- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 25 March 2020
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 26 February 2020
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Friday, 31 January 2020
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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.
Answer
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
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 19 February 2020
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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.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 26 February 2020
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 17 February 2020
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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.
Answer
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.
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 January 2020
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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.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 5 February 2020
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 16 January 2020
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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.
Answer
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
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 January 2020
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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.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 30 January 2020
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 08 January 2020
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 15 January 2020
To ask the Scottish Government what the impact could be on meat products imported to Scotland as part of a future UK trade deal of the reported plans by the US to introduce a system of self-regulation and policing for slaughterhouses.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 15 January 2020
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 January 2020
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Current Status:
Initiated by the Scottish Government.
Answered by Fergus Ewing on 7 January 2020
To ask the Scottish Government when the interim chief executive of South of Scotland Enterprise will be appointed.
Answer
I can advise that, following a process to recruit an interim Chief Executive for South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE) from Scottish Government and its agencies, Nick Halfhide will be appointed. Mr Halfhide is currently Director of Sustainable Growth at Scottish Natural Heritage and will take up the post on 3 February 2020. We expect SOSE to begin the recruitment process for its permanent chief executive in the late summer of 2020 and Mr Halfhide will remain in post until the permanent chief executive is appointed.
