- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 02 June 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 9 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17413 by Mairi Gougeon on 9 May 2023, what the level of underspend referred to was in (a) 2020-21, (b) 2021-22 and (c) 2022-23; how many hectares of peatland were restored with grant support in each of those years; what the average cost per hectare to restore peatland is estimated to be, in the light of experience from the peatland restoration scheme, and what any factors identified as preventing targets from being achieved are.
Answer
As per our delivery partners’ published accounts ( Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park - Annual Report & Accounts , Cairngorms National Park Authority Annual Reports and Accounts , Forestry and Land Scotland Annual reports and accounts , NatureScot Annual Reports and Accounts , Scottish Water Annual Reports ), the level of underspend for the years 2020-21, 2021-22 was around £12 million and £7.4 million respectively. Final capital and resource spend figures for 2022-23 have still to be confirmed and will be available in due course.
Figures for restoration in 2020-21 and 2021-22 can be found here: https://www.gov.scot/publications/foi-202200314966/ . For 2022-23 our current estimate is 7,468 ha, however we are awaiting final validation of these figures
Based on provisional financial outturn figures, in 2022-23 the average cost of restoration was around £2,326 per ha. However, as an average, this number tells us very little. There is significant variation in the actual cost to restore peatland depending on site specific factors like the size and location of the site, level of degradation and required work to remedy, and accessibility.
The factors preventing targets from being achieved are physical limitations imposed by weather, access and ecological constraints and gaps in contractor availability and skill shortages. We have identified these in light of our experience of delivering restoration schemes and are putting in place mitigating actions to help resolve these constraints.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government which elements of the Barra and Vatersay Community Campus project it now plans to deliver through the contract with hub North Scotland, and within what timescale.
Answer
The procurement route for the school and leisure element of the campus is the decision of the Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, this is currently being procured by the local authority through hub North Scotland.
The project is expected to be delivered by April 2026.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the current (a) proposals and (b) timescales for the provision of a replacement (i) hospital, (ii) dental clinic and (iii) GP unit on the Isle of Barra, and whether it will propose scheduling a ministerial statement in order to provide a detailed update to the Parliament on these matters.
Answer
The Scottish Government remain committed to delivery of quality health and care facilities on Barra. However, the Scottish Government's ability to fund capital projects has been affected by a reduction in the amount of capital grant from the UK Government over the next two years, and unprecedented levels of inflation as a result of Covid, Brexit, uncertainty in the supply chain and the war in Ukraine.
The Outline Business Case for the provision of new health facilities at the Barra Health and Social Care Hub has been submitted, however detailed design work of the proposals has been unable to start due to the budgetary pressures across the capital investment programme.
Scottish Government officials will engage with NHS Western Isles and the Scottish Futures Trust to consider the timing of the construction and will work closely with partners to identify alternative options.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much the Barra and Vatersay Community Campus project has cost to date, and what future funding provision it has made for its delivery.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold information on how much the Barra and Vatersay Community Campus project has cost to date - this information is held by Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar.
Initial design and development costs have been incurred on the school and community element of the project, which is being delivered through the Learning Estate Investment Programme.
These upfront project costs have been paid by the local authority and will form part of the total project costs, up to 50% of which will be funded by the Scottish Government through the Learning Estate Investment Programme’s outcome based funding model mechanism.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 05 June 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the reported demonstrations in South Uist due to ferry withdrawal.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 6 June 2023
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 5 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-17405 by Shona Robison on 5 May 2023, whether it plans to change the financing arrangements for Scottish Water, currently through customer charges and Scottish Government borrowing, in order to permit (a) private investment via an equity stake being taken in Scottish Water, or any of the Scottish Water group of companies, or in any specific capital investment they may be undertaking and (b) Scottish Water, or any of the Scottish Water group of companies, to borrow private finance beyond, or to replace, its Scottish Government borrowing, either for specific capital investments or to fund capital investment in general.
Answer
There are no plans to privatise or to change the financing arrangements for Scottish Water. Scottish Water is performing well as a publicly owned corporation; evidence of its performance is clearly demonstrated by the fact that Scottish Water is matching the levels of service provided by the companies in England and Wales whilst ensuring that the average household charge remains lower.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is in relation to reports that Forestry and Land Scotland is extending parking charges to more forests throughout Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government is aware of the planned roll out of car park charges at a number of additional Forestry and Land Scotland recreation car parks as part of the agency’s sustainable forest and visitor management strategy. Equality mitigations already planned include keeping tariffs low, money-saving annual parking passes and free parking for Blue Badge holders. However, the Scottish Government is in discussion with Forestry and Land Scotland to see what further mitigations can be put in place to further reduce the impact on families at this time.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to Forestry and Land Scotland to enable car parking charges to be avoided, in order to allow free access to outdoor spaces.
Answer
Although through The Land Reform (Scotland) Act, access is free to most outdoor spaces and the use of public and active transport is encouraged, The Scottish Government appreciates that many of our rural outdoor spaces can only be easily accessed by motorised vehicles.
The Scottish Government is in close discussion with Forestry and Land Scotland to see what further mitigations can be put in place to ensure the correct balance between free access to Scotland's national forests and land both during the current economic climate and beyond and the need to sustainably manage our forests and encourage responsible vehicle use and active transport, mitigate safety and environmental impacts at popular sites and support the net zero challenge.
Blue Badge holders can park for free and money-saving annual passes are available.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 19 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 1 June 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether access to local outdoor spaces, such as forests, should be free of charge.
Answer
The rights of responsible non-motorised access to land established through Part 1 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 mean that access to local outdoor spaces, such as forests, should normally be free of charge.
There is a very limited range of circumstances where charges for access can be applied, for example where specific byelaws have been introduced. However, land managers may raise revenue through service provision such as car parking and toilets.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 30 May 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-02223 by Gillian Martin on 11 May 2023, how it calculated the figure of £1.3 billion.
Answer
The figure of £1.3 billion was included in the 2021 Green Finance Institute (GFI) report on the finance gap for nature related outcomes, and was for estimated woodland creation and maintenance costs up to 2031. Costs are calculated by multiplying the total target area of woodland to be created (as specified by the Climate Change Plan 2018 – 2032) with a unit cost per area for planting and, separately, subsequent maintenance. This figure is in line with estimates by Scottish Forestry, who were also represented on the project board for the GFI report. It should be noted that nature restoration costs can vary significantly between individual sites (the type and size of intervention, location and existing condition all being factors) and that a cost estimate for the whole of Scotland gives only a partial representation of restoration needs. The next Climate Change Plan will set out the costs and benefits of the policies it contains and will include details on financial costs of policies, including those in the forestry sector.
