- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Siobhian Brown on 11 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in its refreshed Equally Safe strategy of December 2023 to "eradicate all forms of violence against women and girls" (VAWG), what specific action it will propose to eliminate the various forms of VAWG identified in the strategy, in particular "commercial sexual exploitation, including prostitution".
Answer
The Scottish Government will publish a Framework that effectively tackles and challenges men’s demand for prostitution, and to support those with experience of it, early this year. The Framework takes a holistic approach, recognising the links to wider forms of commercial sexual exploitation and violence against women and girls - aligning with the refresh of our Trafficking and Exploitation Strategy and Equally Safe.
In parallel, and to support this approach, the Framework’s implementation will be supported by the creation of a new multi-agency stakeholder group on Commercial Sexual Exploitation. More details will be made available once the group has been established.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 10 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the delayed opening of Uig Harbour, what action it is taking to ensure that the Uig-Tarbert/Lochmaddy ferry service resumes as a matter of priority.
Answer
Following a successful vessel berthing trial on 20 December, ferry services resumed on the Little Minch route on 22 December 2023.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what support it is making available to NHS Western Isles to improve patient travel support.
Answer
Scottish Government officials regularly meet all Health Boards including NHS Western Isles to discuss any challenges impacting services and to provide any necessary support.
Funding provided to NHS Boards is aligned to their NRAC shares of funding, which considers the population share of each Board adjusted for the demography including the relative health needs due to morbidity and life circumstances, and the excess cost of delivering healthcare to rural and remote areas.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 14 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 9 January 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when NHS Western Isles will be required to renegotiate its contract with NHS Highland that covers multiple services, including cancer services.
Answer
It is primarily for the respective NHS Boards, including NHS Western Isles and NHS Highland who have a rolling arrangement based on associated financial projections, to negotiate and agree Service Level Agreements in the best interests of local people. Health Boards also regularly discuss and manage any associated issues in relation to service provision in visiting specialties, such as workforce and transport challenges.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 22 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022, for what reason the coming into force date of sections 3, 7 and 8 is proposed to be changed from 31 December 2023 to 30 June 2024.
Answer
Section 3 of the Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 (“the Act”) sets out the requirement to lay the proposed national Good Food Nation Plan before the Scottish Parliament. Section 3(2) stipulates that the Plan must be laid in front of Parliament not later than 12 months after the date that section 3 comes in to force. The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 (Commencement No. 1) Regulations 2023 set this date as 31 December 2023, meaning that there would be a legal requirement to lay the Plan before Parliament no later than 31 December 2024.
As the consultation process for the draft Plan will not be launched until early 2024, it is likely that it would not be possible to complete the consultation, analysis period, and necessary re-drafting in time to meet this deadline. The Good Food Nation (Scotland) Act 2022 (Commencement No. 1) Amendment Regulations 2023 amend this date to 30 June 2024. This means that the draft Plan must be laid before Parliament no later than 30 June 2025, providing some extra flexibility in the timetable. It will be possible to lay the Plan before this date.
Sections 7 and 8 of the Act relate to reporting and review requirements for the national Good Food Nation Plan. These have been grouped together with Section 3 in a single instrument for administrative convenience and to minimise the amount of secondary legislation required.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 December 2023
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2023
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the recent report by Highland Council, which reportedly warns of a “significant risk” of parts of its region being "drained" of people.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2023
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Angela Constance on 11 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what further action has been taken to reduce the number of cases that have to be transferred from island to mainland courts due to staffing challenges faced by GEOAmey.
Answer
We have been supporting Scottish Prison Service (SPS) and other partners in delivering an improvement in the GEOAmey contract which has resulted in early positive signs, with a slowdown in staff attrition and improved staff numbers.
SPS is continuing to monitor the performance of the contract carefully to ensure target thresholds are met and we see a level of service which properly meets the needs of the Scottish Justice system.
We fully recognise the importance of access to justice of all those who come into contact with the justice system. We are considering a range of practical options to support this, including increasing the use of virtual custodies. The Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service (SCTS) remain committed to returning business to the island courts and are engaged with their justice partners to achieve this.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 30 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what consultations have taken place to determine the parameters of a public interest test for land reform.
Answer
The consultation paper Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation sought views on several proposals for inclusion in a new Land Reform Bill. It included proposals for a Public Interest Test on certain land transfers, and set out the criteria for the type of landholdings that would be in scope for such a test. The consultation opened on 4 July 2022 and closed on 30 October 2022, asking a total of 51 questions. It also invited respondents to give us views on other ideas and proposals. Our proposals for the Public Interest Test were set out in Parts 4 and 7.
The consultation sought to gather views from a range of stakeholders and from members of the public across Scotland. As part of this we also undertook five in-person engagement events across Scotland with a further event taking place online.
Further information about the analysis of responses to the consultation, and the responses themselves, may be found here: Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation - Scottish Government consultations - Citizen Space
The proposals for the Public Interest Test were developed in the light of a series of reports on the scale and concentration of land ownership in Scotland published by the Scottish Land Commission, which led to their discussion paper, Legislative proposals to address the impact of Scotland’s concentration of land ownership (February 2021).
Since the consultation we have commissioned analysis of the responses to it: these included a range of views and suggestions for the parameters of the Test. We have considered these responses carefully as we develop our proposals. We have also engaged, and will continue to engage, with a range of internal and external stakeholders over the Test, along with the other measures proposed for the Bill.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 04 December 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by George Adam on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its publication dates, which months it uses to define (a) spring, (b) summer, (c) autumn and (d) winter.
Answer
There is no Scottish Government definition of the seasons beyond those commonly understood. The Scottish Government is committed to meeting publication dates that have been indicated whenever possible.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 November 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 7 December 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-21689 by Lorna Slater on 3 October 2023, whether (a) Palladium, (b) Lombard Odier or (c) Hampden and Co Bank is contracted by (i) Forestry and Land Scotland, (ii) Scottish Water, (iii) Cairngorms National Park and (iv) Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park to provide support in delivering peatland restoration works or in mobilising private finance into nature; what payments have been made to any of those parties in the (A) last financial year and (B) current financial year to date; what the (aa) value and (ab) duration is of any extant contracts, and what procurement process was followed to secure any such contractual arrangements that are in place.
Answer
No payments have been made to Lombard, Hampdens or Palladium from Forestry and Land Scotland or Scottish Water over the last two years. Both Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Loch Lomond and The Trossachs National Park Authority have made payments to Palladium during this period.
Your question regarding what contracts are in place, their value, duration and procurement processes is on operational matters so I have asked the Chief Executives of the National Park Authorities to write to you addressing these points .
