- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 September 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to support red squirrel conservation, following the conclusion of the five-year Developing Community Action phase of the Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels project.
Answer
The Saving Scotland’s Red Squirrel project has been running since 2008. The Developing Community Action phase of the project is due to run until April 2022.
Partners have agreed that that essential elements of the community action phase will need to continue and hence partners have also agreed to develop an interim phase to bridge the gap to develop a longer term model for continuing to support these activities. NatureScot is working with partners to assess the key outcomes and costs for this interim phase, and will look to provide a funding contribution once these costs and priorities are clear.
NatureScott considers that securing the legacy of this project is a priority given the importance of red squirrels in Scotland’s native wildlife.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 14 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce a wild venison marketing board.
Answer
The Scottish Government supports the Scottish Venison Strategy and its ambition for 2030 to make Scottish Venison the premier choice of consumers and commercial buyers, both here in the UK and in international markets. We have provided funding to support a venison promotion campaign earlier this year.
I was delighted to recently support Scottish Venison Day on 4 September and I was pleased that retail sales of Scottish venison have recently increased. As part of the Food and Drink Recovery Plan, the Scotland Food and Drink Partnership has also provided £80,000 to support demonstration sites for locally based chill and processing facilities.
The Scottish Government has no plans to introduce a wild venison marketing board.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 14 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to women who have been unable to access their legal right to routine dental treatment during pregnancy and for a year after the birth of their child due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Answer
Dental services have not been stopped during the pandemic period. Dental practices were initially closed with urgent and emergency dental care provided through urgent dental care centres. Dental practices reopened following a phased remobilisation programme which culminated on 1 November with dental teams able to provide the full range of NHS care and treatment to patients. While it is the case patient numbers continue to be less than pre-pandemic - as dental teams are required to operate within strict infection, prevention and control guidance - pregnant women and nursing mothers who required urgent or emergency dental care would still be seen during the pandemic period.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 23 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making on reviewing the criteria for organisational blue badges, in light of reports that some local community transport services have had their blue badge renewals declined despite holding a badge for many years.
Answer
The Scottish Government have previously been made aware of this issue and earlier this year investigated the it further. Our investigation established that this was a historical, localised issue in the Aberdeenshire area where they had not been applying the guidance fully. Two years ago they revised their internal processes to ensure assessments were carried out on applications made by organisations seeking a Blue Badge in compliance with Scottish Governments Blue Badge guidance.
We are currently undertaking a review of the guidance we provide to Local Authorities to improve the process for organisations applying for a Blue Badge and to make it clear and consistent across the country. We are also seeking to ensure that the online application form is more robust and provides organisations and Local Authorities with all the necessary information to elicit a more efficient process.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 03 September 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to find alternative sailing routes to the Western Isles, and to inform ticket holders whether their tickets will be valid on alternative routes, in light of reports that Caledonian MacBrayne has cancelled all its ferry sailings between Malaig and Lochboisdale from 31 August to 8 September 2021.
Answer
When disruptions occur CalMac Ferries Ltd will conduct a network wide review to minimise the impact on communities. This includes redeployment of vessels from elsewhere on the Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) network, identification of an alternative ferry route when an island (or group of islands), has more than one port, and provision of additional sailings on these alternative routes.
In this instance, it included additional sailings on the Uig – Lochmaddy route allowing onward travel to Lochboisdale, with the MV Clansman redeployed to operate this service. Services on all affected routes resumed normal timetabled sailings from 10 September 2021.
CalMac Customer Operations teams moved impacted traffic from affected sailings, contacting customers advising them of suggested alternative sailing; or if the customer preferred, offer a full refund.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 August 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 13 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-01449 by Humza Yousaf on 23 August 2021, within what timeframe it plans to consider further steps to support good ventilation practices, in light of reports that some public and community buildings are currently unusable.
Answer
The Scottish Government has established a Covid Ventilation Short Life Working Group (SLWG) of expert advisors to consider what actions can be taken in the short, medium and long-term. It first met on 3 September 2021, with advice on initial recommendations due to be submitted to Ministers on 10 September 2021.
The SLWG is expected to be in place for 6-12 months. It will consider a more detailed timeframe for its programme of work at the next meeting later in September. The group will support our understanding of what measures building managers can take to improve ventilation in areas where it is found to be lacking.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what action Scottish Forestry and Forestry and Land Scotland are taking to reform the Forestry Grant Scheme in order to encourage riparian planting.
Answer
The Forestry Grant Scheme already supports planting native broadleaved riparian woodland in a range of situations. Since 2016 the Forestry Grant Scheme has supported the planting of over 500 native broadleaved riparian woodlands.
Furthermore, all tree planting and restocking proposals must comply with the UK Forestry Standard, which promotes an integrated catchment management approach and places particular emphasis on riparian woodland and its role in protecting and restoring the freshwater environment.
Scottish Forestry will continue to develop and improve The Forestry Grant Scheme throughout the Stability and Simplicity rural funding transition period and as part of this there will be opportunities to review how it supports tree planting in different circumstances.
Forest and land Scotland (FLS) has no role in the Forestry Grant Scheme. FLS is a separate Agency charged with managing Scotland’s National Forest Estate.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 16 August 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 9 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review any guidance that permits replanting following clearfell on deep peatland.
Answer
Guidance on replanting on deep peat following clearfell is contained within the Scottish Government’s Practice Guide, Deciding Future Management Options for Afforested Deep Peatland (2015). It sets out the circumstances where a presumption to restore the peatland habitat applies and the assessment method that should be used to decide future options where a presumption to restore does not apply.
In 2018, the Scottish Government (via ClimateXChange – Scotland’s Centre of Expertise on Climate Change), commissioned the following report: Afforestation and restocking on peaty soils – new evidence assessment. The study broadly confirmed the findings of previous research on which the Practice Guide is based.
At this point in time there are no plans to review existing guidance however, we will continue to invest in research in this area, and will take account of new evidence, as it emerges, to help inform the future development and implementation of forestry policies and regulations.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what discussions the finance secretary has had with the health secretary regarding the allocation of additional funding for the Scottish Ambulance Service to increase staffing and resources, particularly in rural and remote areas.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2021
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2021
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Current Status:
Answered by Humza Yousaf on 31 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to reports that documents confirming that COVID-19 vaccinations have been received in countries other than the UK are not being accepted for the purpose of granting visitors to Scotland an exemption from quarantining; whether it (a) can and (b) will issue guidance on the recognition of COVID-19 vaccination programmes and certification from other countries, and, if so, by what date.
Answer
People who have been fully vaccinated in the EU or the US will be able to travel to Scotland from amber list countries without quarantining from Monday (2 August).
"Fully vaccinated" means that it has been at least 14 days since receiving the final dose of a COVID-19 vaccine.
To count as fully vaccinated, travellers must also have been vaccinated in one of these countries:
- the UK, including as part of a UK vaccine rollout overseas - with an NHS approved vaccine.
- an EU member state - with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA).
- Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino or Vatican City - with a vaccine approved by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) or the Swiss vaccination programme.
- the USA - with a vaccine approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
they must also:
The accepted documentation referenced is the EU Digital Covid Certificate and the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention’s white card – known as a CDC card. We have updated our international travel guidance on the Scottish Government website to reflect this change. The most up to date information is available here : Coronavirus (COVID-19): international travel and managed isolation (quarantine) - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
