Chamber and committees

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-01133

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 11 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party's manifesto commitment to provide an additional "£500 million in our natural economy", when this will be delivered, and whether it will include further targeted funding for countryside rangers.

Last year due to restrictions on international travel we saw an increased number of visitors and campers to the countryside. With restrictions ongoing, for this year only, we are supporting local authorities, National Parks and communities with an additional £2.75M to put in place temporary solutions for 2021, such as additional ranger posts, temporary car parks and toilets.

Our primary method in supporting sustainable tourism in rural areas remains the Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund which was doubled to £6.2M this year, bringing our total investment to £15M. This has supported the development of car parks, toilets and motorhome waste facilities at some of Scotland’s most popular rural areas.

The Scottish Government is committed to investing £500M in our natural economy over the course of this Parliament to help tackle the biodiversity crisis. We will work with NatureScot, the National Parks, and local authorities to determine where our funding can have the most positive effect and deliver the best value for money.

Question reference: S6W-00946

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how it will monitor the amended permitted development rights for aquaculture, under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development and Use Classes) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020, and what the environmental impact of the alterations will be.

Question reference: S6W-00947

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 27 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will gauge public support for the amended permitted development rights for aquaculture under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development and Use Classes) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020, and for the environmental impact of the alterations.

We have no plans to gauge public support for this Order. Any environmental impact will be managed under the prior notification procedure.

Permitted development rights do not allow for increases in biomass, that process is regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). Increases in fish farm biomass require an application to be submitted by the operator to vary the Controlled Activities Regulations (CAR) licence. As part of the determination undertaken by SEPA the application would be advertised for consultation.

Question reference: S6W-01185

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Friday, 02 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 22 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what further steps it is taking to introduce additional resilience in the publicly-owned ferry network, given the lack of an agreement on the leasing of the MV Pentalina between Calmac and Pentland Ferries.

We have secured the short term charter of the MV Arrow to help provide additional sailings on the Stornoway Ullapool route during peak times in the busy summer season. This measure reflects our efforts to help the Western Isles recover from the impact of Covid and the outage of the MV Loch Seaforth earlier this year.

We are also exploring other measures to alleviate the pressures currently experienced in the ferry network.

Question reference: S6W-00944

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to address the concerns of coastal communities regarding the (a) potential increase in damage to the marine environment, and (b) lack of public consultation, prior to, and as a result of, the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development and Use Classes) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020.

A screening report in accordance with the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 was undertaken. This outlined that there were no significant environmental effects likely to result from this amendment Order. Consultation took place with local planning authorities and Strategic Environmental Assessment consultees, including the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, Nature Scot and Historic Scotland. Permitted development rights do not allow for increases in biomass, that process is regulated by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency. Increases in fish farm biomass require an application to be submitted by the operator to vary the CAR licence. As part of the determination undertaken by SEPA the application would be advertised for consultation.

Question reference: S6W-00948

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Monday, 21 June 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 21 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will carry out a retrospective environmental impact study into the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development and Use Classes) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2020.

We have no plans to carry out a retrospective environmental impact study on this Order. A screening report to consider environmental impacts was completed and concluded that there were no significant environmental effects likely to result from this proposal. Prior notification is a tool for Local Authorities to screen individual permitted development rights for environmental effects. Permitted development rights are withdrawn where an environmental impact assessment is required and changes must be dealt with through planning permission.

Question reference: S6W-01138

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 19 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government when it will make a decision on the proposals submitted to it by Boundaries Scotland on (a) 10 June 2021 regarding the Highland Council's ward boundaries and (b) 28 May 2021 regarding ward boundaries on Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.

Boundaries Scotland’s final proposals have been submitted and Scottish Ministers now have a legal duty to lay regulations giving effect to the proposals as soon as is practicably possible.

The Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 removed ministerial discretion to modify or reject Boundaries Scotland’s proposals. However the regulations will now be subject to affirmative procedure in the Scottish Parliament. This gives Parliament an enhanced role in scrutinizing the Boundary Commission’s proposals and brings the procedure into line with that already in place for Scottish Parliament constituency boundaries.

The regulations are due to be laid in the Scottish Parliament in late August. The lead committee will take evidence from witnesses ahead of a debate on the motion to approve the regulations.

Question reference: S6W-01137

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 16 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the Scottish National Party's manifesto commitment to deliver an Islands Connectivity Plan, what discussions it has had with the union, Prospect, regarding this; what the outcome of these discussions were, and, if discussions have not taken place, what the reasons are for this.

Question reference: S6W-01134

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00014 by Graeme Dey on 26 May 2021, whether ministers have now discussed the Island Communities Impact Assessment on Highlands and Islands Airports Limited’s (HIAL) Air Traffic Management 2030 Strategy with HIAL; if so, what the outcomes were, and, if not, for what reason the discussions have been delayed.

Question reference: S6W-01135

Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 15 July 2021

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-36212 by Michael Matheson on 23 March 2021, when the study will be published.

The study, to be undertaken independently, has been scoped to identify where Highlands and Islands Airports Limited’s operations can create more economic activity for island communities. This requires engagement and input from essential external stakeholders which has, to date, not been forthcoming. The study will be further progressed when essential stakeholders agree to engage with the process and will be published upon its completion.