- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 5 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-27329 by Fiona Hyslop on 17 May 2024, whether it will provide an update on progress with the introduction of Road Equivalent Tariff (RET) on Dunoon-Gourock services provided by (a) CalMac Ferries and (b) Western Ferries, in light of the conclusion of the public consultation on the Islands Connectivity Plan on 6 May 2024, the publication of the Cowal and Rosneath Community Needs Assessment report on 11 September 2024, and its associated consultation exercise on 9 October 2024.
Answer
The draft Islands Connectivity Plan (ICP) Strategic Approach paper said that we would take forward detailed consideration of a number of fares proposals.
The consultation and engagement report and our initial responses were published on 3 September and are available at Islands Connectivity Plan | Transport Scotland.
These outputs will support the finalisation of the ICP which will set out our plans for taking forward ferry fares policy. Further updates will be provided in due course.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 December 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many planning consents for onshore wind farm developments in the Highlands and Islands region the Scottish Ministers have approved following an appeal since 2021.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 12 December 2024
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 3 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has plans to address the reportedly prohibitive costs associated with the application process for the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme, and, if so, whether it can provide details of such plans.
Answer
To ensure the delivery of the intended environmental outcomes and value for public money, applicants are required to provide a level of evidence when applying to the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS).
Funding is available for certain aspects of the application, to ease the financial burden on applicants. Support is available towards the cost of producing the Farm Environment Assessment (FEA) for first-time applicants, or existing applicants proposing management on land not subject to a previous FEA, and some management plans that require more detailed or extensive intervention, for example, moorland management or bog management. Guidance, including payment rates, is available on the Rural Payments website. For returning applicants who have previously completed the FEA, only updated information would be required for a subsequent application.
Payment for these elements is not dependent on the success of the subsequent application, and costs can be reimbursed where the FEA and/or Management Plans are fit for purpose. This is designed to encourage farmers, crofters and land managers to apply, while recognising AECS is a competitive scheme.
Easing the burden on applicants to access AECS needs to be balanced against ensuring the effective use of public funds. Requirements for applicants are considered on an on-going basis and are a key consideration in the development of the future Agricultural Support Framework.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 21 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 3 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with the Scotland Office regarding whether it has plans to bring forward an order under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998 on UK consequential legislation with respect to plans to enable pre-existing marriages to become civil partnerships.
Answer
As I stated in my previous answer to S6W-29868 on 24 September 2024, I wrote to the new Secretary of State for Scotland, Ian Murray MP, on 12 August 2024 seeking his in-principle agreement to proceed with this section 104 Order. I have still not received a reply.
My officials have asked officials in the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland when I can expect to receive a reply.
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
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 November 2024
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 3 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it (a) monitors and (b) recognises the work carried out by (i) farmers, (ii) crofters and (iii) other land managers to undertake measures to reduce their carbon output.
Answer
We report emissions from across the economy on an annual basis in the Section A. Introduction to Greenhouse Gases - Scottish Greenhouse Gas Statistics 2022 - gov.scot. The contribution of farmers, crofters and land managers to reduce emissions and sequester carbon are reflected in the statistics for agriculture and land use, land use change and forestry.
We also complete annual statutory monitoring of the Climate Change Plan update (CCPu) Climate change monitoring report 2023 - gov.scot which outlines progress against our policies and proposals for Scottish agriculture and land use, land use change and forestry sectors contributions to our climate targets.
Our Vision for Agriculture makes clear Scotland will have a robust and coherent framework to underpin our future agricultural support regime from 2025 onwards, that delivers climate mitigation and adaptation, nature restoration and high-quality food production. I fully recognise that many farmers, crofters and land managers undertake low carbon farming practices. We provide financial support as well as guidance and advice for farmers, crofters and land managers to help reduce their emissions through initiatives like the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme and the Farm Advisory Service.
We will continue to support farmers and crofters on their sustainability journey. Importantly, we will maintain direct payments to support active farming and food production while introducing conditions from 2025 aimed at outcomes for biodiversity gain and climate mitigation and adaption. From 2026 powers from the new Agriculture Bill will be used to launch the new Enhanced Payment.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 3 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the evidence in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what steps it is taking to ensure that healthcare workers in rural and remote areas are able to access suitable childcare places.
Answer
The Scottish Government recognises that high quality, accessible and affordable early learning and childcare is vital in rural areas to support children’s outcomes and to enable parents or carers to train, work or study. A full response to the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, was sent on 18 November. The Scottish Government, in collaboration with the Centre for Workforce Supply and the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care will develop a sustained model of direct support that will provide rural and island employers with the help they need to improve recruitment success.
