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Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5O-04539

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 September 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what it considers an acceptable length of time for negotiations on planning conditions to conclude.

Question reference: S5F-04306

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 August 2020

To ask the First Minister whether adequate measures are in place in Scotland's university towns to prevent local COVID-19 outbreaks as students begin to return to campuses.

Question reference: S5O-04491

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Stagecoach about proposed bus service changes.

Question reference: S5O-04465

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 August 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what funding the finance secretary will make available to prepare for the possibility of a no-deal Brexit, including to the NHS.

Question reference: S5W-30701

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 5 August 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting acupuncturists to resume treatment of patients during phase 3 of the COVID-19 response.

Following a clinical assessment, personal retail services, including Complementary and Alternative Medicine services (CAMs) and massage therapy, were advised that they could resume services as of 22 July 2020, where the service is carried out in a therapist’s own premises (i.e. not a mobile therapist, who provides treatment in a patient’s home), and the close contact retail guidance has been updated to reflect this.

The Scottish Government are undertaking further clinical assessment of the risk of transmission of COVID-19 for mobile massage and CAM services, and are considering whether further guidance is required for these.

Question reference: S5W-30696

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 30 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether university student accommodation providers charging tenants for storing belongings that they cannot retrieve is in line with COVD-19 regulations.

The Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Act 2020 introduced notice to leave periods for students residing in halls of residence and Purpose Built Student Accommodation (PBSA). The Act does not make provision relating to charges by accommodation providers for the storage of belongings.

The Scottish Government, working in close consultation with stakeholders, has published guidance which seeks to provide reassurance and address the main questions and concerns from student renters and accommodation providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. This guidance can be found on the Student Information Scotland website.

Storage arrangements are a matter for individual providers and we encourage students and providers to work together to find an appropriate solution where students are unable to retrieve their belongings, including if a student is unable to move out of their accommodation or collect their possessions, either because they are self-isolating or are otherwise unable to travel, accommodation providers should store their items for collection at a future date. In my communications with accommodation providers, I have urged them to be sympathetic to the needs of students and to do all that they can to ensure that students are not disadvantaged.

Question reference: S5W-30325

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the process of licensing fish farms includes consideration of the presence of seals in the vicinity and any previous incidence of conflict between fish farms and seals.

Fish farms are required to comply with multiple regulatory regimes. In terms of the fish farm equipment, a marine licence is required however an exemption may apply where the installation is not considered to cause obstruction or danger to navigation. The siting of individual fish farms and associated environmental considerations, including the presence of marine mammals, are a matter for local authorities who deal with each new fish farm site on its merits through the terrestrial planning process.

Fish farm operators may also choose to apply for a seal licence. Currently, the application process for seal licences requires applicants to provide information on suspected seal predation events and seal presence in the 12 months prior to application and this information is used in the determination of the application. The Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Act 2020 will remove two of the grounds for which Scottish Ministers can grant a licence to kill or take seals; namely to prevent serious damage to fisheries or fish farms, and to protect the health and welfare of farmed fish. This will mean that fisheries and fish farms will no longer be able to apply for a licence for the purpose of preventing serious damage to fisheries or fish farms, or to protect the health and welfare of farmed fish once the provisions are commenced.

Question reference: S5W-30320

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to implement the measures on conservation of seals contained in section 10B of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) (Scotland) Bill.

Question reference: S5W-30324

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 June 2020
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether the report on the use of acoustic deterrent devices on land constituting a fish farm, required under section 10C of the Animals and Wildlife (Penalties, Protections and Powers) Bill, will consider the use of other non-lethal seal deterrents and their effect on the welfare of marine mammals and other wildlife.

The amendment passed by the Scottish Parliament on 17 June 2020 is specifically in relation to the use of Acoustic Deterrent Devices (ADDs) at land constituting a fish farm. Research projects are already underway to assess the use and efficacy of ADDs. This work will be expanded to complete the statutory review required by the Bill. The report will adhere to the remit given it by the Parliament and therefore will not consider the use of other non-lethal deterrents. There is, however, complimentary work on other viable non-lethal measures also being undertaken by Scottish Government.

Question reference: S5W-30656

Asked by: Mark Ruskell, MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 July 2020
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 27 July 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will be taking to recover west coast cod and whiting stocks, in light of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) advice that they remain below safe biological limits.

The Scottish Government is committed to the sustainability of our seas, contributing to our communities’ economy and its environment. During the summer, Marine Scotland officials will work closely with industry and NGO stakeholders to develop co-management responses to these challenges and inform our negotiating priorities and positions for this year’s end year negotiations on fishing opportunities.

We have already taken positive steps to support the recovery of the west coast cod and whiting stocks, using technical gear, spatial management and quota management solutions, coupled with smart technology to support our fishing fleet to avoid unwanted catches as far as possible. We will continue to explore management options for 2021 in partnership with our stakeholders.

Despite these measures the number of young cod entering the adult stock each year remains low, which appears to be largely related to low adult stock size. Fishing on these stocks is not the largest contributor to mortality and as such fisheries measures can only have partial impact. Recovery may also be affected by environmental conditions and seal predation which is referenced in ICES advice. The number of young whiting has shown improvement in recent years, and the prognosis for that stock is looking better.

West of Scotland cod and whiting are not targeted fisheries and are both operated as a bycatch fishery to aid recovery and we will continue with this approach for as long as is necessary.

We have made a significant contribution to the North West Waters bycatch reduction plan, and the increase in size of the square mesh panel for the Nephrops fleet in the west of Scotland will help reduce whitefish bycatch significantly. These measures are only just being implemented, in accordance with EU law, and their impact will take some time to be realised.

The Scottish industry is currently piloting a Real Time Reporting project which will help whitefish vessels to avoid areas of cod and whiting abundance and will also help us to better track areas of known aggregations.