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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S6W-00761

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 15 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many wind farm applications it has (a) approved, or (b) refused in the last 24 months, broken down by local authority area.

The information requested is given in the following table:

Planning Authority	Applications Allowed	Applications Refused
Argyll and Bute council	3	2
Dumfries and Galloway Council	5	2
East Ayrshire Council	3	0
Highland Council	7	2
Moray Council	2	0
Scottish Borders Council	3	2
South Lanarkshire Council	4	2
South Ayrshire Council	1	0
Scottish Borders Council/East Lothian Council*	2	0
Total	30	10

* Application sites covered both council areas

Question reference: S6W-00905

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 23 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish details of the bid process for the creation of Green Ports.

Question reference: S6W-00570

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will ensure that women who are pregnant, following the death of a baby, are prioritised for access to the continuity of carer model.

Our review of maternity and neonatal services, The Best Start: A Five-Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland, recommended that all women receive continuity of maternity and obstetric care. The roll out of continuity of carer has started in all Boards, but further roll out was paused in many areas in light of COVID. The Best Start Programme Board has recently reconvened and is looking at remobilising continuity of carer and how that might be prioritised.

Question reference: S6W-00607

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when family members who are double-vaccinated against COVID-19 and wearing face coverings and outdoors will be able to take a burial cord at a funeral in a level 1 protection area.

The Scottish Government understands how difficult ongoing restrictions at funeral services are for those who are bereaved and wish to pay their final respects to a loved one.

We continue to review all of the funeral restrictions on a regular basis taking into account the stage of the pandemic, the public health risks and the impact on bereaved families.

Our funeral services guidance sets out that funeral directors can, on a case by case basis, undertake a risk assessment to assess whether the family can have a role in taking a cord at the graveside, given physical distancing requirements. The options should be discussed with the relatives beforehand and decisions should be made with compassion, as well as understanding of the risks.

The conclusion of the physical distancing review is expected shortly, which will consider the implications of 2 metre physical distancing at funeral services.

Not all vaccines prevent transmission and inoculation is not a guarantee against contracting COVID-19, nor is it guaranteed to prevent you from passing it on. However, we do know that the COVID-19 vaccines significantly reduce both mortality and morbidity. Further research is being conducted on the effect of the vaccination programme on transmission overall in relation to current and new variants of concern. Until we know more, it is essential that everyone continues to follow public health guidance and the COVID-19 protection level rules which apply in their Local Authority area.

Question reference: S6W-00606

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 10 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 21 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when restrictions relating to burials will be reviewed to reflect the most update situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Scottish Government understands how difficult ongoing restrictions at funeral services are for those who are bereaved and wish to pay their final respects to a loved one.

We continue to review all of the funeral restrictions on a regular basis taking into account the stage of the pandemic, the public health risks and the impact on bereaved families.

The conclusion of the physical distancing review is expected shortly, which will consider the implications of 2 metre physical distancing at funeral services.

Question reference: S6O-00005

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it next expects to make an investment announcement for road and rail infrastructure in the South of Scotland.

Question reference: S5W-36030

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will continue its partnerships with dairies to delivery milk direct to nurseries.

The new Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme will replace the UK Nursery Milk Scheme in Scotland. Payments will be made under the new Scheme from 1 August 2021. The new Scheme will provide funding via local authorities to eligible settings which have registered for the Scheme. This will enable the settings to choose how to purchase or procure the milk and healthy snack portion. This can include direct delivery by dairies where appropriate.

Under the new Scheme, authorities and registered settings will receive the funding upfront instead of requiring to reclaim costs from the UK Nursery Milk Reimbursement Unit as is the case under the existing UK scheme.

The Scottish Government does not currently work in partnership with any dairies in relation to the existing UK Nursery Milk Scheme.

Question reference: S5W-36029

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 23 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme will encourage nursery children to drink cow's milk and not cheaper alternatives.

The new Scottish Milk and Healthy Snack Scheme will replace the UK Nursery Milk Scheme in Scotland. Payments will be made under the new Scheme from 1 August 2021. The new policy will allow for all children in regulated pre-school settings which register for the Scheme to receive a portion of milk (or alternative) and healthy snack (portion of fruit or vegetables) each day they spend 2 hours or more in childcare.

Our ambition is to ensure that as many children as possible attending registered settings are in receipt of the milk and healthy snack policy, embedding the habit of regular consumption of high-quality dairy produce and fruit and vegetables from an early age.

Food Standards Scotland has advised that plain cow’s milk is the most nutritious drink and is what should be offered under the Scheme to children, except where they cannot drink it for medical, ethical or religious reasons. In these circumstances, children may be offered an alternative.

Our expectation is pre-school children will be provided with cow’s milk under the terms of the Scheme, except where this is not appropriate to their needs.

Question reference: S5W-35883

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has cost SEPA to restore data, following the recent cyber-attack that it experienced.

Question reference: S5W-35885

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 March 2021
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 19 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the recent cyber-attack that was experienced by SEPA has had on the agency’s ability to record levels of fly-tipping, and what information it has regarding the trend in the number of fly-tipping incidents since the attack.

The cyber-attack has affected the way that SEPA works. SEPA’s Dumb Dumpers phone line was switched off immediately after the cyber-attack and SEPA’s website redirects all fly-tipping reports to the Zero Waste Scotland Dumb Dumpers Stop Line online form.

However, Zero Waste Scotland records show that between 24 December 2020 and 16 March 2021, there have been 502 reports of fly tipping through the online Dumb Dumpers form.