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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-03497

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 5 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what support it provides to hospices.

The Public Bodies (Joint Working) (Scotland) Act 2014, makes clear that it is the responsibility of Integration Joint Boards to plan and commission services for their area using the integrated budget under their control. This includes hospice, palliative and end of life care services.

Earlier this year representatives from the IJB Chief Officers Group and independent Hospices agreed a national level Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between IJBs and Independent Scottish Hospices. A central tenet of the MOU is to establish effective, reciprocal relationships between IJBs and Hospices to help provide sustainability for hospice services and move away from a transactional relationship. Scottish Government officials are providing support in this work.

Question reference: S5O-03511

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 04 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the impact on Scotland of constitutional developments in the House of Commons.

Question reference: S5W-24411

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 22 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports that the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs may have contingency plans for a mass-cull of livestock in the event of a no-deal Brexit, what its understanding is of the impact of a no-deal Brexit on the sheep industry in Scotland, and what information the UK Government has shared with it about its plans to deal with that impact.

We are aware of reports that contingency plans for a mass cull of livestock may be being planned in the event of a no-deal Brexit but the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs have not shared any such plans with the Scottish Government. The UK Government has published updated advice for livestock sectors across the UK on how to prepare for Brexit including the possibility of a no deal and this is available here, https://www.gla.gov.uk/media/4597/eu-exit-a4-livestock-newsletter_farming_250419.pdf

If Scotland has to leave the EU as part of the UK without a deal, this would have a potentially devastating impact on Scotland’s sheep sector and particularly, for exports of Scotch lamb. With UK sheep meat exports worth £390m a year, of which almost all goes to the EU, the prospect of 40-50% tariffs being imposed on these exports would be devastating for the Scottish Sheep Sector, and to cap that off autumn is the worst possible time for the Scottish sector.

Ministers from all governments and administrations in the UK have agreed in principle to create a potential compensation scheme for the sheep sector should no deal scenario lead to a collapse in the market. Officials are working together on the details of that and such a scheme would be delivered separately by each administration, with the costs involved funded entirely by the UK Government.

The Scottish Government is clear that it is for the UK Government to meet all the costs arising from no deal Brexit for Scotland’s sheep sector, and indeed all parts of the rural economy impacted by no deal and the previous Secretary of State Michael Gove agreed to this.

Scottish Ministers and officials continue to liaise closely with Defra and devolved administration officials on rural matters relating to Brexit, including planning for a no deal. To date, the UK Government have not shared contingency plans directly with the Scottish Government.

Question reference: S5W-24512

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 29 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 7 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of premises in the Western Isles have access to broadband speeds that are (a) greater than 24Mbps and considered "superfast", (b) between 10Mbps and 2Mbps and (c) less than 2Mbps.

Question reference: S5W-24479

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 25 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 7 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of research by Scottish Natural Heritage stating that Uist is the most vulnerable community in Scotland in this regard, which government department or public body is responsible for the creation of a mitigation strategy or action plan to address the potential loss of community property, crofting land and rare and significant ecosystems by the projected effects of climate change and relative sea-level rise on the island, and what steps this department or body has taken in relation to the declared climate emergency.

Part 4 of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 places duties on public bodies relating to climate change. These duties require that a public body must, in exercising its functions, act in the way best calculated to contribute to the delivery of emissions reduction targets (known as 'mitigation'), in the way best calculated to help deliver any statutory climate change adaptation programme, and in a way that it considers is most sustainable.

'Public Bodies' are defined as a Scottish public authority within the meaning of Section 3(1)(a) of the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002 (as amended) and include Scottish Ministers, the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body, the Scottish Administration, local government, NHS, educational institutions, police and other listed bodies including SEPA, SNH, Historic Environment Scotland, Scottish Fire and Rescue and the Crofting Commission. For each year, a listed body must prepare a report on compliance with its climate change duties. The listed body must send the report to the Scottish Ministers within a period of 8 months from the end of the report year. Reports are available on the Sustainable Scotland Network website.

The Scottish Government continues to support research into erosion and flooding, which are both anticipated to worsen under climate change. The Dynamic Coast research shows anticipated erosion at DynamicCoast.com, which should be viewed alongside SEPA’s Flood Maps. The latest research is being informed by a LiDAR survey of the Western Isles, which will be reflected in future revisions of Flood Risk Management Strategies and any future Shoreline Management Plan. The Scottish Government provides funding to Local Authorities to undertake Flood Studies and Flood Protection Schemes which align with the Scottish Government’s Climate Change Adaptation Programme.

Research assessed coastal erosion and accretion rates around Scotland and projected these forward to 2050. It concluded that we should expect faster and more extensive erosion than we have been used to, increasingly affecting all asset types (buildings, infrastructure, cultural and natural heritage). The research team produced a detailed report for the Western Isles, which is available at the Dynamic Coast website.

Phase 2 of Dynamic Coast will be completed in 2020 and will consider how resilient our coastline is to climate change and how sea level rise will further accelerate the rate of erosion in future.

SNH is supporting local partners in the Western Isles to improve awareness of climate change risks and how to use Nature Based Solutions to increase resilience, reduce flood and erosion risks. This approach will help safeguard the unique landforms, habitats and wildlife on which local communities depend.

The Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 provides a number of areas for improving outcomes for island communities including environmental wellbeing. The Act also includes provisions to develop a National Islands Plan and a duty for certain authorities, including Scottish Ministers, to have regard to island communities in carrying out their functions. The plan must list the public authorities that have duties under this Act. As part of the development of the National Islands Plan, we have recently conducted a wide consultation process taking into account the unique context of each island, whilst addressing the particular challenges faced by islands and their communities. The National Islands Plan also seeks to safeguard nature on the islands, by highlighting the importance of environmental protection.

Question reference: S5W-24336

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 15 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 6 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-21386 by Fergus Ewing on 6 March 2019, whether it will provide an update on what action it has taken to assist the workforce at Talk Talk in Stornoway ahead of the expected redundancies on 31 July.

The Scottish Government have been working in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and Partnership Action for Continuing Employment(PACE) to assist staff who have faced redundancy due to the closure of the TalkTalk Stornoway office on 31 July.

Support for employees continues to be provided following the closure to ensure all employment opportunities are explored and PACE assistance provided as appropriate.

Question reference: S5T-01695

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect Scotland’s fisheries interests around Rockall.

Question reference: S5O-03376

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 13 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what impact it anticipates the appointment of a new Prime Minister will have on its relations with the UK Government on constitutional policy.

Question reference: S5O-03327

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it has made in assisting the workforce of the TalkTalk call centre in Stornoway.

Question reference: S5W-23185

Asked by: Dr Alasdair Allan, MSP for Na h-Eileanan an Iar, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 28 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much Crown Estate Scotland receives in income from marine infrastructure and moorings around the Western Isles.

The gross revenue from all Scottish Crown Estate assets was £16.4 million in 2017-2018 and total net revenue was £9 million.

There are currently no net revenue figures by local authority but gross revenue from aquaculture, offshore renewables, moorings and other coastal income in the Western Isles, including ferry terminals, harbours and marinas, was estimated to total £917,000 in 2017-18. This figure does not take account of the costs of generating this income.