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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: S6W-29592

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Scottish Woodlands regarding reported community opposition to the planting scheme at Warblaw in Langholm.

Neither Scottish Government or Scottish Forestry have had recent discussions with Scottish Woodlands regarding community opposition to the Warblaw planting scheme.

The project developer has recently been seeking feedback on their draft planting proposals and planting scheme may change in response to community views.

The Warblaw proposal is currently going through the due diligence (development) stage of the woodland creation application process. This stage is led by the landowner’s forestry agent, Scottish Woodlands. Public consultation events, focussed on this project, were held in April 2023 and August 2024.

Scottish Forestry officials attended these public consultation events, have been copied into community feedback provided to Scottish Woodlands and are aware of the concerns about the project.

Scottish Forestry hasn’t received a formal planting application. When a formal planting application is submitted Scottish Forestry will assess the proposal including carefully considering how community concerns have been addressed, and there will be a further public consultation exercise to inform this assessment.

Question reference: S6W-29591

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 05 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 13 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its policy is on large-scale commercial forestry schemes being planted in close proximity to communities, and whether such communities should have the right to object to these.

In 2023, Scottish Forestry published refreshed guidance on Forestry Engagement and Consultation Processes, which reflects the principles of the Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement and provides greater clarity on expectations, requirements and roles and responsibilities around community engagement and consultation on forestry plans and proposals.

The criteria for assessing all woodland creation schemes are set under stage 3 of this guidance and includes taking into account whether the proposal has considered all the issues raised in the consultation and made changes where appropriate.

There is no ban on woodland planting in close proximity to communities however in such cases any planting proposal would be expected to demonstrate that community feedback had been taken into account and that significant efforts made to address concerns. Communities can raise objections and where there do so there is a requirement for these to be considered and addressed.

Many rural communities exist in close proximity to forest land and forests normally deliver a range of opportunities and benefits for local people.

Scottish Government is striving to ensure that more people and communities have the opportunity to engage with our expanding forests and woodland, and that more people and communities benefit from forestry.

We want to ensure that the woodland expansion needed to tackle the twin climate and biodiversity crises takes place in a just and sustainable way, with positive impacts for everybody, including future generations to come.

Question reference: S6W-29130

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 15 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 12 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking in response to the reported closure of Moat Brae in Dumfries.

I am saddened to hear of the closing of Moat Brae, Scotland’s national centre for children’s literature and storytelling.

The Scottish Government firmly believes in the importance of literature and its unique ability to enrich our lives. Through our funding to Creative Scotland we support organisations who ensure children and young people can access literature, including the Scottish Book Trust and Gaelic Books Council.

I understand that these are incredibly difficult times and my thoughts are with the staff and people affected by the closure of Moat Brae.

Question reference: S6W-29400

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 30 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 11 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support is available for bereaved parents who do not qualify for any other benefits or welfare payments.

The Scottish Government is committed to supporting bereaved parents and tackling funeral poverty.

We have removed child burial and cremation fees for children under 18 years old and for stillborn babies, financially supporting bereaved parents.

Parents whose baby sadly dies after it was born, or is stillborn, may be eligible for Best Start Grant Pregnancy and Baby Payment. If the parent is under 18 or a dependent aged 18 or 19, they do not need to receive any benefits to be eligible.

Statutory Parental Bereavement Pay and Leave is reserved to the UK Government.

Question reference: S6W-29423

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 02 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Paul McLennan on 9 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what steps are available for park home owners who believe that a local authority is not upholding site licence conditions.

If a resident believes that a local authority is not upholding site license conditions, they should report this to the relevant team at the local authority in the first instance. If the response received is unsatisfactory, the resident can make a complaint under the Council’s complaints process. If, after completing all stages of the complaints process the resident is dissatisfied with the response or the way the local authority has dealt with the complaint, they can ask the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman to look at it. Residents may also wish to discuss any concerns with their local Councillor.

Question reference: S6W-29261

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 2 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its position on climate change, for what reason it supports the planting of new commercial forestry on land with peat depth greater than 30cm.

Expanding our woodlands alongside restoring peatlands are critical elements of our plans to reach net zero and address climate change.

Woodland creation and re-stocking in Scotland must comply with the UK Forestry Standard which defines deep peat as greater that 50 centimetres. The most recent review of the UK Forestry Standard in October 2023 considered whether the definition of deep peat for forestry in terms of carbon sequestration needed to be lowered. All UK nations agreed there was insufficient evidence to support a change. Evidence shows conifers are faster at sequestering carbon in the short term compared to broadleaves. Scotland will continue to prohibit planting on peats deeper than 50 centimetres.

Cultivation guidance for woodland creation was updated in 2021 to exclude the use of intensive cultivation techniques on organo-mineral soils with an organic layer over 10 centimetres in depth. The guidance update minimises disturbance to soils during woodland creation to reduce emissions and create an earlier positive soil carbon balance.

Question reference: S6O-03674

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve road safety on the A75.

Question reference: S6W-29172

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 20 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 27 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W- 28736 by Ivan McKee on 7 August 2024, what consideration it has given to how the public and other stakeholders may perceive instances of planning permission being granted, and advance construction beginning, for associated grid infrastructure for wind farms that have yet to be determined by the Scottish Ministers.

Planning legislation requires that any particular planning application is timeously determined on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration relevant planning considerations of the individual application. This is the responsibility of the relevant planning authority in the first instance. It is a matter for the applicant to decide when any application is submitted. Where planning permission is granted, it is then a matter for the applicant to decide whether, and when, to implement that permission before it expires.

A grant of planning permission that enables grid connection for future possible renewable energy proposals does not affect the consideration of separate applications for those renewable energy developments.

Question reference: S6W-28951

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 19 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether an environmental impact assessment will be required to be carried out before any licence is granted for the trial being proposed to keep adult salmon broodstock for the aquaculture industry in a trout fish farm at the headwaters of the River Annan.

Question reference: S6W-28952

Asked by: Oliver Mundell, MSP for Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 06 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Jim Fairlie on 16 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what grant support (a) is currently available and (b) it plans to introduce for egg producers to upgrade their farms and to improve animal welfare.

There is currently no direct funding available to egg producers in Scotland. Pressures on the Scottish budget, brought about by global inflationary trends and exacerbated by the previous UK Government’s decisions means that we are unable to commit to possible future support at this time.

The Scottish Government remains committed to improving the health and welfare of all animals in Scotland and that is why we recently met our 2023-2024 Programme for Government to consult on proposals to phase out the use of cages for laying hens, and published a call for evidence for phasing out the use of cages for gamebirds and quail. We will continue to engage with the industry and stakeholders before making any decisions on how to proceed in order to maintain egg production in Scotland while ensuring the highest standards of animal welfare.