Seòmar agus comataidhean

The Scottish Government has given a commitment to examining the case for an extension of the Borders Railway, along with potential improvements to the A1, A7 and A68. This work is currently being taken forward by Transport Scotland through the Borders Transport Corridors – Pre-Appraisal study which commenced in Spring 2017. Having completed an extensive engagement exercise over the summer it is now moving into the reporting phase. A series of presentations to key stakeholders is scheduled to take place in the early December with a final report expected in early 2018.

For Pillar Two CAP Schemes there is no regulatory deadline for when payments are to be made.

However for Pillar One schemes there is a regulatory deadline to complete payments by 30 June or, if not then, by 15 October. The number and percentage of Pillar One payments made in 2015 and 2016 application years by 30 June and 15 October are set out in the following table.

In any scheme year there are always a small number of complex claims which take much longer to process. For 2016 Pillar One schemes there currently remain 25 cases awaiting payments.

There are no plans to reconsider our position on new nuclear power, which is that plants should not be replaced under current technologies.

The subsidy contract awarded to Hinkley Point C demonstrates the poor consumer value from new nuclear power, with consumers set to subsidise the station until 2060. With the costs of renewable and storage technologies falling, new nuclear capacity is not needed to meet Scotland’s long term energy needs.

The latest Contract for Difference auction delivered offshore wind at £57.50 per megawatt hour – substantially below the £92.50 awarded to Hinkley Point C. Onshore and offshore wind technologies are not only cheaper, but do not have comparable safety or decommissioning concerns as those significant challenges associated with nuclear power.

Our position will be restated in the Scottish Government's final Energy Strategy, due for publication by the end of 2017.

The Scottish Government published guidance in 2013 for landowners considering woodland creation on agricultural land. Landowners developing forestry proposals on agricultural land are expected to consider the potential impacts on the local agricultural economy, taking into account the local context. Projects seeking funding under the Forestry Grant Scheme are expected to have complied with this Scottish Government guidance.

As the regulatory authority for forestry and woodland creation proposals, Forestry Commission Scotland also seeks advice from the local Scottish Government Rural Payments and inspections Division area offices to help determine whether proposals are acceptable or need to be amended. The aim is always to achieve sustainable well-integrated land use delivering a broad range of objectives. Where a planning application is required, this would be for the relevant planning authority, in this case Dumfries and Galloway, to consider.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

I also refer member to the answer to question S5W-12529 on 22 November 2017.

The mix of farming and forestry that exists across Scotland has developed and evolved over the past century as a result of a wide range of social, economic and environmental factors. These factors often impact differently on farming and forestry, and at times can act as significant drivers for change, such as where the economic viability or profitability of one land use is better or worse than the other. Currently we are seeing growing interest, across Scotland, in establishing new woodland, much of it on lower quality agricultural land. This is being driven in part by the reduced profitability of farming compared to forestry and timber production.

The Scottish Government has adopted a target to create 10,000ha of new woodlands per year, rising to 15,000 ha per year by 2024. Regional Forestry and Woodland Strategies have been produced by each Local Authority, including by Dumfries and Galloway Council, to help identify suitable areas for woodland expansion. Landowners, including farmers are incentivised to consider woodland creation through capital and maintenance grants provided through the Forestry Grant Scheme. Applications to the SRDP Forestry Grant Scheme (FGS) for woodland expansion are prioritised using target areas within the regional forestry and woodland strategies. In developing their woodland creation proposals, applicants for FGS funding are required to take into account all relevant environmental and social considerations.

We are working proactively to support the integration of farming and forestry where possible, with the aim of encouraging farming and forestry interests to work together in partnership and consider integrated land management. This includes the provision of advice on options for forestry through the Farm Advisory Service.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx.

The Education (Scotland) Act 1980 places a statutory responsibility on all local authorities to manage and maintain the school estate across Scotland. The Government is providing significant investment to local authorities through the £1.8bn Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme to replace the worst condition schools throughout the country.

The total number of Education Scotland inspections carried out each academic year for the last five years for Dumfries and Galloway :

Inspection Figures for Academic Years August 2012 to July 2017

*includesEarly Learning and Childcare settings, and Primary, Secondary, All through, Independent and Special schools.

All figures include short model inspections resulting in QI evaluations and 'try out' inspections not resulting in QI evaluations.

Under our new Funding Follows the Child approach, local authorities will retain the statutory responsibility for ensuring that funded early learning and childcare entitlement is available to all eligible children in their areas. We are working closely with authorities to ensure that there are sufficient places available, across settings in all sectors, to deliver entitlement to 1140 hours of early learning and childcare from August 2020.

Any homeowner who claims that his or her property is damaged by overflow from defective sewerage and road drainage systems has to be able to demonstrate liability on the part of Scottish Water or the relevant roads authority on account of a breach of a common law or statutory duty on the part of that authority.

The distribution of these additional workers across local authorities will reflect local plans for implementing the expanded entitlement. Local authorities have recently submitted ELC Expansion Plans, which provide initial estimates of the workforce required in each area. The Scottish Government’s multi-disciplinary delivery support team, co-designed with local authorities, is currently discussing these plans with local authorities. Those discussions, identifying good practice as well as areas for improvement, will inform individual feedback to authorities as well as a national learning report, to be published later in the year.