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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-03650

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact has been on the number of EU tourists coming to Scotland this year of any uncertainty caused by Brexit.

Question reference: S5O-03567

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what impact UK Government welfare reforms have had on Scottish social security spending.

Question reference: S5W-25069

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 03 September 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 12 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reports of a golden eagle found with an illegal trap on its legs, what action it is taking to protect wild birds as a matter of urgency ahead of the publication of the findings of the Grouse Moor Management Group (the Werritty report).

The Scottish Government is strongly committed to safeguarding the welfare of all animals, including wild birds such as raptors.

The illegal persecution of our birds of prey is an extremely serious issue and, as we announced in our Programme for Government for 2019-2020, we will bring forward a Bill increasing the maximum penalties for certain wildlife offences, including those associated with illegal killing or injuring of wild birds. This will deliver a commitment to implement the recommendation to increase wildlife crime penalties in the review undertaken by Professor Poustie.

We also committed in the Programme for Government that we will respond to the independent review on grouse moor management. The review is examining how we can ensure that grouse moor management is sustainable and complies with the law and it would not be appropriate to make decisions in advance of its report. We will carefully consider the recommendations in the report and other relevant evidence when deciding our response.

The measures on wildlife crime penalties build upon a range of other work we have undertaken to tackle this issue, including: supporting the use of satellite tags to monitor birds of prey; introducing new offences for harassing birds of prey or damaging their nesting places; setting up a poisons disposal scheme to remove poisons used to kill wild birds; strengthening Police Scotland wildlife crime resources, including in the Cairngorms; and introducing vicarious liability so that landowners can be held responsible for crimes against wild birds committed by their employees.

Question reference: S5O-03429

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Ash Denham on 20 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the reported 5% increase in crime in the area, what its position is on whether Midlothian Council’s disbandment of its community safety teams is in the public interest and appropriate.

The Scottish Government remains committed to tackling crime across Scotland. Over the last decade official statistics show that recorded crime in Scotland has fallen by more than a third, with a 43% decrease in violent crime.

While there was a small increase in crimes of attempted murder and serious assault recorded by police in Midlothian in 2017-18 compared to 2008-09, recorded statistics for Midlothian show that crime recorded by the police has fallen by a fifth over the same period.

The Scottish Government recognises that local community safety structures and approaches rightly vary based on local circumstances, and it is for Midlothian Council to decide what is best for the local area.

Question reference: S5O-03460

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on SEPA classifying the sea water at Fisherrow in Musselburgh as poor in 2018-19, and the potential impact that this has on tourism, and the health of people bathing, in the area.

Question reference: S5O-03303

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the report on the fact-finding visit to the UK by the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights.

Question reference: S5W-23152

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 22 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what support is being offered to former employees of Hutchinson Networks in Danderhall who have been made redundant following the company entering administration.

The Scottish Government is saddened to learn that Hutchison Networks, based in Danderhall, entered administration on 13 May and that 94 of the 109 employees have been made redundant with immediate effect. I know this will be a very difficult time for the staff, their families and the local area which will be affected by this decision.

It is within our objective to ensure our agencies and partners are able to provide skills development and employability support, and in this way PACE aims to minimise the time people affected by redundancy are out of work.

The local Partnership Action for Continuing Employment (PACE) team was in attendance to offer advice and support to those affected by this announcement and in addition all employees at the meeting were provided with a PACE Facing Redundancy Guide.

All employees who were unable to attend the announcement meeting have been sent the PACE Facing Redundancy Guide by KPMG and the PACE team were planning to hold an event this week for redundant employees to provide further information and advice. However, feedback from KPMG suggests that a large number of staff have secured work.

Many of the employees appear to have been in job roles where there are skills shortages and will likely be of interest to a number of other employers. To that end the PACE team have canvassed employers for vacancies and will send these out, by letter, through KPMG.

Question reference: S5O-03216

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to celebrate International Museum Day on 18 May.

Question reference: S5O-03063

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the ageing population, how it encourages more community engagement with older people.

Question reference: S5O-03017

Asked by: Colin Beattie, MSP for Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 March 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 20 March 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how staffing levels in the tourism industry are being impacted by Brexit.

The tourism industry is vital to communities across Scotland, and EU nationals form a significant and highly valued part of its workforce – accounting for 11.6% of those working in the sector. Exiting the EU will create major difficulties for the sector, with industry representatives making clear to us that it will significantly restrict the ability of employers to retain and attract the workers required. Industry representatives from across Scotland have indicated that there are already numerous vacancies in the sector, particularly in rural areas, along with a decrease in the number of EU applicants.