- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 January 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action is being taken to tackle any police staffing shortages and operational capacity issues in the Highlands and Islands.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 31 January 2024
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 23 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on when it plans to make regulations under section 4 of the Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2020 to enable pre-existing marriages to become civil partnerships.
Answer
Section 4 of the Civil Partnership (Scotland) Act 2020 (legislation.gov.uk) provides the Scottish Ministers with a regulation-making power to enable marriages to become civil partnerships, if the parties so wish. The Scottish Ministers have not yet made regulations under section 4 as the Scottish Government wishes to ensure that couples who change their marriage to civil partnership have full rights and responsibilities, including in relation to reserved and cross-UK border matters. There are potential points arising on aspects of pensions (which are generally reserved) and on the recognition in England and Wales and Northern Ireland of marriages changed to civil partnerships in Scotland.
In line with usual practice, we have, therefore, been in discussions with the Office of the Secretary of State for Scotland (OSSS) on making an Order under section 104 of the Scotland Act 1998 (legislation.gov.uk) on UK consequential legislation following the 2020 Act.
On 17 November 2022, officials in the OSSS advised Scottish Government officials that “the UK Government is not yet in a position to make a decision on the recognition of converted Scottish civil partnerships in England and Wales.” Following this, Scottish Government officials sent the OSSS on 21 December 2022 a revised policy proposal for a section 104 Order relating to changing marriages to civil partnerships covering the reserved law of Scotland only. There has been no substantive progress on this proposal in 2023.
I have written to the Secretary of State for Scotland to ask about progress in taking forward the proposal we sent to them on 21 December 2022. I also said in my letter to the Secretary of State that if the UK Government does not consider the December 2022 proposal is an appropriate way forward, it would be useful if he could outline what would be appropriate.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 18 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has confirmed that the new ferries for the Uig-Tarbert/Lochmaddy route will be able to dock at (a) Uig, (b) Tarbert and (c) Lochmaddy Harbour.
Answer
Yes, the infrastructure upgrades for the Little Minch routes are being designed and delivered to improve services to and from Uig, Tarbert and Lochmaddy with the new vessels . When the port works are complete and new vessels are delivered to the operator there will be a routine period of familiarisation, including full berthing trials, before deployment on the route.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 09 January 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 16 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-23840 by Mairi Gougeon on 22 December 2023, regarding the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022, for what reason it was unable to begin the consultation process in sufficient time to allow the draft Plan to be implemented within the original timeframe.
Answer
Writing the national Good Food Nation Plan required an extensive internal drafting process, co-ordinating input from across multiple areas of government. This is the first iteration of the Plan and so there was a large amount of feedback on the initial draft, which we had to carefully consider and incorporate.
It is our intention to publish the draft national Good Food Nation Plan for consultation shortly.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what communication there was between the Highland Council, RJ MacLeod, CMAL and CalMac regarding the issues with new restraint bollards that led to the delayed reopening of Uig Harbour.
Answer
The Highland Council worked closely with CalMac, the contractor RJ MacLeod and CMAL during and after the vessel berthing trial on the 14 December 2023 when the issue with the new restraint bollards arose. An additional bollard to aid vessel operations was installed. Following a successful vessel berthing trial ferry services on the route resumed on Friday 22 December 2023.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any customers who had bookings on the cancelled Uig-Tarbert/Lochmaddy ferry service between 16 and 21 December 2023, what specific support and alternative arrangements are being provided.
Answer
CalMac have provided assurances that all traffic for Lochmaddy was accommodated on the Lochmaddy – Ullapool service, or offered space on the Lochboisdale service as an alternative. They have also confirmed that all traffic for Tarbert was accommodated on the Stornoway service.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in its refreshed Equally Safe strategy of December 2023 to "eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls" (VAWG), what specific action it will propose to eliminate the various forms of VAWG identified in the strategy, in particular "commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution".
Answer
The Scottish Government will publish a Framework that effectively tackles and challenges men’s demand for prostitution, and to support those with experience of it, early this year. The Framework takes a holistic approach, recognising the links to wider forms of commercial sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls - aligning with the refresh of our Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy and Equally Safe.
In parallel, and to support this approach, the Framework’s implementation will be supported by the creation of a new multi-agency stakeholder group on Commercial Sexual Exploitation. More details will be made available once the group has been established.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the recognition in its Slavery and Human Trafficking Statement, published in November 2023, of "behaviours which are particularly linked to human trafficking and exploitation, such as commercial sexual exploitation", what action it will propose to criminalise men who purchase women for sex.
Answer
The Scottish Government will publish a Framework to challenge men’s demand for prostitution and to support those with experience of it, early this year. The Framework will form part of Scotland’s collective approach to tackling commercial sexual exploitation and is cognisant of its links to Scotland’s Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy.
Once published, our focus will be on the delivery of the Framework, which will also improve access to support for women with experience of prostitution, with the implementation of it helping to inform any future legislative considerations.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the announcement to delay the reopening of Uig Harbour was made less than 24 hours before the scheduled recommencement of ferry services, and for what reason berthing trials for the harbour were not held before 14 December 2023.
Answer
The Uig second outage period was scheduled from 30 October until 11 December 2023, a period of six weeks. The vessel berthing trial of 10 December 2023 was not undertaken as outage works were hampered by severe weather; with the berthing trial re-scheduled to 14 December 2023. The Highland Council worked closely with CalMac during the trial on 14 however an issue was highlighted with the new restraint bollards and the re-opening was delayed until 22 December 2023. A press release confirming the delay was published by the Highland Council on 15 December 2023 – link is aside for ease of reference:
Second planned closure of Uig Harbour – Update 15 December | The Highland Council
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the delayed opening of Uig Harbour, what action it is taking to ensure that the Uig-Tarbert/Lochmaddy ferry service resumes as a matter of priority.
Answer
Following a successful vessel berthing trial on 20 December, ferry services resumed on the Little Minch route on 22 December 2023.