Questions and answers

Question reference: S6O-00133

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 15 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review the legislation on commercial sexual exploitation during the current parliamentary session.

Question reference: S6O-00129

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 September 2021
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 September 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to increase capacity on the ferries on the west coast routes.

Question reference: S6W-01794

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 31 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the Scottish Land Fund has remained unspent at the end of each of the last five financial years.

The Scottish Land Fund (SLF) has had a budget of £10 million per annum over the last five financial years - being a total of £50m.

The programme is managed so as to achieve an annual outturn figure that is as near as possible to budget in each financial year. Actual spend in any given financial year depends on the date that assets are acquired (as opposed to when funding is approved). The length of time from approval of award to completion of sale and drawdown of funds varies. This means that, at the time an award is made, it is not possible to know with certainty when drawdown will happen, making it very challenging to exactly match actual spend to the annual budget.

The Fund has a two-stage application process. It offers grants of between £2000 and £30,000 at Stage 1 to help with project development, and between £10,000 and £1 million for acquisition at Stage 2. It is demand-led.

To be successful, applicants need to be suitably constituted, geographically-based voluntary/community organisations who can demonstrate that their project will be well managed and financially sustainable. They must show that their proposals:

are supported by the local community
represent value for money and
will achieve more sustainable economic, social and/or environmental development through the ownership of land and/or buildings

Applicants are supported throughout the application process by experienced Scottish Land Fund advisers. The Fund is managed by the National Lottery Community Fund. An independent Committee oversees the SLF and scrutinises applications for funding for acquisition.

Figures for funds unspent in the Scottish Land Fund at the end of each of the last five financial years are as follows:

2016-17 £4,813,355*

2017-18 £0*

2018-19 £1,127,500

2019-20 £12,189

2020-21 £254,336

*Awards made in 2016-17 included a grant of £4.4 million to the North West Mull Community Group for the acquisition of the island of Ulva. This grant was paid out when the transaction settled in June 2017, bringing the outturn for 2017-18 for the Scottish Land Fund to £11,701,431.

Question reference: S6W-01796

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 27 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications to the Scottish Land Fund have been rejected in each of the last five financial years.

The Scottish Land Fund supports urban and rural communities to become more resilient and sustainable through the ownership and management of land and land assets.

It has a two-stage application process. At Stage 1 groups are asked for basic information about their project and organisation. At Stage 2 groups are asked to complete a full application form for funding for the acquisition of the asset.

At both stages, groups can reapply if they are unsuccessful, so the numbers of 'unsuccessful' applications shown in the table below includes some groups who have applied several times. The 'unsuccessful' category could include multiple applications by the same applicant who may subsequently have submitted a successful application.

The following table sets out figures for applications received and awards made for both stages.

1. Stage 1 Applications received, and awards made

		Applications	Approved	Unsuccessful
Totals 2016-21	2016 17	108	87	21
	2017-18	91	68	23
	2018-19	110	81	29
	2019-20	121	95	26
	2020-21	89	74	15

		519	405	114

2. Stage 2 Applications received, and awards made

		Applications	Awards	Withdrew	Unsuccessful
Totals 2016-21	2016 17	35	32	3	0
	2017-18	40	38	3	2
	2018-19	61	53	1	8
	2019-20	57	46	1	11
	2020-21	71	63	2	8

		264	232	10	29

Question reference: S6W-01795

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 22 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 26 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the Scottish Land Fund in each of the last five financial years.

The Scottish Land Fund supports urban and rural communities to become more resilient and sustainable through the ownership and management of land and land assets.

It has a two-stage application process. At Stage 1 groups are asked for basic information about their project and organisation. At Stage 2 groups are asked to complete a full application form for funding for the acquisition of the asset.

The following table sets out figures for applications received for both stages.

1. Stage One Applications received

		Applications
Totals 2016-21	2016 17	108
	2017-18	91
	2018-19	110
	2019-20	121
	2020-21	89

		519

2. Stage 2 Applications received

		Applications
Totals 2016-21	2016 17	35
	2017-18	40
	2018-19	61
	2019-20	57
	2020-21	71

		264

Question reference: S6W-01828

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government how many households in each local authority it estimates (a) currently and (b) will access broadband through (i) the R100 contracts, (ii) the superfast broadband voucher scheme and (iii) commercial coverage.

