- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 June 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its consideration of the impact of the change in subsidised air service provider between Uist and Stornoway on access to services, including health services, for people with reduced mobility.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 27 June 2024
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 May 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 14 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take regarding reports that UHI Inverness plans to withhold 100% of pay for lecturing staff taking part in action short of strike, including any steps that are being taken to end the ongoing pay dispute, and what its position is on whether any such action by UHI is in line with fair work practices.
Answer
Operational decisions on pay, resourcing and staffing matters are for individual colleges; Scottish Ministers have no locus to intervene in these negotiations, however I meet regularly with trade unions and employers, urging both sides to continue to negotiate and reach a settlement.
On 6 February, all colleges, with the exception of New College Lanarkshire, agreed to take forward initial mitigations in the form of pay deductions for staff taking part in ASOS.
In circumstances where deductions are to be made, colleges must ensure employees are reminded in advance of their contractual obligations and advised where taking part in ASOS is considered to be a breach of contract.
EIS-FELA’s own guidance for Members acknowledges that colleges may not accept partial performance and may advise of pay deductions.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 May 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 5 June 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much private finance, which involves paying returns to private investors, was (a) arranged under the support of the private finance pilot and (b) spent on (i) tree planting and (ii) peatland restoration between the launch of the £2 billion private finance pilot on 1 March 2023 and the last day of February 2024; who the private finance providers involved were; how much was invested and on which projects, and whether it considers any finance awarded by any lottery funds to be private finance.
Answer
The Nature Investment Partnership (formerly referred to as the Private Finance Pilot) has not yet invested any private finance in to projects on the ground, or delivered any return to investors.
The Partnership is focussed on building the pipeline of projects to enable that investment to flow, and engaging with a range of investors and communities to establish the best fit for each project. NatureScot have published a detailed FAQs page ( Private finance pilot for nature: FAQs | NatureScot ). The first pilot – the Wild Heart Expansion Project - has been established in the South of Scotland and is now engaging with communities and land managers to test the appetite for nature finance and design the potential investment.
We consider lottery funding to be philanthropic funding.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 May 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 31 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will expedite protection of the Gairloch Erradale area of sea, in light of reports of the local community's discovery of a herring egg-laying site.
Answer
Protecting our marine environment is vital for both the viability of our marine industries and to halt the loss of biodiversity. Marine protected areas remain a high priority for the Scottish Government and we are putting in place the remaining fisheries management measures required to protect those and other key biodviersity areas. The area where herring spawning recently occurred near Gairloch is mostly within the proposed Port Erradale Priority Marine Feature management area and where bottom contacting mobile fishing gear would be prohibited. Therefore, in light of advice which we have actively sought on the matter from NatureScot, we are prioritising bringing in protection for these priority marine features, as part of the wider package of fisheries management measures for inshore MPAs.
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Current Status:
Withdrawn
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 02 May 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Jim Fairlie on 15 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the Market Framework for Natural Capital – Engagement Framework, as referenced on page 4, what amount of investment in natural capital markets is required to reach a level "sufficient to meet Scotland's climate and nature restoration goals" and that would provide for the estimated job creation potential, including the estimated investment needed to achieve peatland restoration in Scotland.
Answer
Page 4 of the Market Framework for Natural Capital - Engagement paper references estimates from the November 2023 Scottish Government research publication 'Assessing the cumulative and cross-sector economic benefits of investment in natural capital in Scotland'. It estimates that £12.5 billion of further investment in natural capital is required in order to meet policy goals, and that this further investment would create 146,000 direct and 197,000 direct and indirect jobs.
However, there is an error at Page 4 of the Market Framework for Natural Capital - Engagement paper in that it references these estimates in relation to 'natural capital markets ' rather than to 'natural capital ' as stated in the research report which does not distinguish between the role of public and private investment in providing the additional £12.5 billion of further investment. This error will be corrected by deleting 'markets' from the sentence on page 4 of the Engagement paper on the Scottish Government website.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 13 May 2024
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 16 May 2024
To ask the First Minister, in light of reports that only four homes have been approved nationally under the affordable housing initiative for key workers scheme, whether he will provide an update on what efforts the Scottish Government will make to address the reported housing crisis in rural and island areas.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 16 May 2024
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £5 million announced in December 2022 for extra road safety measures on the A9 has been spent to date, and for what purpose.
