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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: S5O-00509

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 December 2016
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 22 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to support hotel businesses.

Question reference: S5W-05036

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 9 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the findings of the review of the number, structure and regulation of NHS boards.

This Government is committed to reviewing the number, structure and regulation of both territorial and special health boards and their relationships with local councils. The detail of this work has yet to be finalised but will form part of our broader transformational change delivery plan that will be set out for Parliament before the end of this year.

I want our NHS Board structure to support the new, integrated, health and social care landscape and better support the provision of excellent hospital and specialist care for Scotland’s population. That means a structure that will lead NHSScotland forward while ensuring the focus is on patients rather than on structures and bureaucracy and which maximises the opportunities for a ‘Once for Scotland’ where that creates efficiencies and reduces duplication.

Question reference: S5W-05037

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 25 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 8 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5O-00314 by Roseanna Cunningham on 9 November 2016, what responsibilities lie with landowners in the absence of a species control order.

Question reference: S5O-00463

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 07 December 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 14 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is constitutional stability.

Question reference: S5W-04971

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 23 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Kevin Stewart on 7 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government when it will provide specific policy advice for planning authorities to assist in considering planning applications for crematoria.

Following the report of an Independent Panel earlier this year, we will publish a consultation paper on potential changes to the planning system in Scotland in the next few weeks. Following that consultation we will bring forward proposed changes to the planning system, including a Planning Bill. This will be supported by updated planning policy in due course, and planning policy on crematoria will be considered in the next iteration of Scottish Planning Policy.

Question reference: S5W-04793

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Humza Yousaf on 5 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what funding it will provide for road improvements.

The funding for Road Improvements referred to in the budget document covers strategic road safety and Traffic Scotland (including maintenance of Intelligent Transport Systems infrastructure) and is expected to be maintained at the current annual level of £16 million in the next financial year subject to Parliamentary approval. However we also anticipate funding on-going and committed further improvements including completion of the Forth Replacement Crossing, the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route and the M8/73/74 motorway improvements as well as progressing dualling of the A9 and A96, the A737 Dalry Bypass, Haudagain roundabout in Aberdeen and the A90 Laurencekirk junction, which in total are currently projected to be in the order of £470 million in 2017-18.

This is in addition to the funding we plan to allocate for routine and winter maintenance of £85 million, Network Strengthening of £42 million and structural repairs of £28 million for 2017-18.

Question reference: S5W-04797

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 1 December 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it will take to raise awareness of the new ratable values that will be introduced in April 2017.

Question reference: S5W-04792

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Friday, 18 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 30 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to improve the reliability of Scotland's transmission network.

The Scottish Government does not have formal responsibility for electricity networks which is reserved to the UK Government and overseen by the independent regulator Ofgem.

However, Scottish Ministers and officials meet regularly with the Scottish transmission network operators Scottish Hydro Electric Transmission and Scottish Power Transmission, the GB system operator National Grid, and Ofgem to review current and future plans for network upgrades.

In addition the Scottish Government works closely with the electricity industry, UK Government and local emergency responders to ensure that: all available resources are effectively deployed in response to electricity failures; lessons are learned from any incidents which occur; and where proportionate, mitigation put in place to avoid further impacts or improve response.

Question reference: S5T-00231

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 November 2016
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to protect children involved in football from sexual abuse.

Question reference: S5W-04488

Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 03 November 2016
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 18 November 2016

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has to review its agricultural environmental schemes.

The principal agricultural environmental schemes in Scotland are the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme (AECS) and the Environmental Co-operation Action Fund (ECAF) under the Scottish Rural Development Programme (SRDP), supported through ‘Pillar 2’ of the European Union’s Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).

We are currently seeking EU approval to introduce changes to the detailed prescriptions for management options under the Agri-Environment Climate Scheme which will improve the accuracy of payment rate calculations and/or improve the clarity or effectiveness of management requirements. We also intend to introduce minor changes to improve the accuracy of targeting maps for certain management options. We intend to implement these changes in time for the 2017 application round. During 2017, we intend to review the scoring criteria against which applications are assessed, to ensure these are as effective as possible in identifying good quality applications.

The Environmental Co-operation Action Fund was launched in 2015. We are currently reviewing the design of the Environmental Co-operation Action Fund and any improvements will be implemented in time for the 2017 Environmental Co-operation Action Fund application round.

‘Pillar 1’ Greening was introduced in 2015. The basic framework for Greening is set out in the EU Regulation, but certain detailed rules were subject to national discretion. The Scottish Government has not announced any plans to review the national decisions regarding the implementation of Greening in Scotland, although we are engaging with stakeholders to discuss their views on the effectiveness of Greening.

Our vision for the future is an agriculture industry in Scotland that is innovative, profitable, sustainable and supporting economic growth. We will work closely with industry to develop the next steps to help realise that vision, and this will help inform our deliberations on what future support measures, for the period after the UK leaves the EU, may be appropriate for the industry. The Scottish Government will negotiate with the UK Government to ensure that future support for agriculture and rural development is allocated on a fair and equitable basis across the UK.