As of 22 July 2021:

a) the number of households in each local authority that can access broadband as a direct result of (i) the R100 contracts, (ii) the main voucher (MVS – worth up to £5,000) and the interim voucher (IVS – worth up to £400) portions of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) and (iii) commercial coverage stands at:

Local Authority	Current R100 Build	Current MVS Build	Current IVS Build	Current Commercial Build
Aberdeen City		4		122,481
Aberdeenshire		164	5	108,247
Angus		14		54,577
Argyll and Bute	367	8		45,024
City of Edinburgh		3		270,177
Clackmannanshire	180	4	6	25,216
Dumfries and Galloway	675	15	38	72,662
Dundee City		1		79,814
East Ayrshire	4	1	4	61,319
East Dunbartonshire		1		48,830
East Lothian		6		51,887
East Renfrewshire		1		40,089
Falkirk	52		3	77,212
Fife	398	18	7	185,153
Glasgow City		2		329,173
Highland		100	13	111,880
Inverclyde				40,882
Midlothian	131	2	5	41,754
Moray		44	4	43,054
Na h-Eileanan an Iar				13,393
North Ayrshire	10	6	7	73,446
North Lanarkshire	135	3	3	163,379
Orkney Islands		6		8,645
Perth and Kinross	75	14	8	69,112
Renfrewshire		2	2	92,330
Scottish Borders	120	32	84	57,893
Shetland Islands				9,149
South Ayrshire	344	3	2	56,515
South Lanarkshire	423	11	6	157,898
Stirling	2	9	51	41,672
West Dunbartonshire			2	47,421
West Lothian	4			85,365
Total	2,920	474	250	2,685,649

We estimate that the number of properties expected to benefit from broadband connections through (i) the R100 contracts, (ii) the main voucher (MVS – worth up to £5,000) and the interim voucher (IVS – worth up to £400) portions of the Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) and (iii) commercial coverage will be as follows:

Local Authority	Planned R100 Build	Planned MVS Build	Planned IVS Build	Planned Commercial Build
Aberdeen City	567	3		5,404
Aberdeenshire	12,554	79	4	379
Angus	5,541	116		11
Argyll and Bute	7,041	69	3	486
City of Edinburgh	539			2,486
Clackmannanshire	829			11
Dumfries and Galloway	7,532	21	6	968
Dundee City	103	1		645
East Ayrshire	1,995	4	2	203
East Dunbartonshire	315			106
East Lothian	852	19		174
East Renfrewshire	238	11		96
Falkirk	1,310	2		220
Fife	4,655	1		668
Glasgow City	63			1,107
Highland	10,360	99	1	2,407
Inverclyde	785			166
Midlothian	1,079			176
Moray	4,159	24	1	2
Na h-Eileanan an Iar	1,885			7
North Ayrshire	1,970	1		225
North Lanarkshire	1,649	3		283
Orkney Islands	1,747	5	1	284
Perth and Kinross	7,433	115	2	883
Renfrewshire	655			1,340
Scottish Borders	6,667	14	4	522
Shetland Islands	2,166			268
South Ayrshire	2,074			291
South Lanarkshire	4,526	3	2	949
Stirling	2,814	31	15	348
West Dunbartonshire	572			153
West Lothian	853		1	560
Total	95,528	621	42	21,828

( Please note that voucher figures are subject to change, depending on future R100 contract and commercial build. It should also be noted that owners and tenants will have to order a service to access superfast broadband. )

Question reference: S6W-01827

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Tuesday, 27 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 24 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of households in (a) Scotland and (b) each local authority it estimates will access superfast broadband through its voucher scheme.

The following table provides a breakdown of the number of properties across all 32 Scottish local authorities that are eligible for vouchers through the Reaching 100% (R100) Scottish Broadband Voucher Scheme (SBVS) as at 22 July 2021 ( these figures are subject to change, depending on ongoing R100 contract and commercial build ).

We cannot provide a breakdown between residential and SME properties. However, the breakdown does show percentages for both the main voucher ( MVS – worth up to £5,000 ) and the interim voucher ( IVS – worth up to £400 ).

