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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-28815

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 April 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fergus Ewing on 1 May 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on Marine Scotland’s scientific trial of electrofishing for razor clams.

As a result of coronavirus and advice relating to physical distancing, the scientific trial of electrofishing for razor clams was suspended until 30 April 2020. I am not in a position to recommence the trial at this stage as all Marine Scotland survey programmes are suspended.

I am therefore extending the suspension of the trial until 15 June 2020, in line with current Marine Scotland Science survey suspension, and will review the situation then.

The domestic fishing licences of the vessels engaged in the trial remain valid should the fishers wish to seek alternative fishing opportunities.

Question reference: S5W-28176

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 31 March 2020
Submitting member has a registered interest.
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 17 April 2020

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Sport on 24 March 2020 (Official Report, c. 28), whether it will provide an update on what work is being carried out (a) nationally and (b) by each NHS board to support the health and wellbeing of health and social care staff in response to the COVID-19 outbreak.

I am leading national work on support or the health and wellbeing of the health and social care workforce at this time.

In relation to work being carried out (a) nationally:

I have written to NHS Chief Executives, Local Authority Executives and Integration Joint Board (IJB) Chief Officers about the importance of support for the wellbeing of the workforce and has highlighted key messages and approaches.

A programme of work is in progress to ensure that a range of wellbeing and practical support is in place for health and social care staff, covering guidance for staff, accommodation, catering, rest space and access to mental health support. This activity complements and builds on the work already underway across the health and social care landscape, including the further £3.8 million that is being provided to begin to increase the capacity of NHS 24’s Mental Health Hub and Breathing Space service, alongside increased access to digital therapies.

NHS Education for Scotland (NES) is taking forward development of national resources, training models and systems of practice support for local delivery to promote and address staff wellbeing arising from the Covid-19 response. The intention is to provide a ‘ladder’ of support spanning early intervention (Psychological First Aid) to complex care. This should help with prevention, early intervention and treatment of stress, anxiety, burn out depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

The Scottish Government will continue to explore opportunities to build on the good work underway to respond to the emerging needs of the health and social care workforce.

In relation to work being carried out (b) by each NHS Board:

All Boards have developed responses to support their staff in response to the Covid-19 outbreak. These responses include staff wellbeing ‘hubs’ and services, staff helplines and phone services, staff wellbeing champions, links with Occupational Health and Chaplaincy services, wellbeing and mental health guidance and digital offerings in relation to staff mental health and wellbeing.

Question reference: S5W-28074

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fergus Ewing on 26 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government whether South of Scotland Enterprise will be launched on 1 April 2020.

South of Scotland Enterprise will take up its legal powers and begin its work with businesses and communities across the south on 1 April 2020 as planned.

There has been some speculation around a potential delay to the launch date as a result of legislation laid before the Scottish Parliament on 20 March 2020. The legislation laid before parliament effects a technical amendment only relating to the transfer of property and liabilities from Scottish Enterprise to South of Scotland Enterprise.

This is simply an administrative adjustment to the date that properties and liabilities will legally transfer between the two enterprise bodies, without impacting the operational activities of either body. Plans for the establishment of SOSE on 1 st April are well advanced, and the agency will open on schedule next week as planned.

The work of our enterprise agencies is even more critical in light of COVID19 impacts on our economy, and SOSE is already preparing to play its part in supporting economic recovery in the south when it assumes operational responsibilities and legal powers.

Question reference: S5O-04226

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2020
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 5 March 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting fishermen and women across Dumfries and Galloway in helping to mitigate the climate crisis.

The Scottish Government will continue to help the Scottish sea and freshwater fishing industries to identify appropriate responses and adaptations to the climate emergency.

For sea fisheries, this may include reducing greenhouse gas emissions from fishing vessels, and adjusting to changes in the distribution and abundance of stocks.

Whilst in river fisheries, river managers are being supported to make decisions about riparian tree planting to reduce rising river temperatures to protect salmon and trout.

The Scottish Government’s recent Climate Change Adaptation Programme explains where we will prioritise our support going forward.

Question reference: S5W-27221

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 27 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much each NHS board spent on child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in 2018-19, and how this compared with 2006-07, also (a) broken down by the percentage change in expenditure that this represents and (b) expressed in real terms.

The following table provides the information requested. The data are sourced from the Costs Book which is the national data collection covering annual expenditure by NHS Boards in Scotland. The figures shown cover expenditure that Boards have identified as relating to Mental Health services delivered in hospitals or in the community and that are aimed specifically at children and adolescents. Note that, within the Cost Book, some Boards may not distinguish all expenditure relating specifically to this age group. There may also be fluctuations between years.

