led by business and with immediate access to Ministers, which will hold the public sector and industry to account for delivery. We will work together with the public, private and third sectors – as well as with individuals and communities – in a genuine “Team Scotland” approach to develop and implement delivery plans for each programme.

Question reference: S6W-09705

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 11 July 2022
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 27 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on any plans it has for the delivery of an offshore training passport for Scotland's offshore oil and gas workers.

As we discussed in our meeting of 24 March and in my letter to you of 19 May, skills recognition is central to Scottish Government’s just transition ambitions, and is also set out in the North Sea Transition Deal. You will be aware that on 24 May OPITO published the People and Skills Strategy and the first of five Action Plans, which is focused on Aligning Offshore Standards. This work is supported by the Skills Passport Industry Steering Group which meets monthly, providing insight and sharing information to support the development of a Skills Passport. A range of energy industry organisations are represented on the Steering Group, ensuring different needs and perspectives across the industry are represented.

This must be an initiative led by industryand taken forward in partnership with the workforce. OPITO continue to engage with stakeholders, including the offshore unions. The Aligning Offshore Standards Action Plan, which includes key activities and timescales, was supported by unions at a recent meeting of the North Sea Transition Deal Delivery Group, attended by UNITE. The North Sea Transition Deal Delivery Group will continue to oversee delivery of the Deal commitments, including oversight of the Strategy and Action Plans.

Question reference: S6W-09433

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to increase the weight given to the public interest, as compared with property rights, when considering land ownership trends in Scotland.

We are committed to bringing forward an ambitious new Land Reform Bill in 2023, which will build on our land reform measures to date and will further tackle Scotland’s historically unequal patterns of land ownership. The public consultation on the Bill, “Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation” , launched on 4 July, and will be open until the 25 September.

The consultation includes measures to regulate the market in transfers of large-scale landholdings, including through the introduction of a Public Interest Test. This measure will ensure that the public interest is considered on transfers of large-scale landholdings and is pursuant to recommendations made in this regard by the Scottish Land Commission.

We will work with all stakeholders to develop the proposals outlined in the consultation document, and welcome views on the proposals. The public consultation will play an important role in building the evidence base to support the development of our proposals.

Question reference: S6W-09434

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how the Scottish Land Commission discussion paper, Balancing rights and interests in Scottish land reform, will be taken into account when proposing further reform.

We are committed to bringing forward an ambitious new Land Reform Bill in 2023, which will build on our land reform measures to date and will further tackle Scotland’s historically unequal patterns of land ownership. The public consultation on the Bill, “Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation” , launched on 4 July, and will be open until 25 September.

The consultation includes measures to regulate the market in transfers of large-scale landholdings, including through the introduction of a Public Interest Test. This measure will ensure that the public interest is considered on transfers of large-scale landholdings.

As we develop the proposals for the Land Reform Bill, we will consider measures regarding the acquisition, use and management of land in place in other European countries, taking into account the rationale and legal basis for these measures, and consider other sources of evidence.

We will work with all stakeholders to develop the proposals outlined in consultation document, and welcome views on the proposals. The public consultation will play an important role in building the evidence base to support the development of our proposals.

Our proposals will be fully compliant with the ECHR, including the right to private property, and the terms of the current devolution settlement. But they will also be ambitious, and designed to ensure that land plays it full part in delivering the vision set out by the Just Transition Commission - a fairer, greener future for all. This reflects the principled position of the Scottish Government, and our explicit commitment to respecting, protecting and fulfilling human rights for every member of society.

Question reference: S6W-09435

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 June 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 July 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it will take to learn from European countries that have in place tighter restrictions regarding the acquisition, use and management of land than those currently in place in Scotland.

Question reference: S6F-01309

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 27 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 June 2022

To ask the First Minister what progress the Scottish Government is making towards introducing an effective national system of rent controls by the end of 2025 as set out in its strategy, A New Deal for Tenants.

Question reference: S6O-01262

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 June 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 June 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve pay levels in the Scottish economy in light of the reported findings of the Office for National Statistics that UK annual growth in regular pay, excluding bonuses, fell by 4.5% after adjusting for inflation.

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