- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on Scotland, what its position is on whether the UK Government should leave the Energy Charter Treaty.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12547 on 5 December 2022 All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, regarding any impact on Scotland, whether it considers the Energy Charter Treaty should be reformed, and, if so, what its position is on how it should be reformed.
Answer
The Scottish Government is in regular contact with the UK Government’s Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy about the continuing discussions to renegotiate the Energy Charter Treaty, with a view to identifying and mitigating any particular impacts on Scotland.
The Scottish Government is aware of the concerns raised by The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and others that International Investment Agreements, such as the Energy Charter Treaty, may lead to ‘regulatory chill’. That is why, in our Vision for Trade, we are clear that no part of a trade or investment agreement should limit the ability of the Scottish Parliament to regulate in devolved areas, or constrain much-needed action to achieve our net zero goal.
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Ivan McKee on 5 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with the UK Government regarding reform of the Energy Charter Treaty.
Answer
I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-12547 on 5 December 2022. All answers to written Parliamentary Questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers .
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 5 December 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its current estimate is of the amount of community benefit funds currently being paid for both onshore and offshore wind developments.
Answer
It is not possible for the Scottish Government to mandate the provision of community benefits through energy regulation because the relevant powers are reserved to the UK Government. However, we continue to encourage renewable energy businesses to offer community benefit packages in line with our Good Practice Principles; promoting a national level equivalent to £5,000 per installed megawatt per annum for onshore renewable developments, index linked for the operational lifetime of the project.
Local Energy Scotland, who deliver our Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES), administer a voluntary register of community benefits payments and a community benefits map. This indicates a community benefit commitment of around £24 million will have been paid out from renewable energy projects in Scotland over the past year (from November 2021 to November 2022).
All developers of renewable energy developments and local communities in receipt of community benefit payments are encouraged to use and input to the register. The register and map can be viewed here: https://localenergy.scot/community-benefits-map/
Work is underway to review the Good Practice Principles for Community Benefits from Offshore Renewable Energy Developments.
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 22 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how the Sandford principle, as expressed through section 9 (6) of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, is applied.
Answer
Paragraph 9(6) of the National Parks (Scotland) 2000 Act states that, if it appears to the National Park Authority that there is a conflict between the National Park aim set out in section 1(a) (i.e. to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area) and other National Park aims, the Authority must give greater weight to the aim set out in section 1(a).
The National Park Authorities in Cairngorms and Loch Lomond & The Trossachs are required by the Scottish Ministers to prepare a National Park Plan setting out how they will deliver the aims of the National Park collectively in relation to their area. The National Park Plan is approved by the Scottish Ministers.
For example, the current Cairngorms National Park Partnership Plan 2022-2027 is the strategic management plan for the area and provides a strategic policy context for decision making within the National Park. Section 9 (6) of the National Parks (Scotland ) Act 2000 is embedded in the Park plan and its subsidiary documents and it guides decision making within the Park. The National Park Authority can also apply section 9 (6) to individual decisions if it feels the aims are in conflict and greater weight should be given to the first aim.
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 11 November 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Lorna Slater on 22 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether section 9 (6) of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 has been successful in conserving and enhancing the natural heritage of National Park areas.
Answer
National Park Authorities are committed to conserving and enhancing natural heritage within Scotland’s National Parks and their decision making has been guided by the National Park aims set out in the National Parks (Scotland) 2000 Act and the principle set out in section 9 (6) of the Act. As an example of success in conserving and enhancing the natural heritage in the Cairngorms, over 5000ha of new woodland has been established over the last 5 years of which 96% is native and over half by regeneration.
The Scottish Government launched a public consultation in May to look at what people value about National Parks in Scotland and what they should deliver in future – in particular how they can help to protect and restore nature, tackle climate change and promote sustainable land use. This has been followed by a second consultation – organised by NatureScot – on the approach to National Parks in Scotland and the selection criteria for new National Parks. This consultation seeks views on section 9(6) of the Act, how it is applied and whether it is fit for purpose.
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 November 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of 2021 graduate probationary primary teachers have secured full-time employment in Scottish state schools after completing their probation.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 17 November 2022
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 November 2022
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the outcome of both the statutory review of snaring and its additional review, which was considering a potential ban on snaring in Scotland.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 9 November 2022
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 23 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how much funding for the upgrade of the A75 and A77 has been committed by the UK Government.
Answer
To date, we are not aware of the UK Government committing any funding for the upgrade of either the A75 or the A77. The UK Government’s Union Connectivity Review (UCR) published its interim findings in March 2021 and identified both the A75 and A77 as critical road transport corridors connecting Northern Ireland with Scotland and England.
At the same time, the UK Secretary of State for Transport announced that a £20m Union Connectivity Development Fund was available for advance design / development on a select number of transport corridors, including the A75. It is not clear if any of that funding has been spent on preliminary work for the A75.
The Final UCR Report was published in November 2021 and recommended that the UK Government commit funding to support the significant upgrade of the A75. The failure to mention the A77 suggests it will no longer be considered a priority for upgrading.
- Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 08 September 2022
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Current Status:
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 22 September 2022
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason Transport Scotland has reportedly not pursued its proposed scheme to extend the National Cycle Network Route 73 between Stranraer and Cairnryan.
Answer
The Scottish Government has had no direct involvement in any scheme to extend the National Cycle Network (NCN) route 73 between Stranraer and Cairnryan. The NCN in Scotland is managed by Sustrans who, as custodians of the NCN, gave intentions to explore improvements to NCN 73 in the south west which are included within Sustrans’ 30 year National Cycle Network Plan. However, the Scottish Government is currently investigating the feasibility of a shared use path south of Cairnryan to the A751 junction from the new Trunk Road active travel budget.
The Scottish Government has funded Sustrans with £10.6 million in 2022-23 (increased from the £4 million award in 2021-22) to undertake National Cycle Network Plan work.
Programme for Government in 2016 and 2017 addressed potential transport issues in South West Scotland and extensive stakeholder engagement was undertaken to inform the South West Scotland Transport Study; the initial appraisal report was published in January 2020, and included 23 recommendations for consideration in Strategic Transport Projects Review (STPR2), including one to develop the Strategic Active Travel Network in the South West of Scotland and better connect communities to key destinations with cycle paths parallel to trunk roads and improvements to the NCN. This intervention is currently subject to detailed appraisal as part of Phase 2 of STPR2.
