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: S5W-18629

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 24 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether the New Entrants Capital Grant Scheme will reopen before 2020, and whether new entrants starting up or undertaking projects from 2017 will be allowed to apply to any future scheme.

The New Entrants Capital Grant Scheme (NECGS) is part of the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP) 2014-20, which assumed £22 million of support for Young Farmers and New Entrants across the programme life. Such has been the level of demand that this budget is now exhausted, though not before supporting over 250 new businesses and at least 600 business development projects. There are currently no plans to reopen schemes.

Looking beyond the current SRDP, the recent consultation - 'Stability and Simplicity' - marked the start of our process to develop a new rural support policy after the UK Government takes Scotland out of the European Union. The consultation made clear the importance that the Scottish Government places upon continuing to support new entrants and sought views and opinions as to how this might be achieved. While it is too early to anticipate exact future funding mechanisms, the Scottish Government will give due regard to the suggestions that have been made in the responses. The Cabinet Secretary for the Rural Economy will provide a report to Parliament in due course, once careful consideration has been given to the substantial response received.

Question reference: S5W-18628

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the closure of the New Entrants Capital Grant Scheme, whether applications from people who were in the process of making a submission and awaiting necessary paperwork, such as planning permission and building warrants, will be accepted with the accompanying paperwork once it is complete.

If an application was received on, or prior to, the scheme closing date (31 August 2018) a small amount of additional time, 10 working days, is allowed to give the applicant the opportunity to submit the final pieces of supporting documentation. However, if the required details are not forthcoming within that time, the application will be rejected. No new applications will be accepted after 31 August 2018, regardless of circumstances.

Question reference: S5W-18630

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 20 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the delivery of the stability plan for CAP payments in 2017, whether it will provide an update on the schedule for CAP payments, and when balance payments will be made.

Pillar One payments commenced in April and we achieved the target of making 95% of Pillar One payments by 30 June deadline. As in any year there are a number of complex cases that take longer than anticipated to resolve and may require additional confirmation from the farmer or crofter. We aim to resolve these more complex cases as quickly as possible.

We started making payments for pillar two schemes in May and June this year, three months ahead of last year. We are making steady progress across the different schemes with the aim of making the vast majority of payments by the end of the year.

Question reference: S5W-18555

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what ScotRail's (a) overall and (b) moving annual average performance with regard to (i) capacity and (ii) cancellations has been in each reporting period since April 2015.

Question reference: S5W-18556

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what targets in its franchise regarding (a) capacity and (b) cancellations ScotRail is expected to meet, and what progress it is making toward achieving these.

ScotRail continues to achieve the franchise contractual target for capacity and is mid threshold between Target Performance Level and Improvement Plan Level for Cancellations. This is due to the reported decline in performance experienced last autumn and the recent infrastructure asset failures and extreme hot weather temperatures.

Significant investment is being made to deliver additional capacity and improve the resilience of infrastructure assets across the rail network. Additional capacity includes the introduction of more than 200 carriages to follow in the next 12 months providing a 50% increase in carriages since 2007. This includes the roll out of electric Class 385 trains and introduction of High Speed Trains (HSTs)s in the coming months. In terms of infrastructure resilience this includes delivery of the recommendations from the Donavan performance review, maintenance and operations through bridge repairs, lineside vegetation clearance, security fencing to reduce trespass and animal incursions, upgrade power supply equipment, along with a focus on key assets in the Glasgow area. Additionally, the ScotRail Alliance is undertaking a review of the hot temperatures and lessons to be learned of recent months.

The contractual targets and investment being delivered is monitored and discussed between Transport Scotland and ScotRail Alliance at regular forums.

Question reference: S5W-18432

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Jeane Freeman on 18 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government what account NHS workforce planning takes of the need for trained health professionals who can deliver thrombectomy.

Our national health and social care workforce plan details the commitments we are taking to promote the long term sustainability of health and social care services in Scotland. This includes explicit commitments to expand both undergraduate and specialist medical training.

NHS Scotland Boards are required to have the correct staff in place to meet the needs of the service and ensure high quality patient care.

Question reference: S5W-18520

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 03 September 2018
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the approval of the renegotiated job evaluation and harmonisation terms at Scottish Canals, and what the reason is for the reported delay in approving this.

Question reference: S5O-02333

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 September 2018
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 12 September 2018

To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will respond to the results of its consultation on improving the protection of wild mammals.

Question reference: S5W-17883

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 July 2018
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its progress in implementing each of the recommendations of the Wildlife Crime Penalties Review Group.

I refer the member to the answer to question S5W-06079 on 25 January 2017. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.parliament.scot/parliamentarybusiness/28877.aspx .

Further to the above answer, the following updates can also be provided.

Recommendation 2 - Use of impact statements

The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service (COPFS) continue to request impact statements from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) or veterinary staff on environmental or animal welfare impacts, where appropriate.

Additionally, in April 2018, 13 SNH specialist advisory staff, together with key managers received training on the provision of expert witness statements and giving evidence at Court. Training was delivered by COPFS, Police Scotland and the National Wildlife Crime Unit.

Recommendation 10 - sentencing guidelines

In its first business plan, for the period 2015-2018, the independent Scottish Sentencing Council undertook to begin preparatory work for the development of a sentencing guideline on environmental and wildlife offences. During the period covered by the plan, which is about to conclude, some initial scoping work and research has been carried out, which will inform future work in this area. The Council’s business plan for the period 2018-2021 will be laid before Parliament later this year.

Question reference: S5W-18179

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 13 August 2018
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 21 August 2018

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the commitment in its Programme for Government 2017-18, what progress it has made in developing an action plan for Dumfries and Galloway, similar to the Tweed Valley action plan in the Borders.

The Scottish Government is currently undertaking a range of actions to support the development of tourism in Dumfries and Galloway, including the establishment a South of Scotland enterprise agency which will focus on supporting and developing the economy of the south of Scotland, including the tourism sector. In the interim, we have set up the South of Scotland Economic Partnership, drawing together the key public sector organisations supporting economic development in the South, including Dumfries and Galloway Council and VisitScotland. We are providing VisitScotland with £500k to specifically market both Dumfries and Galloway and the Borders over the next two years and will work closely with both local authorities to maximise the many attractions of the area. We are also providing Forest Enterprise Scotland with £500k to develop its tourism offer around the Tweed Valley and Galloway Forest parks. In addition we are also working, along with partners including Dumfries and Galloway Council, to develop potential projects that could form part of the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal, which will have significant benefits to the south of Scotland.