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: S4W-30230

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 01 March 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 15 March 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) households, (b) farmers and (c) businesses in each local authority area have applied for support from the flooding relief scheme, and how many (i) have (A) received and (B) are awaiting payment and (ii) had their applications rejected.

Question reference: S4W-29898

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Marco Biagi on 17 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how many households in each local authority area would be affected by the new higher council tax bands proposed by the Commission on Local Tax Reform, also broken down by Scottish Parliament constituency.

Question reference: S4W-29900

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Marco Biagi on 17 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to undertake a revaluation of properties ahead of any reform to the council tax.

Question reference: S4W-29625

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S4W-27075 by Alasdair Allan on 7 September 2015, on what date it will announce the appointment of the Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland.

Question reference: S4W-29626

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 02 February 2016
Current Status: Answered by Alasdair Allan on 11 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what scientific advice it has sought since the post of Chief Scientific Adviser for Scotland has been vacant, and who provided it.

Since the Chief Scientific Adviser (CSA) post was vacated the remaining chief scientists, covering health and rural affairs, food and the environment, continue to carry out key tasks that would usually be done by the CSA for Scotland.

The Scottish Government remains committed to drawing on the very best science advice and expertise. Ministers and officials continue to draw upon a range of science advice and expertise across all policy areas including, but not confined to, the Chief Medical Officer, the Chief Scientist (health), the Chief Scientific Adviser (Rural Affairs, Food and Environment), and the Chief Veterinary Officer. Advice is also routinely available from Marine Scotland and Science Advice for Scottish Agriculture. Such advice covers developments and issues that affect a range of policy areas.

New members of the Scottish Science Advisory Council, appointed as of 1 February 2016, will also provide scientific advice to Scottish Government and their first meeting will be on 4 March 2016.

Question reference: S4O-05533

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 4 February 2016

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will undertake a national strategic review of flooding infrastructure and management following the latest incidents.

Although the impacts of the recent flooding are still being felt and will continue to be assessed over the coming weeks, we have not received any indication that any of Scotland’s flood defences were overwhelmed in the way that has happened during the extreme flooding events in England, and which has prompted the UK Government’s review.

In any case, all the existing flood defences in Scotland were assessed in 2007 as part of the establishment of the Scottish Government’s Flood Defence Asset Database.

Since then, a new National Flood Risk Assessment has been undertaken by the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, and the resulting flood risk management strategies were published in December 2015. For the first time ever, we have a national picture of flood risk across Scotland. This is a major step forward in our understanding of flood risk, and will make sure that Scotland is as prepared as we can be, to deal with any such future events which may become more frequent with the onset of climate change.

Question reference: S4O-05542

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 03 February 2016
Current Status: Awaiting answer

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to reform local government funding.

Question reference: S4W-29333

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen McLeod on 26 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what compensation and support it will provide to farms bordering the River Dee that have been flooded.

Question reference: S4W-29332

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 15 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Richard Lochhead on 22 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost to farmers of the recent flooding.

Scottish Ministers have been proactive to visit those communities affected by recent flooding events. I have visited a number of farm businesses and engaged directly with NFU Scotland. The agriculture wet weather group has been a valuable forum for engaging with industry to understand impacts and appropriate actions. On 9 January 2016 the First Minister announced a support package that will help land managers through:

Providing funding to local authorities to allow them to make payments of £1,500 for households, businesses, charities and community groups affected by flooding. Local authorities which have suffered the most damage as a result of the flooding have been allocated a share of the fund, however, people in any part of Scotland who have suffered flood damage as a result of the severe weather can apply for a grant, with the Scottish Government meeting the cost.

A flat rate grant payment of £3,000 to businesses in any part of Scotland where there is evidence that their ability to trade has been severely impacted by the flooding in December 2015 and January 2016. The grant will be a one-off payment to offset costs which cannot be covered by existing insurance, for example clean-up costs, materials and exceptional costs to help the business restore trade, such as marketing and promotion. This will be funded by the Scottish Government in addition to the local authority allocations.

An Agricultural Floodbank Restoration Grant Scheme of up to £1 million for the farming community to seek financial support to restore damaged floodbanks.

In addition on 11 January 2016 I announced a number of practical measures to help farmers affected by recent flooding, including flexibility on greening and cross compliance rules, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency taking a pragmatic approach to getting things back to normal, and the publication of flooding restoration ‘top tips’.

Question reference: S4O-05293

Asked by: Nanette Milne, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 January 2016
Current Status: Answered by Jamie Hepburn on 21 January 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the potential impact on its national physical activity strategy, how many school playing fields have been sold or developed since 1999.

As a statutory consultee under the terms of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (Scotland) Regulations 2013, sportscotland has been consulted on 1,569 planning applications since 1 January 1999. Of these consultations, it is estimated that approximately 580 related to applications that have been granted planning approval involving either the creation of new educational facilities, or development on the site of existing educational facilities for both educational and non-educational purposes.

The second figure is an estimate because sportscotland does not record consultations involving educational facilities separately from other consultations it receives. Further analysis of this information is required and I will ask sportscotland to provide the member with more detail in due course.