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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: S5W-24945

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2019
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 12 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to support active tourism.

We are investing in facilities, including providing £1m to support mountain biking at Glentress, and supporting feasibility work at the remaining 7 Stanes sites, in order to enable further investment through the Borderlands Growth Deal. Through support for active travel, we invest in Scotland’s cycle paths and Great Trails.

We will host the first ever combined UCI World Cycling Championships in 2023, providing substantial opportunities to support active and adventure tourism across the country. We work closely with VisitScotland to develop and jointly promote the wildlife/active sector.

We have recently provided £40k support to Wild Scotland to undertake a Strategic Review and £185k to Developing Mountain Biking in Scotland/The Mountain Biking Centre of Scotland to take forward Scotland’s Mountain Biking Strategy. ‘Activities and Adventure’ is one of four key themes of the 2020 Year of Coast and Waters.

Question reference: S5O-03556

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 11 September 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met Scottish Borders Council.

Question reference: S5W-24947

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 6 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making with the development of its culture strategy.

Question reference: S5W-24942

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 26 August 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 4 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making in extending the pilot of the One Card library scheme beyond the north east.

It is expected that access to the One Card Library scheme will expand later this year. The Scottish Library and Information Council are delivering the project with support from the Scottish Government, and the expansion will be informed by the learning from the pilot across the five local authorities: Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire, Highland, Angus, and Perth and Kinross. It is hoped that up to five further local authorities will join the scheme later this year.

Question reference: S5O-03487

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how it manages increased passenger numbers on public transport during major events.

Question reference: S5W-24297

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 July 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 2 August 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) rural and (b) urban state schools in each local authority area have closed and not reopened in another form in each year since 1999, also broken down by postcode area.

The Scottish Government is unable to identify all instances of schools that have “not reopened in another form” from the data it holds.

Therefore, information has been provided on all schools that closed between 1999 and 2018. Data for 2019 has not been provided as it is currently incomplete.

A proportion of the closures reflected in the data tables below have resulted from the mergers of two or more schools. Additionally, some closures may have resulted from the relocation of schools but these cannot be identified separately.

There are 16 closed schools for which no postcode data is recorded. These schools cannot, therefore, be given an urban/rural classification and have been excluded from these data tables on this basis.

Tables 1 and 2 show the number of rural schools which closed by local authority and postcode area, respectively.

Tables 3 and 4 show the number of urban schools which closed by local authority and postcode area, respectively.

Tables 1 to 4 have been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre under bib reference number 60905.

Question reference: S5T-01728

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 24 June 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its forecast is for income tax growth in the coming years.

Question reference: S5W-23486

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 07 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government which colleges and universities will employ the 80 additional mental health counsellors committed to over the next four years; how many each institution will employ, and how many of the posts will be (a) full-time and (b) part-time.

The Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) are currently working on a financial allocation to both sectors for the 2019-20 academic year in conjunction with the Student Mental Health and Wellbeing Working Group. Allocations will be informed by that work.

The Working Group’s remit is to support our Programme for Government commitments on additional counsellors, the development of an integrated approach to student wellbeing and to support improved local partnerships between colleges and universities and NHS Scotland, Health and Social Care Partnerships, local authorities and the third sector. Membership includes Universities Scotland, Colleges Scotland, SFC, NUS Scotland, and a wide range of other relevant stakeholders.

The SFC has completed a baseline survey of the student demand for and current provision of counselling services in colleges and universities. This was considered at the first meeting of the Working Group in May.

Question reference: S5W-23725

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 20 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to future-proof NHS Borders for the impacts of an ageing population, including what funding is in place to meet any rise in demand.

The Medium Term Financial Framework for Health and Social Care published last year recognises the increasing demand and expectations placed upon our frontline services, including the impact of an ageing population, and is clear that the status quo is not an option. The Framework sets out the approach we are taking both to further increase investment and deliver sustainable services across Scotland.

The 2019-20 Scottish Budget takes spending on health and care in excess of £14 billion and further shifts the balance of spend towards mental health and primary, community and social care. As part of this, our package of investment in social care and integration exceeds £700 million, underlining the commitment to support older people and disabled people and to recognise the vital role unpaid carers play.

NHS Borders has received additional funding of 2.6% in 2019-20, taking the Board’s total resource budget to over £207 million. NHS Borders will also receive a share of £392 million to support reform and improve patient outcomes.

Question reference: S5W-23724

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 June 2019
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 19 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what the financial position is of the Scottish Borders Integration Joint Board.

For the 2018-19 financial year, the Scottish Borders Integration Joint Board (IJB) will report a balanced financial position, subject to audit review.

For 2019-20, the IJB is due to consider the budget at its next meeting on 19 June 2019. The total budget for 2019-20 is expected to increase to £176.3 million, which is supported by additional Scottish Government investment in Health and Social Care of £160 million in 2019-20. The budget is underpinned by savings of £11.7 million, which is retained locally for reinvestment in frontline services.