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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: S6T-00567

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 07 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is giving to women and children who are caught up in the war in Ukraine.

Question reference: S6F-00860

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 February 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 March 2022

To ask the First Minister, in light of the steps being taken to return to normality after the COVID-19 pandemic, what extra help is being provided to support people’s mental health.

Question reference: S6W-05743

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 21 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported concerns from seed potato farmers in Scotland about a lack of action by the UK Government to protect the industry following Brexit, and the impact of the Northern Ireland Protocol and continuation of EU seed potato imports to England, Wales and Northern Ireland, what further discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding the seed potato industry since 18 November 2021, and how it is working to support the industry.

As the Cabinet Secretary stated in response to the member’s question in Parliament on 18 November 2021, I wrote to the Defra Secretary of State, George Eustice, on 17 November again highlighting the pressing nature of the UK Government securing reciprocal trade with the EU in the interests of Scotland’s seed potato industry and sought clarification on the issues raised by industry stakeholders in relation to EU imports.

The UK Government Minister of State for Farming, Fisheries and Food, Victoria Prentis, responded on 21 December 2021 assuring me that reciprocal trade with the EU remains the desired outcome, and that the UK Government continues to pursue this with the EU Commission. The letter also indicated that Defra anticipates little impact on the seed potato trade in relation to the import of EU-certified seed potatoes into England and Wales for ware production. This is contrary to the feedback that I continue to receive from Scottish stakeholders who believe there are many ware potato growing businesses in England ready to exploit the opportunity to import seed from the EU. I share the concern of the Scottish seed potato sector, and the lack of a level playing field which allows ware growers in England and Wales to purchase EU seed, whilst Scottish growers are blocked from selling their seed in the EU. I replied to Minister Prentis on 26 January 2022 to reiterate that this is unacceptable and that this imbalance must be addressed as a matter of priority. I also sought an urgent update on Defra plans for future engagement with the EU on seed potato equivalence.

I have also become aware that the UK has recently received an equivalence application from Denmark. If granted, this would allow Danish seed access to the UK. It is unacceptable that the UK Government should give consideration to this request while Scottish seed potato exporters cannot market their world-leading product to the EU. I am writing this week to raise my concerns with Minister Prentis on this matter.

Question reference: S6W-06079

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 January 2022
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by John Swinney on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to publish a review of the response to Storm Arwen.

I can confirm that we have published our report this morning, and the review report is available at www.gov.scot/publications/storm-arwen-review .

The review is the result of a wide range of local debriefs which took place in the aftermath of Storm Arwen. The Scottish Government has used this information, from those involved at the frontline of the response, to develop a range of recommendations which we hope will support the evolution of our resilience planning. I would like to express my thanks to those who participated in this process, during what has been a time of considerable pressure across the sector.

Question reference: S6W-05819

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 20 January 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to discourage the deliberate discarding of gillnets by fishing vessels beyond the six-mile limit.

The disposal of litter and fishing gear at sea is covered by the International Convention for the Prevention of Pollution from Ships (MARPOL) Regulations. In UK waters these regulations are enforced by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA). Scottish Government’s Marine Scotland Compliance Officers report incidents through their intelligence system to the MCA and periodically remind vessels of their obligations under MARPOL.

Whilst the question specifically references the six-mile limit, it is also highlighted for completeness that there is no access for any non-UK vessel inside 12 nautical miles anywhere around the Scottish coast.

Question reference: S6F-00715

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 January 2022

To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government's response is to the findings of a recent report by the Virtual Trials National Project Board, which states that specialist online courts should be set up to deal with domestic abuse cases.

Question reference: S6O-00614

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 December 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it is working to support the seed potato industry.

Scotland is a globally renowned producer of seed potatoes, with the industry contributing £245 million pounds annually to Scotland’s economy.

Regrettably, Brexit has had a disproportionate impact on the Scottish sector with the loss of the EU and NI markets. The Scottish Government raised concerns with the UK Government from the outset but this is another example of their failure to secure an outcome which protects this key Scottish industry. Finding a resolution is a priority for Scottish Government. At every opportunity we stand firm against export or import proposals that would cause further harm to our producers and exporters.

Question reference: S6O-00642

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance it is giving to people in the creative industries who are self-employed and may have work cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Question reference: S6T-00399

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 10 January 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 11 January 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how it will assist young people to access the expanded free bus travel scheme.

Question reference: S6O-00574

Asked by: Gillian Martin, MSP for Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 December 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans are being put in place for the 2022 school examinations.