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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-21626

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 21 September 2023
Current Status: Answer expected on 5 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the total volume, in kilograms, was of below Minimum Conservation Reference Size (a) cod, (b) haddock, (c) herring, (d) whiting, (e) sole, (f) plaice and (g) saithe that was discarded by Scottish boats in 2022, in ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) areas (i) 4 and (ii) 6a.

Question reference: S6W-21555

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what the total volume, in kilograms, was of (a) cod, (b) haddock, (c) herring, (d) whiting, (e) sole, (f) plaice and (g) saithe that was discarded by Scottish boats in 2022, in ICES (International Council for the Exploration of the Sea) areas (i) 4 and (ii) 6a.

Question reference: S6W-21557

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Answer expected on 4 October 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when its Bioenergy Action Plan will be published, as committed to in its Scottish Energy Strategy and its Bioenergy: update - March 2021 publication.

Question reference: S6O-02559

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its final Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan.

Question reference: S6W-21282

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 September 2023
Current Status: Answer expected on 28 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government whether the recommendations of the Active Travel Transformation Project will be made publicly available.

Question reference: S6O-02476

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 30 August 2023
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 7 September 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the development of an offshore training passport, as funded by the Just Transition Fund.

Question reference: S6W-20143

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition on 29 June 2023, regarding Highly Protected Marine Areas, whether there will be any delay to the deadline of March 2024 for the delivery of fisheries management measures in existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs), as set out in the Bute House Agreement.

The Scottish Government is committed to delivering fisheries management measures for existing Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) where such measures are not already in place, as well as key coastal biodiversity locations outside of these sites. As outlined in the Parliamentary Statement of 29 June 2023, due to the complexity of the of the inshore area and the number of sites, the fisheries management measures will not be delivered before March 2024. The Scottish Government will consult on the proposals for offshore areas after summer recess and on proposals for inshore areas in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-20144

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 15 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the statement by the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Net Zero and Just Transition on 29 June 2023, regarding Highly Protected Marine Areas, what the timescales are for establishing fisheries management measures for "tranche two" of the existing Marine Protected Areas.

“Tranche two” Marine Protected Areas are included in work currently ongoing to implement fisheries management measures within existing Marine Protected Areas.

I refer the member to the answer to question S6W-20143 on 15 August 2023 for details of the timescale for this work.

All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at https://www.parliament.scot/chamber-and-committees/written-questions-and-answers

Question reference: S6W-20145

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 21 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 11 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of its commitment in the Bute House Agreement to "consult as soon as practicable on proposals to apply a cap to fishing activity in inshore waters", when it expects to deliver any such consultation.

The Bute House Agreement builds on the actions in our Fisheries Management Strategy which sets out our approach to managing Scottish sea fisheries in partnership with our stakeholders, to deliver the best results for the future of our marine environment, our fishing industry and the communities that rely on them.

Observing our co-management approach, policies relating to inshore fishing will be progressed further through our Regional Inshore Fisheries Group network and Fisheries Management and Conservation group, prior to full consultation.

Question reference: S6W-19951

Asked by: Mercedes Villalba, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 14 July 2023
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 August 2023

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on how many privately-owned land holdings over 500 hectares are used for (a) food production, (b) timber production, (c) energy generation, (d) carbon sequestration, (e) affordable housing, (f) flood reduction, (g) nature recovery and (h) natural heritage.

While the Scottish Government does not currently hold land use data for land as categorised in the question, it does hold information in relation to land use for specific purposes. For example, the Scottish Government's Rural Payments and Inspections Division hold data on the use of land parcels where farmers make applications for funding. The claimant may not, however, be the owner of the land.

Individual land holdings of over 500 hectares will often have a mixture of uses. For example, Scottish Forestry has engaged with 324 separate areas of privately owned land over 500 hectares that are under forest cover and used primarily for timber production and carbon sequestration. These can be broken down as:

4 forest management plans over 500 hectares have been approved by Scottish Forestry (Scottish Government agency) since 2011;
310 Long Term Forest Plans over 500 hectares have been approved by Scottish Forestry since 2009; and
10 Forestry Grant Scheme Woodland Creation cases over 500 hectares have been approved since 2015.

These areas of land will also contribute to natural heritage and nature recovery as they all include areas of native woodland and other habitats.

As outlined in the Scottish Government’s consultation for the forthcoming Land Reform Bill, proposals for compulsory Land Management Plans for large land holdings will require land holders to detail the use and management of their land. This will further improve transparency of land ownership and empower communities.

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