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-06720

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of (a) water abstraction in the upper courses of Scotland's rivers and (b) the effect that this has on salmon populations.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) is responsible for regulating water abstractions in Scotland’s rivers under the Water Environment (Controlled Activities) (Scotland) Regulations 2011. On behalf of the Scottish Government, SEPA monitors and assesses water abstractions and fish populations in the upper courses of Scotland's rivers against a set of environmental standards as part of River Basin Management Planning.

These environmental standards classify the status of rivers (including upper courses) to define the environmental conditions required to support healthy populations of flora and fauna, including salmon. Water flows and levels are currently classified by SEPA at good or better condition in 90% of Scotland’s water environment.

Scotland’s River Basin Management Plans 2021 - 2027 were published at the end of 2021 and include objectives for SEPA to review abstractions where the water environment is not in good condition. In particular, the flow requirements of each life stage of the salmon are considered by SEPA during any licence determination to ensure that these fish are protected. The Plans aim for an uplift in the condition of flows and levels in Scotland’s water environment to 96% by 2027.

The Scottish Government also published the Scottish Wild Salmon Strategy on 14 January, which sets out the vision, objectives and priority themes to ensure the protection and recovery of Scottish Atlantic wild salmon populations including actions to address flows and levels in rivers and water scarcity in drought conditions.

Question reference: S6W-06736

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has consulted local deer management groups on being part of Forestry and Land Scotland’s deer management plans.

Question reference: S6W-06728

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 8 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how much deer fencing has been installed by Forestry and Land Scotland on new plantations in each of the last five years.

Question reference: S6W-06729

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 7 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will produce a venison strategy to promote Scottish venison domestically and internationally.

Question reference: S6W-06724

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 24 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 7 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when Skills Development Scotland will produce a new Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland for 2022 and beyond.

The Skills Action Plan for Rural Scotland (SAPRS) is a joint initiative supported by Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Government, Plan stakeholders and partners.

An evaluation of the SAPRS is currently underway; it will be published in Summer 2022.

This will help inform what future action is needed to drive forward coordination and delivery of skills for rural Scotland and as such we are keen not to pre-empt the outcome of the evaluation.

Question reference: S6W-06305

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 09 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 3 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government when it plans to publish its latest review into snaring, which, under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, was due to be completed by December 2021.

Question reference: S6O-00838

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 March 2022
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 10 March 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is offering communities and organisations across Scotland to mark The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Question reference: S6W-06227

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 28 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government what specific support will be offered to crofters to increase uptake of agri-environmental climate funding schemes.

The Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) is open and available to crofters that are registered on the Scottish Government’s Rural Payments and Services website.

An important feature of the scheme is a scoring system designed to avoid discrimination against smaller businesses, including crofters. This aims to promote applications by small businesses by awarding points where the application value is less than £20,000 (1 additional point) and more for applications less than £10,000 (3 additional points).

Where an applicant’s business has less than 30 hectares, some beneficiaries are able to access small unit supplementary payments across many of the options over and above the income foregone payments for AECS options. This extends to allow some businesses of less than 30 hectares to access important socio-economic options like native breed cattle introduction and retention.

Question reference: S6W-06006

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Friday, 04 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 24 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 and Town and Country Planning (Short-term Let Control Areas) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022 being approved, whether overall responsibility for oversight of businesses in the short-term letting sector will (a) move to its Housing and Social Justice Directorate and (b) remain within the overall responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy.

Tourism, planning and housing officials have worked closely together on the development of the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Order 2022 and Town Country Planning (Short-term Let Control Areas) (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022. The policy area taking the lead will depend on the specifics of each case.

However, generally the short-term lets policy team within the Directorate for Housing and Social Justice are responsible for matters relating to the short-term lets licensing scheme and control area regulations, which fall within my portfolio remit.

The overall responsibility for tourism businesses and tourism strategy remains with the tourism policy team within the Directorate for Economic Development, which fall within the remit of the Cabinet Secretary for Finance and the Economy.

Question reference: S6W-06285

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 11 February 2022
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 23 February 2022

To ask the Scottish Government how many boats are (a) licensed and (b) registered in the Red Rocks and Longay Urgent Marine Protected Area.

In Scotland, fishing vessel licences are issued by Marine Scotland, on behalf of Scottish Ministers. Scottish fishing vessel licences are issued for eligible vessels which are registered in Scotland by virtue of a Scottish address and port. Licenses are not issued by area, therefore no licenses have been issued, and no vessels are registered specific to the area covered by the Red Rocks and Longay MPA. There were 2093 Scottish licensed vessels in 2020.