NHS Board	2006-07 (£000)	2018-19 (£000)	(a) Percentage change	(b) 2006-07 (£000) *real terms	Percentage change *real terms
NHS Ayrshire & Arran	975	3,734	283.00%	1,218	206.50%
NHS Borders	693	1,066	53.90%	866	23.10%
NHS Fife	762	3,212	321.60%	952	237.40%
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	11,570	17,676	52.80%	14,458	22.30%
NHS Highland	664	2,942	343.10%	830	254.60%
NHS Lanarkshire	627	6,121	876.20%	784	681.30%
NHS Grampian	1,482	5,837	293.80%	1,852	215.20%
NHS Orkney	17	44	159.50%	21	107.20%
NHS Lothian	1,681	13,643	711.60%	2,101	549.50%
NHS Tayside	3,536	7,184	103.20%	4,419	62.60%
NHS Forth Valley	671	3,320	394.70%	839	296.00%
NHS Western Isles	0	425	N/A	-	N/A
NHS Dumfries & Galloway	1,109	1,734	56.40%	1,386	25.20%
NHS Shetland	0	309	N/A	-	N/A
Scotland	23,788	67,248	182.70%	29,726	126.30%

Source: Scottish Health Service Costs, Report R300, R340, R04LSX, SFR 5.9 and SFR 8.3, ISD Scotland

Question reference: S5O-04156

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 26 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to boost tourist numbers across Dumfries and Galloway, and how South of Scotland Enterprise will assist with this.

Question reference: S5W-27463

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2020
Current Status: Initiated by the Scottish Government. Answered by Fergus Ewing on 18 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to help the beef livestock sector meet its contribution to the Scottish Government's greenhouse gas reduction targets.

The Scottish Government has committed to take action on climate change with legally binding targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It also has committed to contributing towards biodiversity targets. It is important that agricultural businesses are supported to improve their environmental performance, whilst producing quality food for the Scottish Food and Drink Sector.

Specifically for the beef sector, on 12 February 2020, I announced the formation of the Suckler Beef Climate Group. The Group will meet over a short timeframe to examine climate change, environmental and production efficiency aspects of the more intensive suckler beef sector. It is intended that this will be the first of a number of ‘short life’ sectoral groups in farming and food production to provide recommendations on actions the Scottish Government may take to assist the sector in making its contribution to meeting our greenhouse gas emission targets.

This is an industry led Group with members taken from the beef sector in Scotland and the Group will be co-chaired by Jim Walker from the farming industry and John Kerr from the Scottish Government. The Group, which consists of four women and six men from beef farms across Scotland met for the first time on 17 February 2020.

Question reference: S5O-04087

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2020

To ask the Scottish Government what the impact will be on Dumfries and Galloway Council of the UK Government’s decision to publish its Budget on the same day that local authorities in Scotland must legally set their rates of council tax.

Question reference: S5W-26992

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2020
Current Status: Answered by Clare Haughey on 28 January 2020

To ask the Scottish Government how much was spent by each NHS board on child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) in 2018-19, and how this compared with 2006-07, also broken down by the percentage change in expenditure that this represents.

The following table provides the information requested. The figures given have not been adjusted to account for inflation.

Child and Adolescent Mental Health Expenditure (£000) 2006-07 & 2018-19
NHS Board	2006-07	2018-19	Percentage change
NHS Ayrshire & Arran	975	3,734	283.0%
NHS Borders	693	1,066	53.9%
NHS Fife	762	3,212	321.6%
NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde	11,570	17,676	52.8%
NHS Highland	664	2,942	343.1%
NHS Lanarkshire	627	6,121	876.2%
NHS Grampian	1,482	5,837	293.8%
NHS Orkney	17	44	159.5%
NHS Lothian	1,681	13,643	711.6%
NHS Tayside	3,536	7,184	103.2%
NHS Forth Valley	671	3,320	394.7%
NHS Western Isles	0	425	N/A
NHS Dumfries & Galloway	1,109	1,734	56.4%
NHS Shetland	0	309	N/A
Scotland	£23,788	£67,248	182.7%

Source: Scottish Health Service Costs, Report R300, R340, R04LSX, SFR 5.9 and SFR 8.3, ISD Scotland

Question reference: S5F-03921

Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2020
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2020

To ask the First Minister whether she will provide an update on the impact of minimum unit pricing of alcohol.