Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-22624

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether all the partners to the private finance pilot between NatureScot, Palladium, Lombard Odier and Hampden & Co remain actively involved in and committed to the private finance pilot.

Question reference: S6O-02719

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to the creative industries in the Highlands and Islands region.

Question reference: S6W-22383

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 24 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 3 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the progress of the National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care, which is expected to launch in October 2023 to improve primary and community services, and what work has been carried out to date.

The National Centre for Remote and Rural Health and Care launched at the beginning of October, and is currently focused on delivering a programme of work designed to improve the capability of rural, remote and island primary care and community services, and support the improvement and retention of a more highly skilled rural health workforce.

The Centre will be delivered by NHS Education Scotland and is backed by £3m until 2026. The Centre, will be both virtual and local to ensure its availability to all communities, and will provide a resource to support Health Boards and Health and Social Care partnerships in their responsibilities and drive essential improvements in sustainability.

Question reference: S6O-02700

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 November 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how it works collaboratively to tackle depopulation in rural areas of the Highlands and Islands region.

Question reference: S6W-22230

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 16 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government how many freight sailings there were on routes from Aberdeen on the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract with Serco NorthLink, from January 2019 to date, broken down by month.

Freight Sailings from Aberdeen

	Jan-19	Feb-19	Mar-19	Apr-19	May-19	Jun-19	Jul-19	Aug-19	Sep-19	Oct-19	Nov-19	Dec-19
Aberdeen - Lerwick	13	18	18	14	14	13	13	14	11	14	12	8
Aberdeen - Lerwick via Kirkwall	5	4	4	4	5	7	9	9	7	8	9	6
Aberdeen - Kirkwall	2	4	5	5	4	5	4	4	13	7	4	6

	Jan-20	Feb-20	Mar-20	Apr-20	May-20	Jun-20	Jul-20	Aug-20	Sep-20	Oct-20	Nov-20	Dec-20
Aberdeen - Lerwick	10	11	15	17	18	15	18	14	13	13	11	9
Aberdeen - Lerwick via Kirkwall	3	3	3	1	0	3	5	7	9	9	7	6
Aberdeen - Kirkwall	4	4	7	8	9	5	4	5	11	6	6	6

	Jan-21	Feb-21	Mar-21	Apr-21	May-21	Jun-21	Jul-21	Aug-21	Sep-21	Oct-21	Nov-21	Dec-21
Aberdeen - Lerwick	6	8	22	11	13	12	19	14	13	13	10	12
Aberdeen - Lerwick via Kirkwall	4	3	5	5	4	9	4	7	8	8	8	6
Aberdeen - Kirkwall	4	4	4	3	4	3	4	5	12	8	4	5

	Jan-22	Feb-22	Mar-22	Apr-22	May-22	Jun-22	Jul-22	Aug-22	Sep-22	Oct-22	Nov-22	Dec-22
Aberdeen - Lerwick	12	10	16	15	13	14	13	13	13	13	10	12
Aberdeen - Lerwick via Kirkwall	4	4	6	7	6	10	9	9	7	8	7	6
Aberdeen - Kirkwall	4	6	4	4	5	3	5	4	12	10	5	3

	Jan-23	Feb-23	Mar-23	Apr-23	May-23	Jun-23	Jul-23	Aug-23	Sep-23
Aberdeen - Lerwick	12	15	19	13	13	13	15	13	13
Aberdeen - Lerwick via Kirkwall	7	6	7	8	9	9	10	10	9
Aberdeen - Kirkwall	5	5	4	5	9	8	6	4	12

Question reference: S6W-22229

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the monthly passenger carrying statistics were on each route in the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract with Serco NorthLink, from January 2023 up to the latest available figures.

Question reference: S6W-22231

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of freight services on non-Aberdeen routes in the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract.

A transport appraisal of passenger and freight ferry services between the Northern Isles and the Scottish mainland, in line with the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG), was undertaken in 2016-2017 to inform the specification of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract awarded in 2020. The study report is published here:

final-report-appraisal-of-options-for-specification-of-2018-northern-isles-ferry-services-april-2018.pdf (transport.gov.scot)

Serco NorthLink Ferries (SNF), as operator of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract, keeps freight services under review and discusses these regularly with key stakeholders and Transport Scotland. SNF publish its carrying statistics, including freight, here:

NorthLink Statistics | NorthLink Ferries

Question reference: S6W-22228

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 13 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the (a) crewing levels and (b) frequency of ferry services between the mainland and the Orkney Islands.

A transport appraisal of passenger and freight ferry services between the Northern Isles and the Scottish mainland, in line with the Scottish Transport Appraisal Guidance (STAG), was undertaken in 2016-2017 to inform the specification of the Northern Isles Ferry Services contract awarded in 2020. The study report is published here:

final-report-appraisal-of-options-for-specification-of-2018-northern-isles-ferry-services-april-2018.pdf (transport.gov.scot)

Crewing is a matter for the ferry operators.

Question reference: S6W-21970

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 30 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of the 30 police buildings that Police Scotland plans to dispose of, as detailed in its proposals submitted to the Scottish Police Authority.

The Police Scotland Estate Strategy seeks to deliver modern, fit for purpose police buildings which are co-located with strategic partners, and which meet the needs of 21st century operational policing. To date over 60 co-locations have been delivered.

Overall responsibility for managing the police estate is for the Chief Constable under Scottish Police Authority (SPA) scrutiny. As approved by the SPA it is for Police Scotland to consult on the details of its planned estate changes.

Question reference: S6W-22023

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 October 2023
Current Status: Answered by Natalie Don on 26 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether it remains committed to its Programme for Government 2021-22 commitment to "develop plans to deliver free breakfast to all primary and special school children", in light of this commitment not being included in its Programme for Government 2023-24.

The Scottish Government remains committed to developing plans to deliver free breakfasts to all primary and special school children.

The First Minister announced in this year’s Programme for Government that the Scottish Government remains focused on tackling child poverty in Scotland. We know that food provision is an important part of the mission to tackle child poverty, and that is why there is a range of support already in place for families.

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