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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: S5W-03715

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 12 October 2016
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 1 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking regarding the reported concerns about rising charges being imposed for policing music festivals in Dumfries and Galloway.

Police Scotland follows the standard approach to setting charges for public services as set out in the Scottish Government's Scottish Public Finance Manual - which is based on full cost recovery.

The policing of events are dealt with on a case by case basis by the local Area commanders, in discussion with event organisers, local authorities and other relevant interested parties.

Police forces have always been obliged to charge for their services. Prior to the establishment of Police Scotland, the legacy forces all had agreed charging rates but the application of these rates and associated charging methodology varied. The establishment of the single service provide the opportunity to put in place a consistent charging policy for policing services across Scotland

Question reference: S5O-00243

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 October 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 October 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting town centre regeneration in South Scotland.

Question reference: S5O-00146

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 September 2016
Current Status: Answered by Keith Brown on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how the Enterprise and Skills Review will deliver its commitment to regional cohesion.

As already highlighted in response to Mr Lockhart’s question earlier, the Enterprise and Skills Review has benefitted from high levels of stakeholder interest and engagement during the summer. Over 320 responses from individuals, representative organisations and institutions have been received to our call for evidence, showing the Review’s critical importance.

As noted, the first stage of the review will conclude shortly and set out the key recommendations for change across a number of areas. This will include regional considerations. Phase 2 will take forward consideration of these recommendations with key partners, including in the South of Scotland. The timetable for this will be set out alongside the Phase 1 outcomes.

Our Economic Strategy demonstrates our commitment to promoting inclusive growth and creating opportunity for all through a fair and inclusive jobs market and regional cohesion. Ensuring all parts of Scotland benefit from sustainable economic growth and contribute to it is essential to Scotland's prosperity and cohesion.

Question reference: S5W-02013

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 15 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what support it is providing to (a) farmers, (b) crofters and (c) other businesses affected by delays in making common agricultural policy payments.

Government officials held extensive discussions with industry and the banking sector, to design a support scheme to help ease cash flow for those farmers and crofters who had not received a first instalment payment.

The Scottish Government backed loan scheme opened for applications on 22 February 2016, and under the scheme those farmers and crofters who could not access support from their bank will be able to apply to the Scottish Government.

The Scottish Government also earmarked up to £200 million of national funds to be used to fund the National Basic Payment Scheme so that anyone who had not received an instalment by the end of March 2016 could receive a nationally-funded payment of up to 80 per cent of their CAP claim.

Question reference: S5O-00173

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 September 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much paying at least the living wage to social care workers from October 2016 will cost health and social care partnerships.

Question reference: S5W-01930

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 8 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what new roads schemes are planned for the (a) A7, (b) A75, (c) A76, (d) A77 and (e) A701 trunk road within the boundaries of Dumfries and Galloway.

Over the past eight years, we have invested over £65 million in a variety of projects to improve safety and journey times on the trunk road network in the Dumfries and Galloway area. We will further assess recommendations for strategic transport infrastructure priorities in Dumfries and Galloway and for the rest of Scotland as part of the an update to the strategic transport projects review which will follow the new review of the National Transport Strategy. This will allow us to consider how to better connect Dumfries with its links north and south through a variety of road and rail interventions, ensuring that we strike the right balance of transport investments in the region.

Question reference: S5W-01931

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 7 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the cost per (a) local authority and (b) integration joint board of paying the living wage to care workers.

Question reference: S5W-02012

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Thursday, 18 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 6 September 2016

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated each month from the Scottish Attainment Fund, broken down by local authority area.

Funding from the Attainment Scotland Fund is allocated by specific grant to local authorities on an annual basis, and paid quarterly on receipt of appropriate grant claims. To date, the amounts allocated per authority over the past two financial years is set out in the following tables.

Further allocations will be made for the secondary programme shortly.

