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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-00556

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the financial support available to larger self-catering units accommodating seven or more people.

We continually review the financial support that we provide to businesses to ensure that we direct funding to businesses impacted by COVID-19 while recognising that are simply unable to make up for all of the losses incurred by businesses. As part of this process we have provided additional funding to self-catering properties, alongside other accommodation providers in Glasgow and Moray impacted by the decision to retain Tier 3 Restrictions for an additional period in these areas. With no new consequentials made available by the UK Government with which to support businesses we are having to make difficult decisions about which businesses to prioritise for support, particularly those in areas which have experienced recent Covid-19 outbreaks and face continued closure. We will keep making the case to the UK Government for more funding to make additional financial support available to businesses that require further assistance and to transfer the fiscal levers required to enable us to respond fully to the needs of Scottish businesses.

Question reference: S6W-00555

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what financial support it has made available to support larger self-catering units, accommodating seven or more people, that are unable to trade viably because of the COVID-19 household meeting restrictions.

As of 28 May, £3,028,000 has been paid through Exclusive Use and Large Self Catering Grants to 1,434 businesses. Please see the most recent business support management information: Coronavirus (COVID-19): business support management information - 11 June 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) . While this figure does not currently allow breakdown of the exclusive use and large self-catering grants, the most recent figures from 30 April, when £2.89 million had been paid though Exclusive Use and Large Self Catering Grants showed that the majority of this sum had been allocated to large self-catering properties £2.69 million, while the remainder went to exclusive use properties £0.2 million). Please see - Coronavirus (COVID-19) Strategic Framework: Business Support Funding Statistics (Tranche 6) and other local authority support schemes - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

We understand that household meeting restrictions to mitigate transmission risks continue to pose challenges for many businesses across Scotland. The Scottish Government sought to help businesses build greater resilience by making available Restart Grants. On 22 March recipients of support under the Strategic Framework Business Fund received a final 4 week payment, followed by a combined final payment of a further 2 weeks closure support and a one off restart grant. Hospitality and leisure businesses in receipt of the Fund were eligible for grants up to £19,500 based on their rateable value. The restart grant was also awarded to small accommodation providers paying the council tax fund, already registered for support payments under SPA-CTF.

In addition, the Scottish Government will provide 100% rates relief for retail, hospitality, leisure and aviation businesses for entirety of this financial year.

Question reference: S6W-00557

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what impact the COVID-19 household meeting restrictions have had on the self-catering sector, and what engagement it has carried out with the sector regarding this.

We understand that a proportion of self-catering businesses, which are larger (7+) and rely on multiple households sharing continue to face challenges in trading due to household restrictions. We worked closely with the sector in order to produce tailored grant support for large self-catering businesses and exclusive use properties as well as targeted support for businesses who pay council tax via the small accommodation providers council tax fund. We have engaged regularly with the sector throughout the pandemic to understand operating conditions and to develop support to mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 restrictions. We have regular dialogue with the STA, the ASSC and STERG and will continue to review areas that may need further support on an ongoing basis as we progress through the levels framework, in particular to those sectors which are subject to greater constraint.

Question reference: S6W-00554

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 08 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much it has received in Barnett consequentials since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic from UK Government measures that have been introduced to support larger self-catering units, and how much of this funding it has allocated to similar measures in Scotland.

There is no specific allocation within consequentials arising from support for large self-catering though we have ensured that they have received financial support via the Strategic Framework Business Fund, and Business Restart Grants as well as a tailored package of support to help mitigate against the impact of the single household restrictions via the large self-catering and exclusive use support funds. This is in addition to the 100% Business Rates Relief that we have provided for all businesses in the Hospitality, Retail and Leisure Sectors for both the 20/21 and 21/22 Financial Years. We also ensured businesses not on the NDR roll were eligible for equivalent Strategic Framework Business Fund support via the small accommodation providers council tax fund (SAP-CT).

Question reference: S6O-00035

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 June 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the cultural sector.

Question reference: S5O-05142

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 March 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 24 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to schools in light of its announcement regarding the full-time return of pupils in April.

Question reference: S5O-05105

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 March 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the long-term recovery of the tourism sector.

Question reference: S5W-35166

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 February 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will allocate the £40 million announced for the Agricultural Transformation Programme in 2021-22.

Question reference: S5W-35164

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 February 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to utilise the remaining spend of the Agricultural Transformation Programme, committed to in the 2020-21 draft Budget.

The majority of the capital funding allocation has now been assigned to the Sustainable Agriculture Capital Grant Scheme and for additional Scottish Forestry projects. Regrettably the impact of COVID-19 has made it difficult to progress a loans scheme for capital projects in 2020-21. This type of funding is challenging to use, given the need to avoid displacing private sector backed lending, and any such lending must be done in a way that is consistent with subsidy controls and UK international trading commitments.

Question reference: S5W-35165

Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 February 2021
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 February 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme beyond 2021.

The Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) reopened for a targeted range of options in January 2021, to support delivery of a wide range of environmental measures. This round will ensure further funding is provided between 2022-23 and 2026-27 for continued support for protected areas, organics, management supporting farmland waders, corn buntings and corncrakes, slurry stores, and improving public access. This will help farmers and crofters to undertake important environmental management and support our work on climate change. It will also promote public wellbeing through providing infrastructure for recreational activities such as walking, cycling and sightseeing.