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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.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

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Question reference: S5W-26186

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Matheson on 19 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what recent meetings Transport Scotland has had with Highways England to discuss signage to help improve cross-border tourism.

Question reference: S5W-26218

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Michael Russell on 19 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many staff in the last six months have worked in its (a) Brexit and (b) constitutional affairs policy area, broken down by how many were (i) transferred from its other policy fields, (ii) seconded from its agencies and national public bodies and (iii) hired from external sources.

Work on EU Exit permeates the majority of directorates across Scottish Government. Officials undertake this work as part of their normal duties. We collect snapshot information as part of our wider workforce planning processes but do not centrally record numbers for those moving on or off EU Exit related work. The last collection of management information showed that around 500 full time equivalent staff were engaged in EU exit-related work across Scottish Government in March 2019. This is the latest collated figure.

Within the Constitution and Cabinet Directorate, the Constitutional and UK Relations Division manages the development and implementation of policy on constitutional matters, including relations between the Scottish Government, the UK Government and the other devolved administrations, Scottish Government engagement with the British-Irish Council, the development of Common Frameworks and EU Exit legislation. Other parts of the Directorate are concerned with elections, the current Referendums Bill, co-ordination of the legislative programme, support for Cabinet and a range of other issues including Freedom of Information.

The data for the Constitutional and UK Relations Division is in the following table:

30 April Full time equivalent	External recruits	Moves from SG Agency	31 October Full time equivalent

17	5	2	22

*Note: we do not separately hold information on recruitment from public bodies. Any such movement would be included in the external recruitment figure above.

** Note: there is considerable and regular movement between all directorates of the Scottish Government, creating opportunities for officials to backfill roles vacated. The Constitutional and UK Relations Division has therefore seen movement both into and out with the unit over the last six months.

Question reference: S5W-26174

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 18 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what discussions it has had with other parties wishing to commission vessels for construction at Ferguson Marine shipyard.

Question reference: S5W-26190

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available to help develop tourism in the Scottish Borders, and how much it has provided to the area in each of the last 10 years.

The Scottish Government recently invested £1.1m in Glentress for forest tourism development. The Scottish Government also committed £10m in 2018-19 and £13.3 million in 2019-20 to support the South of Scotland Enterprise Partnership and the delivery of South of Scotland Enterprise. So far, funding has been agreed for a total of 25 projects following the SOSEP Board’s recommendation, of which 8 projects had a strong tourism theme.

Over the last 10 years there has been ongoing investment through Scottish Enterprise by means of leadership and development programmes, destination research and capital investment.

VisitScotland has invested £468,000 marketing the Borders Railway since its opening and the Scottish Government provided VisitScotland with £500k for South of Scotland marketing in up to March 2020.

In 2012 VisitScotland’s Growth Fund supported Scottish Racing with a £65,000 award and funding from EventsScotland over the last 10 years has supported events such as Tweedlove bike festival, Tour of Britain, Tweed Valley Tunnel Trail Run, Scottish Borders Heritage Festival and Hawick Reivers Festival.

A breakdown of VisitScotland spend is provided in the following table.

VisitScotland funding
Financial Year	Total
2010-11	66,300
2011-12	97,137
2012-13	102,900
2013-14	134,300
2014-15	138,000
2015-16	124,200
2016-17	22,000
2017-18	73,483
2018-19	31,440
2019-20	55,369
Grand Total	845,129

Question reference: S5W-26189

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how VisitScotland engages with VisitEngland to develop cross-border tourism links.

VisitScotland engaged with VisitEngland through the Borderlands Growth Deal ensuring that the Visitor Economy and Collaborative cross-border projects are highlighted as an opportunity.

Following the submission of a Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal proposal to the UK and Scottish Governments in September 2018, a Heads of Terms was signed with the UK and Scottish Governments on Monday 1 July 2019. We expect the signing of the full Deal next year which will realise the potential for sustainable and inclusive economic growth across the South of Scotland and North of England.

Question reference: S5W-26187

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how VisitScotland engages with smaller businesses in developing tourism strategies.

VisitScotland's Regional Directors, Regional Leadership Directors and Development Managers are tasked with developing and strengthening tourism partnerships within their region. Working in collaboration with local authorities, destination organisations, tourism businesses and other key stakeholders enables VisitScotland to support the growth of Scotland’s visitor economy and help steer local tourism strategy and activity.

Question reference: S5W-26188

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 05 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Fiona Hyslop on 14 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government how VisitScotland ensures that less popular tourist destinations are given appropriate funding to assist with boosting visitor numbers.

VisitScotland operates a number of funding streams to support local tourism.

VisitScotland’s Growth Fund supports collaborative tourism marketing projects that focus on growth in the tourism sector and ensure that visitors experience the true Spirit of Scotland. The fund is a platform which supports groups in leveraging additional and focused marketing investment, stimulating collaboration within the industry, closer working with VisitScotland and achieving strategic alignment with the national Tourism 2020 strategy.

EventScotland, within VisitScotland, runs three primary funding programs:

The International Events Programme is designed to support events that attract a significant economic impact from visitors from outside Scotland and profile Scotland on the International stage. This program includes Scotland’s investment in major golf tournaments.

The National Events Programm e is designed to complement the International Events Portfolio by showcasing specific towns and regions across the country out with the larger metropolitan areas of Glasgow and Edinburgh and to drive domestic tourism.

The Beacon Events Programme is designed to complement the National and International programs to support strategic development activity in line with the objectives of the National Events Strategy.

Question reference: S5W-26321

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 08 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by John Swinney on 14 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government by what date the review of the curriculum for excellence is expected to be completed.

Question reference: S5O-03780

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 13 November 2019
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 20 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to National Galleries Scotland's decision to end sponsorship from BP.

Question reference: S5W-26176

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 04 November 2019
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 13 November 2019

To ask the Scottish Government on what date it expects the completion and operational use of Hull 802, which is under construction at the Ferguson Marine shipyard.

The Cabinet Secretary for Finance, Economy and Fair Work has set up a Programme Review Board to report on the revised schedule and costs for the delivery of vessels 801 and 802 under construction at Ferguson Marine shipyard.

The report is expected to be submitted shortly. When that report has been received, and Ministers have had an opportunity to consider it, Mr Mackay will update Parliament on the content.