- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 17 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how many schools are currently mothballed, broken down by local authority area.
Answer
The Scottish Government does not routinely collect data on mothballed schools in Scotland. The Scottish Government does collect data from local authorities in order to collate a list of schools regarded as rural for the purposes of the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010. The most recent rural schools list was published on 25 October 2021 - Rural schools in Scotland - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . The rural schools list includes those schools the relevant local authority has mothballed. The 2021 rural schools list shows that 21 schools were reported as being mothballed. The following table shows how many rural schools are mothballed by local authority area.
Local Authority | Number of schools reported as being mothballed |
Aberdeenshire | 4 |
Argyll & Bute | 2 |
Dumfries & Galloway | 1 |
Eilean Siar | 2 |
Falkirk | 2 |
Fife | 1 |
Highland | 4 |
Moray | 1 |
Scottish Borders | 1 |
Shetland Islands | 2 |
Stirling | 1 |
The Scottish Government has published statutory guidance on the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010 - Schools (Consultation) (Scotland) Act 2010: guidance - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) - which includes reference to mothballed schools and sets out the circumstances in which schools may be mothballed and when local authorities should consider whether to consult on their permanent closure.
Assessing the impact of mothballing a school on affected pupils is the responsibility of the relevant local authority. If a local authority proposes to permanently close a school they must undertake a full consultation in line with the requirements of the Schools (Consultation)(Scotland) Act 2010 and statutory guidance, including consulting with affected pupils.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has any plans to introduce a three-mile fishing limit around the coast of Scotland.
Answer
The Scottish Government has been clear that we have no plans to introduce a three-mile fishing limit around the coast of Scotland.
Such blanket spatial restrictions are not consistent with an evidence-based approach, do not embrace the benefits of new technology and are inconsistent with the nuanced approach outlined in our 2020-2030 Fisheries Management Strategy.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by George Adam on 14 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will confirm what guidance is in place for NHS boards regarding Freedom of Information requests.
Answer
NHS Boards are each distinct Scottish public authorities for the purposes of FOI legislation and each one is responsible for its own compliance with its statutory obligations under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
The Section 60 Code of Practice, produced by the Scottish Ministers, provides guidance for all Scottish public authorities on discharging their functions under the legislation. Additionally, as the independent public official responsible for promoting and enforcing FOI law, the Scottish Information Commissioner encourages Scottish public authorities to develop good FOI practice, providing guidance and support materials on his website: https://www.itspublicknowledge.info/law-and-guidance .
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the number of households that have received the Winter Heating Payment in Aberdeenshire.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 20 April 2023
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 12 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what review it has undertaken of Mowi Scotland's continuation of its current open-net farming operations in Scotland, in light of Mowi’s decision to end open-net farming in Canada and Norway due to the impact on wild fish.
Answer
The Scottish Government is not aware of a decision by Mowi to end open-net farming in Canada and Norway due to impacts on wild fish.
The Scottish Government is committed to a programme of work to protect and restore wild Atlantic salmon populations. The Wild Salmon Strategy and accompanying Implementation Plan, published in February this year, set out a suite of actions to be taken to mitigate against the wide range of pressures which impact wild fish populations.
There is a presumption against open cage fish farming development on the North and East costs of Scotland in the National Marine Plan and National Planning Framework to protect wild migratory species.
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is preparing for a further consultation on a new sea lice risk assessment framework to protect wild fish for implementation in the aquaculture zone.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with Scottish Water regarding any potential (a) presence and (b) impact of pharmaceuticals in water.
Answer
The Scottish Government is in regular contact with Scottish Water on these matters. In partnership with the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), Scottish Water is carrying out the Chemical Investigation Programme (CIP) Scotland which involves sampling for priority substances of emerging concern. Pharmaceuticals are considered to be contaminants of emerging concern, and monitoring and assessing the risk to the water environment for many such substances is still in the development phase. Following action on source control for a range of pharmaceuticals agreed with SEPA under the second phase of the CIP, the third phase of the research sees further sampling and process optimisation trials at Wastewater Treatment Works that aims to help improve our understanding of whether better treatment can achieved at Scottish Water’s assets. In terms of drinking water, the Drinking Water Quality Regulator monitors Scottish Water’s performance. Regulation 4 of the Public Water Supplies (Scotland) Regulations 2014 as amended requires Scottish Water to ensure drinking water does not contain any substance at a concentration that could constitute a danger to human health.
Scottish Water is also a member of the One Health Breakthrough Partnership (OHBP), which is funded by the Scottish Government and brings together key stakeholders across the water, environment, and healthcare sectors who are committed to addressing pharmaceutical pollution in the environment through source control.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential of introducing advanced treatments, such as catalytic treatment and photo- or UV-based oxidation, to degrade pharmaceuticals that are reportedly contaminating water.
Answer
The methods used to treat sewage is a matter for Scottish Water to consider to ensure regulatory standards are met in an efficient manner. I refer the member to the answer for S6W-16184 on 11 April 2023 for further information on the discussions regarding the potential presence and impact of pharmaceuticals in water.
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: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 11 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to implement a similar model to the Norwegian mobile seal capture unit in order to manage seal populations in Scotland.
Answer
Translocation of seals is not a regularly used tool for seal population management within Scottish waters. Where sick or injured seals are taken to rehabilitation centres, they will be returned to the wild within the same seal management area that they were found. This ensures that population levels and the genetic diversity of seal management areas are maintained. Advice received from the Special Committee on Seals is that rehabilitated seals typically behave like wild seals shortly following release.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 11 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government by (a) what area covered and (b) how many cameras the CCTV coverage at the State Hospital, Carstairs, has increased since 2018.
Answer
This is a matter for The State Hospital. The information requested is not held centrally.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 6 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15610 by Michael Matheson on 14 March 2023, when it expects that new guidance on noise limits and amplitude modulation will be produced, following the review of ETSU-R-97, and whether it will impose a moratorium on the approval of all onshore windfarm proposals until such new guidance is produced.
Answer
The Scottish Government will continue to work with the UK Government to carefully consider the recommendations made in the report and determine the appropriate next steps.
Until such time as new guidance is produced, ETSU-R-97 should continue to be followed by applicants and used by decision makers to assess and rate noise from wind energy developments.
