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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-03069

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 30 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had or plans with (a) the chief constable and (b) Police Scotland regarding what action can be taken to address the concerns reportedly expressed by the chief constable that non-emergency calls to the force were abandoned 40% of the time due to delays in answering calls.

Police Scotland have advised that this has been an exceptionally busy period for the service and particularly for the Contact, Command and Control Division, with an unprecedented call levels to both the 101 non-emergency number and 999 call lines. The COVID pandemic has and continues to place unprecedented pressures on our emergency services. Across Scotland all organisations have had to manage increased leaves of covid-related absence while maintaining service levels.

While delivery of the police 101 service is a matter for Police Scotland, I have sought assurances around its operation and the Chief Constable has outlined a number of improvements, including updated options for callers and system changes to better prioritise calls have been outlined as part of these discussions. Callers to the 101 service are advised if their call is related to an emergency to dial 999. The latest figures show that 999 calls are answered on average within 7 seconds.

Question reference: S6W-03182

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 23 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 29 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the observations included in an open letter to crofting commissioners from Donald MacKinnon, on behalf of the Board of the Scottish Crofting Federation, dated 14 September 2021.

It is for the crofting Commission to respond to the matters addressed to it in the letter from the Scottish Crofting Federation. However, the Scottish Government will also consider the broader issues relating to crofting policy. We are already committed to addressing neglect and absenteeism, and developing crofting to create more active crofts. We have a strong track record of supporting new entrants and this will remain a priority. We will continue to work with the Crofting Commission and others to ensure that key actions within the Crofting Development Plan are progressed.

Question reference: S6W-03021

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 29 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to review the effectiveness of the Antisocial Behaviour Notices (Houses Used for Holiday Purposes) (Scotland) Order 2011.

Question reference: S6W-03183

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has not included a crofting reform bill in the Programme for Government 2021-22.

Question reference: S6W-02988

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 28 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of reported ferry cancellations, what action it is taking to ensure that fresh produce ferry freight is able to be moved effectively.

The Clyde and Hebrides Ferry Services (CHFS) and Northern Isles ferry Service (NIFS) operators will always try to ensure that fresh produce freight is moved quickly and effectively. At times of disruption and cancellation they seek to prioritise or move freight hauliers onto alternative sailings or on other routes where possible.

Where feasible on networks, additional or alternative sailings can provide extra capacity on disrupted routes and vessels are often redeployed from around the network to maximise overall resilience. Consideration of appropriate responses to cancellations and disruption on other ferry routes, such as the Irish Sea crossings, are a matter for the operators of these services.

Question reference: S6W-03058

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Shirley-Anne Somerville on 28 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the regulations related to the parental viewing of children’s sports in schools.

Our priority is keeping children, young people and school staff safe. The COVID-19 Advisory Sub-Group on Education and Children’s issues keeps the mitigations in schools and ELC settings under constant review. It considered the issue of parental attendance at school sporting events at its meeting on 21 September. Scottish Ministers are considering the sub-group's advice on this and other issues, and will announce the outcome as soon as possible.

Question reference: S6O-00207

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to recruit GPs in the Borders.

Question reference: S6W-02987

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 14 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Seafood Producers Resilience Fund have been (a) received, (b) approved and (c) declined, and how much funding has been distributed.

Question reference: S6W-01740

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 17 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what funding from the 2019-20 budget has been made available to fund projects relating to flooding, and what support is available for Newcastleton in the Scottish Borders, to address flooding problems.

In recognition of importance of reducing flood risk the Scottish Government has, since 2007, provided £42 million each year to local authorities through the general capital grant to invest in flood protection measures. In September 2020, the Programme for Government also committed an additional £150 million over five years from 2021-22 to support flood risk management actions. Reducing flood risk is a priority for this Government and we will continue to support authorities to deliver actions that protect our communities.

The Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 (“the Act”) encourages a co-ordinated, plan-led approach to flood risk management, which runs in six year cycles. As part of the first cycle under the Act, 14 Flood Risk Management Strategies were published in 2015 by SEPA and 14 Local Flood Risk Management Plans (LFRMP) were published in 2016 by local authorities. Actions prioritised to reduce flood risk in Newcastleton are included within the 2016-22 Solway LFRMP; this included a flood study for Newcastleton, which has now been completed by Scottish Borders Council. It is for the Council and other responsible authorities such as Scottish Water to take forward and deliver the actions set out in the Strategies and LFRMPs.

SEPA and local authorities are currently in the process of reviewing and updating the Strategies and LFRMPs for the 2022-28 cycle. Once finalised, the Strategies will be submitted to Scottish Ministers for approval.

We also work closely with key partners to promote community resilience and flood preparedness. We have increased our funding to £195,000 for the Scottish Flood Forum, which provides vital support to communities such as Newcastleton. The Scottish Flood Forum offers advice and information to individuals to help them protect their homes from flooding or to recover from flooding.

Question reference: S6W-02240

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 17 August 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 16 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of recommendation 15 in the report, Farming for 1.5C: From here to 2045, which states that "The carbon in Scotland’s soils should not be traded until further notice".

The main regulated, compulsory carbon pricing market in the UK is the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). Agriculture and land-use emissions are not covered by the current scope of the UK ETS. The carbon in Scotland’s deep peat soils is however being traded through the peatland code. This is a voluntary certification mechanism which provides assurances to carbon market buyers that the climate benefits from restoring peat are real, quantifiable, additional and permanent.

Although there is no soil carbon code in place at present, there is UK-wide interest in developing a soil carbon code. This has been most recently addressed by a UK Soil Association conference on 14th July 2021 but this has not yet been translated into a co-ordinated programme of work.