We recognise the provision of childcare is a key factor to support more people in rural and island communities to enter and sustain training, employment and starting a business. The Scottish Government continues to fully fund local authorities to deliver 1140 hours of Early Learning and Childcare to eligible children across Scotland, backed by almost £1 billion funding each year. In addition, at a national level, several work programmes are underway to support childcare access in rural and island communities. This includes –
- Funding a new national childminder recruitment and retention programme.
- Making grants available to local authorities via the Addressing Depopulation Action Plan Fund, two of which will contain a focus on addressing childcare issues in areas affected by acute population decline.
- Providing local authorities with an additional £16m in 2024-25 to support payment of the real Living Wage to staff delivering funded ELC in the private and third sectors.
- Investing £16 million over the next two years into our early adopter communities (EACs), including those in rural and island locations. We are extending the number of communities involved in this work in existing EACs in Dundee, Clackmannanshire Glasgow and Inverclyde – as well as further expanding into Fife and the Shetland Isles. This will allow us to test and understand particular challenges and opportunities in rural and island areas.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 2 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of three- to five-year-olds within (a) Argyll and Bute Council, (b) Highland Council, (c) Moray Council, (d) Orkney Islands Council, (e) Shetland Islands Council, (f) Comhairle nan Eilean Siar and (g) Scotland have received 1,140 hours of funded (i) early learning and (ii) childcare in each year since the policy was introduced.
Answer
Information on the proportion of eligible children accessing funded ELC, both nationally and by local authority, is published each year in the ELC census. This includes uptake rates for all 3-4 year olds, and deferred registrations. The census does not record the proportion of their 1140 hours entitlement that each child is utilising.
The most recent publication includes the most recent uptake data by local authority area within Figure 26 at the following page:
https://www.gov.scot/publications/summary-statistics-for-schools-in-scotland-2023/pages/early-learning-and-childcare-elc/
A breakdown for previous years can be accessed within the appropriate years publication, which are listed at: https://www.gov.scot/collections/early-learning-and-childcare-statistics/#earlylearningandchildcarecensus.
The Improvement Service also provide information on the number of eligible children accessing their full 1140 entitlement nationally. The most recent service delivery report is available at:
https://www.improvementservice.org.uk/__data/assets/pdf_file/0022/52618/ELC-Delivery-Progress-Report-Apr-24.pdf
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Natalie Don-Innes on 2 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how many qualified childminders are currently registered in the (a) Argyll and Bute Council, (b) Highland Council, (c) Moray Council, (d) Orkney Islands Council, (e) Shetland Islands Council and (f) Comhairle nan Eilean Siar area.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information, however the data can be found by contacting the Care Inspectorate directly or searching the Care Inspectorate datastore.
Scottish Government is committed to supporting and growing our childminding sector, which is why we launched the Programme for Scotland’s Childminding Future in June 2024, in partnership with the Scottish Childminding Association (SCMA). The programme is supporting the recruitment of new professional childminders across Scotland, offering a package of funded support and training in addition to a £750 start-up grant, providing everything needed to establish a new childminding business from home.
The programme also includes a range of pilot measures to address the retention of the childminding workforce, delivering more practical support to ensure our existing professionals are supported with their workloads and professional development.
The recruitment support is available across 19 local authorities during 2024-25, and 12 local authorities are participating in the retention pilots. SCMA are currently in discussions with local authorities regarding participation for year 2 (2025-26), and we welcome their commitment to supporting the childminding workforce.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 2 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government in what ways it is increasing the number of locally accessible education routes for healthcare professions in rural and remote settings.
Answer
The Scottish Government are currently funding a dedicated resource in NHS Education for Scotland to scope the current skills landscape and identify where earn as you learn programmes could be expanded and where further development work is required with aim of widening the pathways into health and care careers, including in rural and island areas.
We already work collaboratively with professional bodies and higher education institutions (HEI) on the delivery of education programs that can meet the needs of the NHS workforce. Work is underway through the AHP Education and Workforce Policy Review to support the development of alternative delivery models of education such as part time and distance learning.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 18 November 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 2 December 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recommendations in the Health, Social Care and Sport Committee report, Remote and Rural Healthcare Inquiry, what action it is taking to increase the number of so-called earn as you learn opportunities.
Answer
The Scottish Government are currently funding a dedicated resource in NHS Education for Scotland to scope the current skills landscape and identify where earn as you learn programmes could be expanded and where further development work is required with aim of widening the pathways into health and care careers.
