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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-23342

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 7 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will take to ensure that economic growth in the south of Scotland is inclusive and sustainable.

In recognition of the unique challenges and opportunities in the South of Scotland, the Scottish Government is committed to establishing a new enterprise agency to serve the region from April 2020. South of Scotland Enterprise will play a key role in driving forward the economy, sustaining and growing communities and harnessing the power of its people and resources. As the draft Bill makes clear, supporting inclusive and sustainable economic growth is a key action in the draft Bill which the new agency can take towards delivering its aim to further the economic and social development of the South of Scotland.

Whilst we work to establish the new enterprise agency, the Scottish Government has set up the South of Scotland Economic Partnership (SOSEP) to take a fresh approach to economic development across the region. SOSEP has invested in a range of projects, based on strategic priorities defined in consultation with local people, and over £13 million has been made available to support its activity in the current financial year.

Alongside this, in March this year, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Infrastructure and Connectivity announced that the Scottish Government has committed £85 million to support the South of Scotland through the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal. The UK Government will also invest up to £65 million to support activity in the South of Scotland through the deal. The Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal will support a range of strategic projects on priority themes defined by local authorities to help to achieve a step change in economic growth in the South of Scotland.

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Question reference: S5W-23344

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 7 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government where South of Scotland Enterprise will be based.

South of Scotland Enterprise will operate across the South of Scotland, in a way that is accessible to all wanting to access its services and support. As I outlined in my letter to the Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on 21 March, Scottish Government officials are taking forward work to deliver the commitment that South of Scotland Enterprise will be accessible to all. This includes looking at options and arrangements for co-locating with other organisations which would not only be cost-effective but would help joined-up delivery and ensure that the organisation operates effectively across the area.

Question reference: S5W-23435

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 6 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how forestry impacts on wild aquatic life, and what measures it is taking to alleviate the impact of any (a) acidification, (b) siltation and (c) eutrophication of the aquatic environment arising from this.

Forestry’s impacts on the water environment are complex, with well managed woods and forests often having beneficial impacts – for example by moderating extreme flows and temperatures.

There are well understood legal and best practice standards in place to safeguard the water environment, including mitigating the risk of forest management activity contributing to negative impacts from acidification, siltation and eutrophication. These standards are set out in the UK Forestry Standard and associated Water Guidelines. Scottish Forestry ensures that Scotland’s forests and woodlands are managed in accordance with these standards through the application of regulations, advice and support.

In addition, the Scottish Government commissions ongoing research into the impacts of forestry on the water environment and offers a ‘Woodlands for Water’ higher grant payment rate for woodland creation schemes in target areas that have been identified as having the greatest potential to provide multiple benefits for water quality and natural flood management.

Question reference: S5W-23487

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 May 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 4 June 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how much has been allocated through the Pupil Equity Fund for dyslexic assessments since 2017, broken down by local authority.

Pupil Equity Funding was introduced in 2017 as a new way of working to close the attainment gap, by providing money directly to the schools, and headteachers, that know their young people best, giving schools the power to choose where to target support and interventions. While the Scottish Government collects and publishes school level Pupil Equity Funding spend from Local Authorities each financial year, we do not collect or hold detailed information about what the funding has been spent on. The headteacher is accountable to their local authority for the use of Pupil Equity Funding within their school. To ensure transparency, schools are expected to incorporate details of their Pupil Equity Funding plans into existing planning and reporting processes to their Parent Council and Forum, including in their annual School Improvement Plans and Standards and Quality Reports.

Question reference: S5O-03290

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 22 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to prevent passive smoking.

Question reference: S5F-03351

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 May 2019

To ask the First Minister what action the Scottish Government is taking to promote active travel.

Question reference: S5W-22620

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 11 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Maree Todd on 9 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many nurseries in each local authority area have been (a) built, (b) expanded and (c) refurbished in each year since 2016.

Scottish Futures Trust have been tracking Local Authorities Early Learning and Childcare (ELC) infrastructure capital projects on behalf of the Scottish Government ELC expansion programme since August 2017. This coincides with the first allocation of capital funding to local authorities to support the expansion to 1140 hours, which was provided for the 2017-18 financial year.

Authority	Refurb ‎ Complete	Extension ‎ Complete	New Build ‎ Complete
Aberdeen City	0	0	0
Aberdeenshire	0	0	0
Angus	1	0	0
Argyll & Bute	1	1	0
Clackmannanshire	1	0	1
D&G	4	0	0
Dundee	1	0	0
East Ayrshire	0	1	1
East Dunbartonshire	0	0	1
East Lothian	4	0	1
East Renfrewshire	0	1	0
Edinburgh	3	0	0
Eilean Siar	0	2	0
Falkirk	8	0	0
Fife	2	1	1
Glasgow	3	0	0
Highland	9	1	1
Inverclyde	3	0	1
Midlothian	0	0	1
Moray	1	0	0
North Ayrshire	9	1	0
North Lanarkshire	1	0	0
Orkney	5	0	0
Perth and Kinross	0	0	3
Renfrewshire	2	0	1
Scottish Borders	4	1	0
Shetland	1	0	0
South Ayrshire	2	1	0
South Lanarkshire	0	0	0
Stirling	5	1	0
West Dunbartonshire	2	0	0
West Lothian	0	1	1
Scotland	72	12	13

Question reference: S5O-03220

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 01 May 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 9 May 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what action it can take in response to Christian persecution overseas.

Question reference: S5W-22770

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by James Wolffe QC on 30 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date the Speed Awareness Course working group will report on its findings regarding the infrastructure and guidance required for the introduction of courses, including the identification of potential course providers.

The Lord Advocate has agreed in principle to a Police Scotland proposal to introduce speed awareness courses, where appropriate, as an alternative to prosecution.

A working group comprising Police Scotland, the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, the Scottish Courts and Tribunals Service, the Scottish Government and the Scottish Safety Camera Programme will work together to devise the infrastructure and guidance required for the introduction of speed awareness courses along with identification of potential course providers. The scope of the required work means that it is not possible to provide a specific timescale for any final decision on speed awareness courses and their implementation.

Question reference: S5W-22600

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 April 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fergus Ewing on 30 April 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many applications from businesses in the Scottish Borders to the (a) Less Favoured Area Support Scheme and (b) Agri-Environment Climate Scheme in each year since 2015 were not approved, and how many of these rejections were appealed, broken down by the number that (i) were upheld and (ii) are awaiting a decision.

Less Favoured Area Support Scheme (LFASS) details requested below:

LFASS Claim Year	Number of Eligible (Approved) LFASS claims in Scottish Borders Area	Number LFASS of Claims Rejected in Scottish Borders Area	Number of Rejections Appealed
2015	598	22	0
2016	595	14	0
2017	601	18	0
2018	596	20	0
Total	2390	74	0

Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) details requested below:

Year	National AECS Approvals	Scottish Borders AECS Approvals	AECS Scottish Borders Applications Not Approved (Before Reviews)	AECS Scottish Borders Application Reviews			AECS Scottish Borders Applications Not Approved (After Reviews)
Year	National AECS Approvals	Scottish Borders AECS Approvals		Reject decision upheld	Reject decision overturned	Total Reviews
2015	559	73	44	5	6	11	38
2016	911	72	19	6	1	7	18
2017	751	51	16	7	0	7	16
2018	585	47	34	4	4	8	30
Total	2806	243	113	22	11	33	102

The AECS figures for Approved applications (column 2 & 3) includes reviews that were successful for the applicant and excludes contracts not accepted or withdrawn by applicants.