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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: S5O-01046

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 31 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the report by Fujitsu regarding the IT system used to process CAP payments.

The report from Fujitsu contains sensitive commercial information as well as technical detail which has implications for cyber-security – publishing such detail could compromise the security of the CAP payments IT platform and, at this critical juncture in the payments schedule, I’m sure the member would agree that would not be a desirable outcome.

I can reassure the member that improvements identified in the Report are already underway and that my officials are working with CGI, the main IT supplier, and Fujitsu on an incremental improvement programme to provide longer term sustainability, scalability and flexibility to the CAP payment system.

Question reference: S5W-09199

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 24 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to introducing low-emission zones in cities to reduce congestion and improve air quality, and what assessment it has made of the economic impact of such a policy.

Question reference: S5W-08847

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 5 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take to ensure that increasing the threshold for screening proposed forestry projects for their environmental impact will not lead to a risk of significant negative environmental impacts.

The Scottish Government has only increased the threshold for forestry projects outside sensitive areas. There remains no threshold for forestry projects in sensitive areas and all woodland creation projects in those areas must undergo an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

In addition to the EIA process, the significant majority of woodland creation projects apply for financial support under the Forestry Grant Scheme. The scheme’s application process requires surveys and environmental information to be submitted where appropriate. All applications are then checked to ensure compliance with the UK Forestry Standard, the widely recognised benchmark for sustainable forest management.

Question reference: S5W-08812

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 13 April 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 2 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what assistance can be provided to people on low incomes in band E properties and above to help mitigate any rise in council tax.

Question reference: S5W-08506

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 19 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether, under European protected species legislation and guidance provided by the Scottish Government to local authorities, in circumstances where a planning authority is advised that bats are present in a building due to be demolished and a mitigation plan detailing the implications and action to be taken is present, planning permission can be granted on condition that a European Protected Species License must be obtained and copied to the planning authority before demolition commences.

Scottish Government guidance is that planning permission cannot be granted without the planning authority first being satisfied that the proposed development will not impact adversely on any European protected species. This is to ensure compliance with national and European legislation on such species.

If the presence of a European Protected Species has been established and the development’s likely effects on it will not be adverse, the planning authority could still apply certain conditions, for example on the timing of development, that further support and ensure that no adverse impacts occur.

It would not be appropriate to use planning conditions requiring compliance with other statutory requirements, such as the need to secure a licence. A planning authority could include an advisory note in this regard on a decision notice for planning permission; however, responsibility for complying with such requirements rests with the applicant or developer.

I include a link to a 2006 letter to planning authorities about these issues. http://www.gov.scot/Resource/0042/00427305.pdf - 2006 letter to planning authorities.

Question reference: S5W-08507

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 19 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether a bat emergence survey must take place before a planning decision can be determined.

Scottish Planning Policy states (paragraph 214): “If there is evidence to suggest that a protected species is present on site or may be affected by a proposed development, steps must be taken to establish their presence.”

Planning authorities have powers to require from an applicant such further information they consider necessary to deal with an application for planning permission. https://beta.gov.scot/publications/scottish-planning-policy/ Scottish Planning Policy

Question reference: S5W-08480

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 13 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the GP Premises Short Life Working Group is due to conclude its review and publish its recommendations.

The GP Premises Short Life Working Group reported in December 2016. The group recommended that the Scottish Government recognise and support a long term shift that gradually moves with general practice towards a model which does not presume GPs own their practice premises.

We are working in conjunction with the BMA to produce a national Code of Practice for NHS boards when a contractor wishes the board to acquire property or take on the contractor’s responsibilities under an existing lease. The Group's recommendations are currently being used for internal consideration and will be published alongside the Code of Practice in due course.

Question reference: S5O-00858

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 April 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 19 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what processes are in place to consider a proposal for the designation of a new national park.

Question reference: S5W-08165

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 28 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce the barriers to recruitment of new GPs, such as "last man standing" clauses in their contracts.

The Scottish Government announced on 10 March 2017 that the GP Recruitment and Retention Fund will increase five-fold - from £1 million in 2016-17 to £5 million in 2017-18 as part of the wider £72 million investment to transform primary care services. This increase will fund GP training bursaries; help the expansion of the GP Returners Scheme; and means the GP Retainer reimbursement rate can be increased.

Following the considerations of the GP Premises Short Life Working Group, which examined among other issues, the Last Man Standing scenario, an implementation group has been established. This group, which includes representation from NHS Boards, BMA and Scottish Government, will review and recommend updates, where required, to the legal framework outlined in the Premises Directions. If necessary, changes to the Scottish Government Property Transactions Handbook will also be considered.

Question reference: S5O-00822

Asked by: Finlay Carson, MSP for Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 15 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 23 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what it anticipates the opportunities would be for the fishing industry of an independent Scotland joining the EU.

Independent membership of the EU would ensure that, for the first time, the Scottish Government would be able to negotiate directly for Scottish interests and priorities at the top table of Europe. It would also ensure that the Scottish fishing industry is represented by a government that will always champion its interests and, in stark contrast to UK Government, will never cast the industry as “expendable”.

The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the sustainable growth of the Scottish fishing sector and will continue to work in close partnership with the industry to achieve that.