Answer
Since December 2022 to 25 April 2024, £2.97 million has been spent on the A9 short term road safety measures announced by the then Minister for Transport in December 2022. The remaining amount is programmed to be spent by the end of March 2025 in line with the commitment.
Spend includes upgrades to road markings on single carriageways sections between Perth and Inverness to install a high performance product with greater reflectivity and acoustic feedback for drivers deviating from their lane. Additional overtaking restrictions have been included where feasible, as well as illuminated road studs at key junctions to improve clarity during darkness. Also on the Perth to Inverness section, the transitions between dual and single carriageways are being upgraded with illuminated studs and additional red surfacing to emphasise the change in carriageway type. In addition, two-way traffic signs and road markings are being installed on single carriageway sections, along with temporary variable message signs displaying key road safety messages. These engineering measures were complemented by two education campaigns on fatigue and ‘drive on the left’ deployed by Road Safety Scotland.
In addition to the £5 million announced in December 2022, approximately £83,000 has been spent on replacing the HGV 50mph speed limit signs on the A9. These new signs do not conflict with traffic sign recognition systems, which are becoming common in modern vehicles. This is also supplemented by over £90,000 spend on recent road safety improvements identified through Transport Scotland’s ongoing assessment of the safety performance of the trunk road network..
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when routine maintenance of (a) white lineage and (b) bollards was last carried out at each junction on the A9 between Inverness and Thurso.
Answer
Maintenance of junction road markings is typically the responsibility of the authority whose road connects with the trunk road. In most cases on the A9 this is the local authority. The exception is acceleration and decelerations lanes, which Transport Scotland maintains. Notwithstanding this, since January 2023, Transport Scotland has collaborated with local authorities to improve junction markings on the A9.
Recent road marking improvements have included:
- Ousdale
- Geiselittle
- Cambusavie Bends
- Berriedale
- Deephaven
- South of The Mound
- North of Glenmorangie
- North of Struie
- B9169 Junction
- North of Hilliclay
- Achalone
- Alness to Tomich
- Inverbrora
- South of Inverbrora
Bollards are included in an annual cyclic maintenance programme. Our records show maintenance was undertaken between May and September 2023. More recently maintenance commenced in April 2024 with more planned in the coming months.
- Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Thursday, 25 April 2024
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Current Status:
Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 May 2024
To ask the Scottish Government when the next routine maintenance is scheduled to be carried out on each junction of the A9 between Perth and Inverness.
Answer
Programmes of routine maintenance on all trunk roads are developed based on need and are delivered on a prioritised based within the limits of available funding. On occasion other programmes of work, for example road safety, may recommend works that upgrade trunk road signage and road markings.
A number of schemes have been completed on the recently through this budget as part of a package of short term works to improve safety prior to the dualling of the remainder of the A9. Cyclic maintenance is also carried out across trunk roads. This work including grass cutting at junctions to keep visibility splays clear and bollard cleaning to maintain their reflectivity.
The following list highlights a diverse range of schemes currently being prepared for the A9:
- A9 Pitlochry Hospital signs – sign renewal in advance of the southbound off slip and the northbound off slip to Pitlochry. This work is provisionally programmed between 29-04-24 and 03-05-24.
- A9 Inshes countdown signs – replacement of countdown marker signs in advance of the Inshes junction (northbound off slip). This work is provisionally programmed between 27-05-24 and 31-05-24.
- A9 South of Bogbain junction ditching. This drainage work is provisionally programmed between 08-07-24 and 12-07-24.
Additional routine maintenance schemes may be developed and delivered this financial year. This will depend on feedback from weekly inspections and perceived need.
