- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 07 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much freight has been transported by CalMac vessels in each year since 2021, also broken down by (a) freight category, (b) freight item and (c) ferry route.
Answer
CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) do not capture freight carryings by category or by freight item. They only capture the number of Commercial Vehicles carried and the number of Commercial Vehicle lane metres used. A table has been placed in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib Number 65382) that provides a breakdown, by individual routes and calendar year from 2021 up until 9 October 2024, detailing the total number of Commercial Vehicles carried and the total number of Commercial Vehicle lane metres used only.
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the community that is purported to benefit from a flood protection scheme must always be consulted on the options long list in the early stages of a proposal, which is then used to produce an options short list.
Answer
It is a local authority responsibility to develop and deliver flood protection schemes and we would expect them to engage with their local communities on relevant design considerations throughout the development process.
The Scottish Government will publish a Flood Resilience Strategy by the end of this year, which will set out our vision on creating flood resilient places and recognise the important contribution people and communities make to their own flood resilience.
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is appropriate that all new and, as yet, unbuilt flood protection schemes should incorporate a component of natural flood management as a requirement for receiving public funding.
Answer
The Flood Risk Management Act promotes a catchment wide approach to managing flood risk. The Scottish Government recognise that Natural Flood Management (NFM) can provide multiple benefits, including reducing flood risks, enhancing biodiversity, and contributing to climate resilience.
The Scottish Government does not require the use of NFM as a funding condition, as each community and catchment are different and require a bespoke solution. Local Authorities are best placed to carry out the assessment of options to improve flood risk as they understand their local areas and project goals best.
- Asked by: Lorna Slater, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 24 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will publish its response to the report, Developing Scotland's Economy: Increasing The Role Of Inclusive And Democratic Business Models, and whether this will include a commitment and timeline to establish an economic democracy group, as recommended by the report.
Answer
The Scottish Government is grateful for all of the detailed work conducted by the Chair and Review Group members to produce this important independent report. We are giving careful consideration to all of the recommendations, including the suggestion of establishing an Economic Democracy Group, and will publish a formal response in due course.
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how it is ensuring that value for money is achieved by the flood protection schemes that it is funding in full or partly.
Answer
It is a local authority responsibility to develop and deliver flood protection schemes. As such, it is for the local authority to ensure that its individual project is value for money and has a robust business case.
Individual local authorities are responsible for managing their finances in a prudent and sustainable way, ensuring the delivery of best value to the public for the services they provide. The Scottish Government provides grant funding to support local authorities in this responsibility through the general capital grant.
At a programme level, a joint COSLA/ Scottish Government Flood Risk Management Funding Working Group has been set up to discuss funding and governance of flood resilience actions in Scotland. The group includes representatives from COSLA, SEPA, local authority Directors of Finance and flood officers, and the Scottish Government. This group have been tasked with making recommendations to improve affordability, learn lessons for future programmes, and discuss future funding arrangements. This includes consideration of VfM.
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether the standard of protection in Flood Risk Management Plans, under the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, should encompass the views of the beneficiaries, particularly the local community’s perceptions of the level of risk that is desirable and acceptable, and, if so, how this should be determined.
Answer
It is a local authority responsibility to develop and deliver flood protection scheme, including the selection of an appropriate standard of protection. This is because each place is unique and bespoke solutions are required.
Schedule 2 of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009 sets out the local authority’s responsibilities in terms of public consultation as part of the notification of a flood protection scheme. However, we would expect local authorities to engage with their local communities on relevant design considerations throughout the development process.
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, prior to progressing a flood protection scheme to the objections stage, and where any proposals other than the deemed planning authority-granted elements are included in presentations to the community, what its position is on whether planning permission for such proposals should be obtained prior to their inclusion in the final presentation to the community.
Answer
Section 57(2B) of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 provides that once a flood protection scheme is confirmed (whether by the local authority or the Scottish Ministers), the Scottish Ministers are to direct that planning permission for the development is deemed to be granted, subject to any planning conditions which Ministers may specify.
The implementation of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 is a matter primarily for local planning authorities.
- Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 17 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Gillian Martin on 1 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether Flood Risk Management Plans submitted to it by local authorities, under the provisions of the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act 2009, have been scrutinised and signed-off by experts with relevant expertise in all aspects of a scheme, including hydrology and civil and structural engineering, and who are fully independent and therefore not employed by the project proponents or by its appointed consultants, and, if this is not the case, whether it will undertake such scrutiny itself.
Answer
Flood Risk Management Plans are developed by SEPA, which has the expertise to do so as Scotland’s Strategic Flood Risk Management Authority.
It is a local authority responsibility to develop and deliver flood protection schemes. However, the Flood Risk Management (Scotland) Act sets out a specific set of circumstances where the Scottish Ministers may consider a scheme if they receive notice from a local authority under Schedule 2 of the Act.
Should Ministers decide that they wish to consider a scheme, a Public Local Inquiry would be held by a Reporter. The Reporter would hear evidence on all relevant considerations, including from relevant experts, before making a recommendation. Ministers would then consider the recommendation of the Reporter before making their decision.
- Asked by: Paul Sweeney, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 10 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Kate Forbes on 1 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to (a) ensure that its (i) directorates and (ii) agencies provide migraine-friendly workspaces, (b) support staff who experience migraines to request reasonable adjustments to their working environment and (c) share good practice in supporting staff who experience migraines.
Answer
The Scottish Government is committed to ensuring that all employees are fully supported and are empowered to carry out their role to their maximum potential. Where staff experience migraines, lighting and desk location can be altered to mitigate symptoms. In addition, the Scottish Government has a dedicated workplace adjustments team who can arrange for more specialist equipment, with input from health and safety colleagues and our external occupational health provider as appropriate.
Available support can include anti-glare monitors and coloured overlays to reduce strain from reading documents. Assistive software can be installed to enable staff to dictate work or have documents read to them, potentially reducing eye strain. Staff are also encouraged to take regular micro-breaks to ensure they have time away from laptops or other screens, and to use flexible working to help manage symptoms/triggers. The flexibility provided by hybrid working, where available, can also be helpful.
Scottish Government staff can use an employee passport to set out the workplace adjustments needed to support them at work. The passport provides a framework to help discussions with managers and improve understanding of the impact of health conditions, including migraines.
Staff from the Scottish Government’s workplace adjustments team regularly attend the civil service Workplace Adjustments Network to ensure we share good practise around migraines and other health conditions. Alongside assisting staff experiencing Migraines, the workplace adjustments team will advise line managers and business areas on available adjustments and good practise around this, to ensure staff are fully supported. Peer support and advice can also be found through the Scottish Government’s staff networks including the Disabled Staff Network.
Please note this information pertains to all core Scottish Government Directorates and associated agencies who receive an HR service from core SG.
- Asked by: Tim Eagle, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 04 October 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 1 November 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when it anticipates that the new Gasay ferry terminal development for Lochboisdale will be operational.
Answer
The procurement timelines of the project are subject to completion of appropriate business case processes, availability of funding, and approvals from Scottish Ministers. The construction timelines are subject to successful completion of procurement and agreement of programmes with the contractor for the works.
Subject to approvals, procurement and construction, the Islands Connectivity Plan has scheduled the completion of the majority of the projects which commenced during Phase 1 by 2026-2031.
