Questions and answers

Question reference: S6W-30090

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 7 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what progress has been made on the proposed feasibility study on the upgrade of the A75.

Question reference: S6W-30080

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 4 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it has given scallop effort quota to any of the group of companies referred to in the BBC’s recent reporting on slavery in the Scottish fishing industry at any point during 2024.

The Scottish Government does not give scallop effort quota to any fishing vessel within the Scottish fleet. Unlike many fish quotas, scallop effort is not allocated by the UK government to the devolved fisheries administrations, instead, a common effort regime is operated by all UK fisheries licensing authorities. Following a communication by the UK Government, to all devolved administrations, fishing licences are varied so that limits to the number of days at sea for vessels over 15 metres can fish for king or queen scallops in the waters of ICES area VII per quarter of the year are introduced. Unlike other fish quotas, the scallop limit cannot be transferred or leased between vessels.

Question reference: S6O-03819

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 02 October 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to ensure that those delivering Scotland’s Winter Festivals will be involved in the planned strategic partnership for Scotland’s festivals.

Question reference: S6W-30093

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the junction improvements on the A75 at Haugh of Urr will be completed.

The Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland’s Trunk Road Casualty Reduction programme of works, is delivering improvements at the A75 Haugh of Urr junction. Construction of static sign improvements, relating to advanced direction signage and rationalisation of existing signage, is currently programmed for November 2024. An electronic vehicle-activated sign system to warn drivers of vehicles turning or waiting to turn at the junction is also proposed at the junction. This may be delivered this financial year subject to the approval of a non-prescribed sign application.

Question reference: S6W-30094

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the planned trunk road safety investigations on the A75 by Mouswald, Glenluce and Twynholm will be completed.

Question reference: S6W-30091

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 2 October 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when the proposed speed management scheme on the A75 at Crocketford will be introduced.

The Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland’s Trunk Road Casualty Reduction programme of works, is delivering a speed management scheme on the A75 at Crocketford. Construction is programmed to commence by November 2024 through the delivery of an additional electronic vehicle-activated sign (VAS) to encourage vehicles to comply with the speed limit in addition to two existing VAS in the town. Changes to the signs and footway are programmed for the 2025-26 financial year, but subject to the availability of resources. This will involve upgrading the existing signs to current standards and providing a new section of footway and uncontrolled crossings at Park of Brandedleys.

Question reference: S6W-30059

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 20 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 30 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what its current position is on funding for the Whitesands Flood Protection Scheme in Dumfries.

Funding for flood resilience is distributed to local authorities through the general capital grant. The allocation mechanism is agreed by Ministers and COSLA Leaders on a national basis.

The current distribution agreement is that 80% of available funding is allocated to a list of prioritised flood protection schemes, and 20% allocated to local authorities to fund other actions within Flood Risk Management Plans.

Since 2008, the Scottish Government has made available £42 million per year to local authorities to invest in flood risk management actions – a commitment that is in place until 2026. The 2020 Programme for Government also committed an extra £150 million for flood risk management.

Whitesands is one of the 31 flood protection schemes eligible to receive this funding, as long as the scheme remains viable. 15 such schemes have already been completed across Scotland, with a further 5 due to be completed in 2024.

Question reference: S6W-30095

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Kate Forbes on 30 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £10 million that the UK Government reportedly committed to providing in 2023 to carry out a feasibility study on the Borders Railway has been allocated to that project.

The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal includes a commitment of up to £5m from both the Scottish Government and the UK Government to assess the benefits and challenges of extending the Borders Railway to Carlisle. This includes the undertaking of associated detailed feasibility work to fully understand the factors associated with re-instatement of the railway. Whilst the project is still going through the business case development phase, no funding has yet been drawn down to date, however the Scottish Government remains committed to enabling Growth Deal Partners to progress this project.

We recognise that there are a number of complexities within this project and we need to make sure that the extensive feasibility work undertaken is fit for purpose from both a transport appraisal perspective as well as meeting Growth Deal criteria. The cross-border nature of this particular project also means that input and agreement from both Governments is needed for this to advance. The Scottish Government recently approved its contribution for the recruitment of a Project Manager to progress the feasibility work necessary to support the project business case and we hope similar approval is obtained from UK Government post October Spending Review to allow this element of the project to commence .

The Scottish Government continues to work with UK Government and Scottish Borders Council, the lead delivery partner, in an effort to move this project forward.

Question reference: S6W-30092

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Monday, 23 September 2024
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 30 September 2024

To ask the Scottish Government when signalisation will be introduced on the A75 at the Cuckoo Bridge Roundabout.

Question reference: S6W-28876

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 August 2024
Current Status: Answered by Gillian Martin on 16 August 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the required energy storage capacity to meet targets and the level of capacity being proposed through applications for battery energy storage systems.

The Scottish Government uses modelling evidence such as the Electricity System Operators Future Energy Scenarios (FES) to explore the future storage capacity that could be required in Scotland and GB under different decarbonisation pathways.

The level of capacity being proposed through applications for battery energy storage systems can be found on the Renewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract ( Renewable Energy Planning Database: quarterly extract - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) ).

Where Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) applications with a capacity greater than 50MW are brought forward, these will require consent from Scottish Ministers under the Electricity Act 1989. Proposals below 50MW are determined by the relevant planning authority in the first instance. Information on live applications under Section 36 of the Electricity Act 1989 is available on the Energy Consents website, using the application search function and includes specific capacities, where this information is held.

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