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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-31651

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 22 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made with the implementation of the Good Food Nation Plan for Scotland, and which (a) local authorities and (b) public bodies have met the requirement in the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 to submit a Good Food Plan.

The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 ("the Act") requires Scottish Ministers to publish a national Good Food Nation Plan. Work on the first iteration of the plan is currently underway. The Scottish Government published a draft of the national Good Food Nation Plan for consultation earlier this year. The analysis of consultation responses has now been published and officials are currently revising the Plan with regard to the consultation responses. The revised Plan will be laid in Scottish Parliament for consideration and comment before final publication.

The Act also requires that relevant authorities (currently defined as health boards and local authorities) must produce their own Good Food Nation Plans and these must be published within 12 months of commencement of section 10 of the Act. Relevant authorities are required to have regard to the content of the national Plan when preparing their own Plans. The Scottish Government's intention is that commencement of section 10 takes place around the time of the publication of the national Good Food Nation Plan.

Question reference: S6W-31778

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Alasdair Allan on 27 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish a final Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery Plan.

I am delighted to confirm that today the final Scottish Biodiversity Strategy and Delivery plan is being published. The strategy sets out our ambition: to halt the loss of nature by 2030 and to make significant progress in restoring nature by 2045.

Our Strategic Vision is for a nature positive, net zero future where Scotland’s natural environment is restored, and where everyone can play their part in securing that future. The delivery plan, the first in a series, sets out the actions needed, which taken together represent a step change that will accelerate the pace and scale of our efforts to address the biodiversity crisis.

A new Natural Environment Bill, planned in year 4 of this Parliament, will establish a framework for statutory nature targets securing accountability and driving action across government. Protecting our natural environment will lead to a greener, fairer and more prosperous Scotland for all.

Question reference: S6W-31783

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 26 November 2024
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 27 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to ensure that national speed limits and speed limits for HGVs are appropriate for Scotland.

Scotland's Road Safety Framework to 2030 sets out a vision for Scotland to have the best road safety performance in the world by 2030 and an ambitious long-term goal where no one is seriously injured or killed on our roads by 2050. However, the number of fatal casualties in 2024 are tracking 21% above the same period in 2023.

The reasons behind this are varied, with speeding and driver frustration being a persistent factor in a number of injury collisions on Scotland’s roads. It is therefore timely that Transport Scotland have undertaken a National Speed Management Review. This review seeks to ensure speed limits on Scotland’s roads are appropriate and help contribute to a reduction in injury and death on our roads.

The review examined a range of approaches, including HGV-specific speed limits, drawing insights from both national and international case studies. This includes the impact of the 50 mph speed limit trial for HGVs on the A9 single carriageway sections between Perth and Inverness. Since this trial there has been improved driver behaviour on this section of the route, a greater compliance with speed limits and a reduction in deaths and serious injuries.

I can therefore announce that a public consultation on proposed changes to speed limits has launched and will be open until Wednesday 5 March 2025. It invites feedback on proposals to lower the national speed limit on single carriageway roads from 60 mph to 50 mph and to increase speed limits for goods vehicles over 7.5 tonnes on single-carriageways from 40 mph to 50 mph and dual carriageways from 50 mph to 60 mph. Analysis from the review indicates that these changes could significantly reduce injury collisions while maintaining journey times and enhancing journey time reliability.

I urge all elected members to encourage constituents and stakeholders to participate in the consultation at: https://www.transport.gov.scot/consultation/national-speed-management-review-consultation/

Question reference: S6W-31136

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 11 November 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 19 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, regarding child contact hearings, what action it is taking to ensure that Scottish Family Court processes are streamlined so as to maximise the opportunity for fathers, where it is appropriate, to have meaningful contact with their children without any unnecessary and bureaucratic delays, including through reported delay tactics by defenders in such actions.

It is the Scottish Government’s view that delay in child contact proceedings will usually not be in the best interests of the child.

The Children (Scotland) Act 1995 (the 1995 Act) is the key legislation in relation to child contact and residence. In deciding whether to make a contact order under section 11 of the 1995 Act, the welfare of the child must be the court’s paramount consideration.

The Children (Scotland) Act 2020 will reform the 1995 Act and a key aim is to ensure that the child’s best interests are at the centre of any contact or residence case. Section 30(2), once in force, will require the court to have regard to any risk of prejudice to the child’s welfare that delay in proceedings would pose.

The Family Law Committee of the Scottish Civil Justice Council developed new case management rules: Act of Sederunt (Ordinary Cause Rules 1993 Amendment) (Case Management of Defended Family and Civil Partnership Actions) 2022 (scottishciviljusticecouncil.gov.uk) covering family actions in the sheriff court. The new rules came into effect on 25 September 2023 and are intended to help prevent undue delay in proceedings relating to the welfare of children.

Question reference: S6O-03989

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 21 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what engagement Transport Scotland has with regional transport partnerships, such as SWestrans, regarding contractual requirements for key local public transport services, including the provision of rural buses.

Question reference: S6O-03894

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 November 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work regarding the Social Isolation and Loneliness Strategy, particularly in relation to rural areas ahead of the winter months.

Question reference: S6O-03763

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 18 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the local government funding settlement, what discussions the finance secretary has had with ministerial colleagues regarding the potential revenue that local authorities could generate through Decriminalised Parking Enforcement regimes in their areas.

Question reference: S6F-03358

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 16 September 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 September 2024

To ask the First Minister what the implications are for public health in Scotland of the UK Government’s announcement that it plans to ban junk food advertising before 9.00 pm.

Question reference: S6O-03672

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 August 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when it last met with Network Rail and ScotRail with regards to improving the Dumfries-Glasgow train service.

Question reference: S6W-28503

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 08 July 2024
Current Status: Answered by Siobhian Brown on 19 July 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what the estimated cost has been to the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service of call-outs to vacant, abandoned and derelict buildings in each year since 2016.