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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-17120

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 19 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-01755 by Keith Brown on 7 February 2018 (Official Report, c. 3), on what date the Brussels trade hub will open.

The Scottish Government made a Programme for Government commitment to establish Innovation and Investment Hubs in Dublin, London, Brussels, Berlin and Paris as an integral part of wider work across the Scottish Government, partners and businesses to support trade, investment, innovation and inter-governmental relations.

The First Minister officially opened the refurbished and enhanced Scotland House Brussels on 28 May 2018. Our operation in Brussels incorporates staff from Scottish Government, Scotland Europa and Scottish Development International into a single working space. This provides an even more effective platform to enhance our commitment to play an active role in Europe and to support our collaborative approach to working with Scottish, European and international stakeholders.

Question reference: S5O-02257

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 June 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce delayed discharge at NHS Borders.

Question reference: S5W-17118

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 07 June 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 13 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how many companies have received funding under the Digital Skills Fund; how much has been allocated, and what the (a) highest and (b) average award was.

There is no Digital Skills Fund. However, I believe the question relates to the Digital Growth Fund, which was announced in March 2017 to offer up to £36m of loans to SMEs to enhance digital skills and capabilities. Phase one of this will be launched in June 2018 with the £2m Digital Development Loan.

After Consultation with the sector , it was decided to increase the scope of the loan to cover SMEs digital capabilities and processes as well as skills attainment.

As such, no loans have been issued as of yet.

Question reference: S5W-16963

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 12 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to ensure that burial grounds are maintained and with the full consent and knowledge of anyone who may be affected by any actions such as the removal of headstones.

Under the Health and Safety at Work etc. Act 1974 (as amended) statutory responsibility for ensuring burial ground safety rests with individual burial authorities. In contrast, the general maintenance and upkeep of headstones and memorials is the responsibility of the lair owner. If a headstone or memorial is deemed unsafe following an inspection, burial authorities will take immediate action to make that headstone or memorial safe.

It is for the burial authority to inform the lair owner of action that may be taken within the burial ground.

The Scottish Government accepted the recommendation made by Sheriff Ruxton following the Craigton Cemetery Fatal Accident Inquiry that the Scottish Government should develop and publish national guidance on memorial safety, to be used by local authorities. This guidance will assist local authority burial authorities to manage memorial safety more effectively. A short term working group is being assembled to take this work forward.

The Scottish Government is currently in the process of implementing the Burial and Cremation (Scotland) Act 2016. Under this Act Scottish Ministers have powers to appoint Inspectors of Burial and to make regulations about the management of burial grounds. It is expected that work to develop these regulations will begin in 2019.

Question reference: S5W-16861

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 7 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to raise awareness of the support that is available for the victims of workplace bullying.

The Scottish Government has made clear that bullying and harassment of any worker, under any circumstances, is unacceptable.

Through the Scottish Government's endorsement and promotion of the Fair Work Convention's Framework, we are making clear that every worker, regardless of status or position, should be treated fairly and with respect.

Where workers feel they have been unfairly treated, they may have the option of raising concern through their workplace bullying and harassment process or seeking support from their trade union representative. The Scottish Government also promotes the role of ACAS in providing advice and support on workplace issues.

Where fair work has not been delivered, the Scottish Government believes that all workers should have access to justice via an Employment Tribunal. We have therefore secured powers over the management of the Employment Tribunal in Scotland to protect the rights of workers and prevent barriers to justice being imposed by the UK Government, such as the reintroduction of an Employment Tribunal fee regime.

Question reference: S5W-16953

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 May 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 7 June 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action people who authorise the sale of alcohol, or manage or supervise in premises where alcohol is sold, require to take to maintain their Scottish Certificate for Personal Licence Holders, and whether these certificates will be valid for renewal in 12 months.

The personal licence is a key element of the alcohol licensing regime and many licence holders will require to renew these before September 2019 – the “ten year point”.

The Act requires that renewal applications are lodged no earlier than twelve months prior to expiry and no later than three months before expiry. The first personal licences issued under the Act have an expiry date of 1 September 2019. Therefore, the window for first renewal applications opens 31 August 2018 and closes 31 May 2019.

We will shortly seek stakeholder views on a review of the implications for boards and the trade of the upcoming renewal period for personal licences, and we are at an advanced stage in discussions with a preferred supplier to review and update the relevant personal licence holder qualifications – an announcement will be made in due course. The Scottish Government will also be undertaking detailed engagement with stakeholders to agree and publicise arrangements ahead of the ten year point for personal licence renewal in September 2019.

Question reference: S5O-02175

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 May 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 31 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce underemployment.

The latest statistics show that the underemployment rate in Scotland is 8.0%. This is down from 10.0% in 2012 and down from 8.4 per cent in 2016.

To help reduce underemployment further we are taking steps across government to encourage employers to adopt fair working practices, including investment in Returners programmes to assist professionally qualified women to re-enter the workforce following a career break. We are also investing in skills by growing, widening and enhancing Modern Apprenticeships as part of the Developing the Young Workforce Strategy; and we have put in place the £10 million pilot Flexible Workforce Development Fund, and the Individual Training Account scheme.

Question reference: S5W-16240

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 27 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 8 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government how it promotes historically significant sites.

Section 2 of the Historic Environment Scotland Act 2014 provides that Historic Environment Scotland’s general function is to investigate, care for and promote Scotland’s historic environment. The Scottish Government provided £37,145,000 in grant-in-aid to Historic Environment Scotland in 2017-18 to act as the lead public body on matters relating to Scotland’s historic environment, supporting and enabling partners, stakeholders, communities and individuals to fulfil their roles in investigating, protecting and celebrating our heritage. In particular, one of the strategic aims set out in Historic Environment Scotland's Corporate Plan is to "promote the value of the historic environment through education, learning, outreach and skill-sharing activities."

Question reference: S5W-16049

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 April 2018
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 8 May 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in its Enterprise and Skills Review: Report on Phase 2 to "develop a clearer shared understanding of priority countries....by end 2017", which priority countries were identified.

The specific commitment within the Enterprise & Skills Review report was to “Develop a clearer, shared understanding of priority countries, recognising that these may be different for trade, investment and Scotland’s other interests”. This agreement recognises that different organisations have different priority countries depending on their specific objectives but that the benefit of this overseas presence and knowledge can be shared and exploited among partners. This is part of the wider commitment by partners to work more effectively together to deliver Scotland’s international trade and investment ambitions and to maximise the economic and social benefit to Scotland.

Question reference: S5F-02315

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 May 2018
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 May 2018

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government will take to reduce the number of cancelled NHS operations.