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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-03972

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 8 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether a call will be made for candidate areas for national park status.

Question reference: S6W-03973

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 8 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what criteria will be used to assess any bids for national park status.

To be eligible for National Park Status, under the provisions of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 the area must meet the following 4 Aims:

(a) to conserve and enhance the natural and cultural heritage of the area,

(b) to promote sustainable use of the natural resources of the area,

(c) to promote understanding and enjoyment (including enjoyment in the form of recreation) of the special qualities of the area by the public, and

(d) to promote sustainable economic and social development of the area’s communities

In addition, the Act specifies 3 Conditions which are to be met before a National Park can be designated:

(a) that the area is of outstanding national importance because of its natural heritage or the combination of its natural and cultural heritage,

(b) that the area has a distinctive character and a coherent identity, and

(c) that designating the area as a National Park would meet the special needs of the area and would be the best means of ensuring that the National Park aims are collectively achieved in relation to the area in a co-ordinated way

Satisfying the Aims and Conditions of National Park will be the first step in identifying the area or areas to be taken forward. Further criterion will be required to evaluate the list of candidate areas. The first step in the process will be to develop and publicise this initial evaluation process.

Question reference: S6W-03969

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 8 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether a proposal under section 2 of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000 will be made in Spring 2022.

Under Section 2(3) of the National Parks (Scotland) Act 2000, a proposal for a new National Park must identify the area to be designated and the proposed functions of the new National Park Authority. We are aware that several areas may be interested in National Park status, so a fair and transparent bidding and evaluation process will be put in place to identify the area or areas which will be put forward to obtain National Park status and allow the statutory process to begin. We will shortly provide further information on this initial bidding and evaluation process, but given the complex and important nature of the work, we do not think it will be completed by Spring 2022.

Question reference: S6W-03971

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 28 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 8 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what the first steps will be in the process of identifying potential candidate areas for national park status.

Question reference: S6O-00312

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 October 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 3 November 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to encourage more affordable homes to be built in remote and rural areas.

Question reference: S6W-03389

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide funding to enable Saving Scotland's Red Squirrels and other volunteer groups to continue their work and deliver practical control measures to ensure red squirrels flourish in the future and, if so, how much will be made available.

Question reference: S6W-03404

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government which of its agencies are involved in assessing the level of medical drugs in (a) watercourses and (b) public water supplies.

In Scotland, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is the environmental regulator responsible for making sure that watercourses are protected. As part of its role, SEPA monitors for contaminants of emerging concern, such as certain pharmaceuticals, in the water environment.

SEPA also works in collaboration with Scottish Water on its Chemicals Investigation Programme (Scotland), which analyses concentrations of a number of chemicals, including some pharmaceuticals, entering and leaving waste water treatment works across Scotland.

Scottish Water is responsible for monitoring and assessing public drinking water supplies to ensure that there is no danger to human health.

Question reference: S6W-03715

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 October 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the cat ID chipping scheme currently being rolled out in England to help track any improvements in kitten breeding and trading following the new licensing of breeding regulations, whether it plans to introduce the scheme in Scotland.

The Scottish Government Code of Practice for the Welfare of Cats recommends that all cat owners should consider neutering and microchipping their pets as the best way of being reunited with them should they be separated.

The Scottish Government is aware of the Defra call for evidence and recent public consultation on the microchipping of cats. We will give full consideration to the results of this consultation and the details of any proposed legislation when they are available.

We remain willing to consider areas where consistent changes to legislation in all GB administrations will improve the welfare of kept animals.

Question reference: S6W-03403

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what measures are in place to monitor watercourses for the presence of (a) painkillers, (b) anti-inflammatories, (c) antidepressants and (d) over-the-counter medicines.

The EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) sets the legal obligations to monitor and assess a range of chemicals in the water environment.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) monitors the water environment for a range of contaminants of emerging concern (including 4 antibiotics, 1 antidepressant, and 3 antifungal medicines) at targeted watercourses. Through the WFD watch-list prioritisation mechanism environmental quality standards for a number of pharmaceuticals are currently being developed by the EU. This includes antibiotic clarithromycin, painkiller ibuprofen, anticonvulsants and painkiller carbamazepine, anti-inflammatory diclofenac and estrogen medication EE2 in this study.

SEPA is working with partner organisations on the identification of chemicals of emerging concern in the environment, and is developing new analytical techniques that will allow it to screen environmental samples for a much larger number of chemicals, including a number of pharmaceuticals. This work will allow us to better understand the risks posed by pharmaceuticals in Scotland’s water environment.

Question reference: S6W-03402

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 September 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 20 October 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to carry out immediate research to understand the full risks to birds and fish of over-the-counter medicines entering into waterways.

EU-wide research on the environmental risk posed by chemical substances informs the development of environmental quality standards These standards consider not only risks to animals, including fish, and plants that are exposed to these substances in water, but also risks to predatory animals like birds from the consumption of contaminated prey, so that the overall environmental quality standard is protective of all. The EU is currently developing new environmental quality standards for a number of contaminants of emerging concern, including certain pharmaceuticals.

The Scottish Government has made clear its commitment to maintain or exceed environmental standards in place upon EU exit, and to maintain alignment with developing EU standards, as far as possible.

The Scottish Government directs the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) to use environmental quality standards to monitor and assess the water environment through River Basin Management Planning.