Year 1: 2015-16

Local Authority	Innovation Fund (Fast Track)	Challenge Authority Primary Programme	Primary School Programme	Total
Aberdeen City	£69,500*		£157,500	£227,000
Aberdeenshire				£0
Angus	£10,000			£10,000
Argyll and Bute			£20,000	£20,000
Clackmannanshire	£10,000	£718,000		£728,000
Dumfries and Galloway	£18,900		£45,000	£63,900
Dundee		£2,145,000		£2,145,000
East Ayrshire			£291,470	£291,470
East Dunbartonshire	£2,500			£2,500
East Lothian				£0
East Renfrewshire				£0
Edinburgh			£304,645	£304,645
Eilean Siar				£0
Falkirk			£73,000	£73,000
Fife			£416,112	£416,112
Glasgow	£80,000	£3,030,000		£3,110,000
Highland	£13,300		£92,700	£106,000
Inverclyde		£592,000		£592,000
Midlothian				£0
Moray	£76,000**			£76,000
North Ayrshire		£1,965,000		£1,965,000
North Lanarkshire		£2,241,000		£2,241,000
Orkney				£0
Perth and Kinross				£0
Renfrewshire			£231,120	£231,120
Scottish Borders			£66,650	£66,650
Shetland	£6,980			£6,980
South Ayrshire			£150,400	£150,400
South Lanarkshire			£548,690	£548,690
Stirling			£45,600	£45,600
West Dunbartonshire		£1,024,000		£1,024,000
West Lothian	£10,000		£26,197	£36,197
Totals	£297,180	£11,715,000	£2,469,084	£14,481,264

* On behalf of Northern Alliance, which is a partnership between Aberdeen City, Aberdeenshire, Moray, Highland, Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland Councils who share knowledge and look to tackle pertinent issues together.

**Includes £66,000 on behalf of Northern Alliance

Year 2: 2016-17

Local Authority	Innovation Fund	Challenge Authority Primary Programme	Primary School Programme	Total
Aberdeen City	£47,122		£258,562	£305,684
Aberdeenshire	£15,040			£15,040
Angus	£35,500			£35,500
Argyll and Bute	£71,279		£19,944	£91,223
Clackmannanshire	£20,000	£953,999		£973,999
Dumfries and Galloway	£151,253		£60,533	£211,786
Dundee	£20,000	£3,314,605		£3,334,605
East Ayrshire	£115,877			£115,877
East Dunbartonshire	£63,700			£63,700
East Lothian	£43,050			£43,050
East Renfrewshire	£50,780			£50,780
Edinburgh	£208,194		£396,366	£604,560
Eilean Siar	£85,605			£85,605
Falkirk	£171,200		£84,000*	£255,200
Fife	£264,376		£451,034	£715,410
Glasgow	£29,445	£6,007,262		£6,046,387
Highland	£266,408		£282,765	£549,173
Inverclyde		£1,562,375		£1,562,375
Midlothian	£75,688			£75,688
Moray	£44,679			£44,679
North Ayrshire	£85,951	£2,749,809		£2,835,760
North Lanarkshire	£32,800	£5,252,660		£5,285,460
Orkney	£113,320			£113,320
Perth and Kinross	£54,990			£54,990
Renfrewshire	£275,000			£275,000
Scottish Borders	£84,629		£69,527	£154,156
Shetland	£49,700			£49,700
South Ayrshire	£187,658		£221,292	£408,950
South Lanarkshire	£306,066		£825,505	£1,131,571
Stirling	£65,511		£73,534	£139,045
West Dunbartonshire	£34,000	£1,322,450		£1,356,450
West Lothian	£235,851		£82,826	£318,677
Totals	£3,304,672	£21,163,160	£2,825,888	£27,293,720

*This figure may change once we receive further information from Falkirk Council

Question reference: S5W-01932

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Friday, 12 August 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 August 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what steps it has taken to create new national parks and whether it has considered establishing a national park in Galloway.