Properties eligible for SBVS - Data as at 22nd July 2021
Local Authority	IVS	IVS % Per LA	MVS	MVS % Per LA	Grand Total	Total Voucher % Per LA
Aberdeen City	5,974	5.3%	2,064	2.2%	8,038	3.8%
Aberdeenshire	13,012	11.5%	10,369	10.9%	23,381	11.2%
Angus	5,668	5.0%	3,148	3.3%	8,816	4.2%
Argyll and Bute	7,319	6.5%	4,860	5.1%	12,179	5.8%
City of Edinburgh	3,025	2.7%	4,456	4.7%	7,481	3.6%
Clackmannanshire	840	0.7%	466	0.5%	1,306	0.6%
Dumfries and Galloway	7,310	6.4%	3,396	3.6%	10,706	5.1%
Dundee City	749	0.7%	808	0.8%	1,557	0.7%
East Ayrshire	2,197	1.9%	1,498	1.6%	3,695	1.8%
East Dunbartonshire	421	0.4%	1,520	1.6%	1,941	0.9%
East Lothian	783	0.7%	1,396	1.5%	2,179	1.0%
East Renfrewshire	345	0.3%	1,401	1.5%	1,746	0.8%
Falkirk	1,532	1.4%	1,491	1.6%	3,023	1.4%
Fife	5,035	4.4%	3,920	4.1%	8,955	4.3%
Glasgow City	1,170	1.0%	10,869	11.4%	12,039	5.8%
Highland	12,866	11.3%	12,787	13.4%	25,653	12.3%
Inverclyde	951	0.8%	405	0.4%	1,356	0.6%
Midlothian	1,053	0.9%	1,504	1.6%	2,557	1.2%
Moray	4,185	3.7%	3,878	4.1%	8,063	3.9%
Na h-Eileanan an Iar	1,892	1.7%	2,201	2.3%	4,093	2.0%
North Ayrshire	2,196	1.9%	1,651	1.7%	3,847	1.8%
North Lanarkshire	1,935	1.7%	1,486	1.6%	3,421	1.6%
Orkney Islands	2,036	1.8%	2,589	2.7%	4,625	2.2%
Perth and Kinross	8,431	7.4%	4,367	4.6%	12,798	6.1%
Renfrewshire	1,995	1.8%	2,024	2.1%	4,019	1.9%
Scottish Borders	6,551	5.8%	2,391	2.5%	8,942	4.3%
Shetland Islands	2,434	2.1%	1,814	1.9%	4,248	2.0%
South Ayrshire	1,138	1.0%	1,013	1.1%	2,151	1.0%
South Lanarkshire	5,095	4.5%	2,372	2.5%	7,467	3.6%
Stirling	3,193	2.8%	1,699	1.8%	4,892	2.3%
West Dunbartonshire	725	0.6%	358	0.4%	1,083	0.5%
West Lothian	1,413	1.2%	1,234	1.3%	2,647	1.3%
Grand Total	113,469		95,435		208,904

Question reference: S6W-01825

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 26 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 22 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government whether CalMac is responsible for reimbursing members of the public for accommodation costs lost as a result of cancelled ferry services on the CalMac network, and, if not, what its position is on who is responsible for reimbursing such costs.

In accordance with CalMac Ferries Limited (CFL) terms and conditions, and Passengers' Rights Regulations, concerning the rights of passengers when travelling by sea and inland waterway, the operator does not have liability to reimburse passengers for unused accommodation as a result of cancelled ferry services. However, if a sailing is cancelled or delayed due to reasons within the operator’s control, and passengers require to pay for overnight accommodation, the operator will reimburse these costs in line with Passenger Rights regulations.

In circumstances where passengers have paid for accommodation that was unused due to ferry cancellations, they are advised to reclaim these costs through their travel insurance.

A guide to Sailing Disruption and Passenger Rights Claims can be found on CFL’s website at the following link: https://www.calmac.co.uk/travelling-with-calmac/help-for-passengers/passenger-rights .

Question reference: S6W-01947

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 28 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what impact EU state aid requirements continue to have in Scotland, and what guidance it has issued to public bodies regarding this.

Following the UK’s exit from the EU on 31 December 2020, the EU State aid regime was effectively revoked from UK law from 1 January 2021 and therefore ceased to apply in Scotland and the rest of the UK.

Scottish Government continue to work under the interim Subsidy Control regime introduced by the UK Government on 1 January 2021 and provisions held within the EU-UK Trade and Cooperation Agreement. Alongside this, consideration has to be given to any further UK Subsidy Control obligations such as World Trade Organisation membership and commitments arising from international treaties and Fair Trade Agreements to which the United Kingdom is a party. However, our preference is to continue to align with EU State aid rules as a safe harbour for interventions and to help facilitate any future accession arrangements.

Scottish Government has regularly engaged with public bodies prior to the UK’s exit from the EU and from 1 January 2021 to keep them abreast of Subsidy Control requirements, issuing technical guidance and information received via colleagues in UK Government. This is an ongoing process.

Question reference: S6W-01949

Asked by: Rhoda Grant, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 29 July 2021
Current Status: Answered by Ivan McKee on 10 August 2021

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether it is beneficial to specify in the tendering process for public procurement contracts or agreements the community benefits that will be expected to be delivered.

We believe that including relevant and proportionate community benefit requirements in public contracts is beneficial and encourages suppliers to deliver wider social benefits.

While there is room for innovation in the delivery of community benefits, our policy, as stated in the statutory guidance underpinning the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, is that requirements should be robust, relevant and proportionate so that they can be judged on objective and measurable outcomes.

In our recent policy note on measuring social impact in public procurement, we encourage public bodies to engage with communities to understand local priorities so that they can achieve targeted social outcomes through their procurement.

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