- Asked by: Pauline McNeill, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 25 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenni Minto on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government which NHS boards have the availability of faecal calprotectin tests, which help to improve the diagnosis for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).
Answer
The Scottish Government does not hold this information which is a matter for NHS heath boards locally.
We are committed to ensuring that all people living in Scotland with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) including Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are able to access the best possible care and support, and benefit from healthcare services that are safe, effective and put people at the centre of their care.
Whilst our role is to set the strategic policy for the NHS in Scotland, it is NHS Boards locally who are responsible for service delivery. We expect all Boards to follow best practice and adhere to current guidelines and standards for people with suspected IBD and a national IBD pathway for NHS Scotland was published in January 2025: inflammatory-bowel-disease-ibd-pathway.pdf. This pathway is intended to be used for primary and secondary care health care professionals who are concerned that a patient may have undiagnosed IBD.
The pathway includes the use of faecal calprotectin tests which is supported by current clinical evidence for distinguishing between IBD and non-inflammatory bowel diseases (such as irritable bowel syndrome).
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will publish an updated timetable for the SSEN Skye Reinforcement project.
Answer
It would not be appropriate to comment on a live application.
A decision will be taken by Scottish Ministers in due course, following consideration of the application information, consultation responses and representations made by members of the public.
- Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the formation of a joint working group, consisting of government and aerospace industry representatives, to discuss the adoption of hybrid electric technology, particularly in regards to airline routes in the Highlands and Islands.
Answer
The Scottish Government’s Aviation Statement explicitly calls for a more positive and constructive conversation about aviation and its many benefits, while committing to working with the sector on decarbonisation.
The Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity recently attended the first meeting of the Sustainable Aviation Scotland Group, which involves several senior aviation stakeholders, to encourage greater collaboration on reducing aviation emissions.
A Ministerial roundtable will be held this year to discuss the infrastructure required to enable electric and hydrogen flight, which is expected to be particularly suitable for the Highlands and Islands. Final arrangements are being made but the roundtable will include stakeholders from across the aviation sector.
- Asked by: Emma Roddick, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to complete phase 1 of the Aviemore to Carrbridge non-motorised user route as soon as possible, in light of a petition from the local community emphasising the need for the section to be finished in order to enable safer active travel.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to promoting active travel throughout Scotland and we are working with our partners in the Cairngorms National Park Authority and The Highland Council to progress the Aviemore to Carrbridge Non-Motorised User (ACNMU) scheme
Transport Scotland has committed to include the proposed ACNMU scheme in the A9 Dualling construction programme as part of the nearby Dalraddy to Slochd project providing all the statutory consents and the necessary land are in place for the ACNMU project.
A planning application for this 9km active travel route was submitted to The Highland Council on 31 March 2025. Progression of the ACNMU scheme, either in part or whole, can only commence if approved under the relevant statutory authorisation procedures and thereafter a timetable for delivery can be set.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out on the comparative costs of underground energy transmission infrastructure.
Answer
The Scottish Government has not itself carried out analysis on the comparative costs of undergrounding energy transmission infrastructure and these will vary on a project to project basis. There are a number of industry commissioned reports that demonstrate both in general and on a project specific basis that underground cables are initially more expensive than overhead lines.
As the independent energy regulator for Great Britain, Ofgem is responsible for protecting energy consumers’ interests. Transmission network companies are regulated by Ofgem and when developing projects they must have consideration of their license obligations which require them to be economic and efficient in respect of costs to the consumer. The cost of undergrounding as compared to other forms of transmission infrastructure will be an important consideration for Ofgem assessing the transmission network companies investment plans and agreeing the costs that can be recovered from bill payers.
- Asked by: Jamie Halcro Johnston, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 20 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that communities in remote, rural and island areas are actively involved in decision-making processes regarding their healthcare services.
Answer
NHS Boards and IJBs have a statutory duty to involve people and communities in the planning and development of care services. Revised joint guidance with COSLA, Planning with People, supports Health Boards, local authorities and IJBs in engaging with local communities on the health and social care services they provide. Planning with People sets out actions that should be taken when changes to services are being considered, and emphasises that community engagement and active participation of people is essential.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its engagement with the UK Government on proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland, how it plans to respond to reported objections that introducing new fees for pre-application functions and necessary wayleaves could disadvantage smaller developers or community-led projects, and what steps it will take to ensure transparency around how any such fees are used.
Answer
The proposed reforms will apply to applications for consent under section 36 and section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 made to Scottish Ministers. Section 36 applications made to Scottish Ministers have a capacity of over 50MW. Therefore, it is not anticipated that the reforms will disadvantage smaller developers or community-led projects.
The costs of providing pre-application services and processing necessary wayleaves are currently paid for through the Scottish Budget. These new powers will allow the Scottish Government to set fees to recover these costs from service users. The standard approach to setting fee levels will be full cost recovery in accordance with guidance set out in the Scottish Public Finance Manual and the introduction of these new fees will all be subject to consultation.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its engagement with the UK Government on proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland and in light of reported criticism from stakeholders, what its reasons are for including the proposed powers for the Scottish Government to vary consents unilaterally, and whether it will reconsider these to safeguard investor confidence and community engagement.
Answer
The scope of the proposed reforms to vary consents without an application will be limited to variations and will not include suspension or revocation of consents. Interested parties will be notified of the proposal and given the opportunity to make representations. Where the variation proposed by the Scottish Government is to amend the consent or its conditions or both due to a change in environmental circumstances or relevant technological changes, the agreement of the consent-holder will be required.
Separately, the proposed reforms intend that the Scottish Government will be enabled to correct errors or omissions made in a consent, where the consent-holder would be notified of the proposed variation and given the opportunity to make representations to the Scottish Government.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its engagement with the UK Government on proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland, what evidence it considered in developing the “Acceptance Stage” for section 36 and 37 applications, and whether it will publish data showing how this stage could affect overall timescales and local input into project proposals.
Answer
The proposed reforms will make pre-application consultation for electricity infrastructure projects a statutory requirement and also introduce an Acceptance Stage when Scottish Ministers can decline to accept applications which have not fulfilled the necessary requirements. These reforms will reduce timescales for processing applications and increase local input into project proposals.
The Scottish Government will publish detailed guidance on the Acceptance Stage and what happens if the relevant planning authority objects or if an application is not accepted.
- Asked by: Douglas Lumsden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 March 2025
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Current Status:
Answered by Alasdair Allan on 1 April 2025
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its engagement with the UK Government on proposed reforms to electricity infrastructure consenting in Scotland, how many applications for electricity infrastructure developments it projects will be submitted annually from 2025, and whether it has made any assessment of whether introducing new fees for pre-application functions could reduce application numbers.
Answer
The proposed reforms will apply to applications for consent under section 36 and section 37 of the Electricity Act 1989 made to Scottish Ministers. Section 36 applications made to Scottish Ministers have a capacity of over 50MW. Therefore, it is not anticipated that the reforms to introduce new fees for pre-application functions will reduce application numbers.