- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 March 2019
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2019
To ask the Scottish Government how it defines trail hunting in relation to its proposals for legislative changes to fox hunting practices.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 3 April 2019
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 25 March 2019
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2019
To ask the First Minister what progress is being made with the implementation of Frank’s Law.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2019
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 25 March 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the latest available figures for tuition fees for a first full-time degree in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales.
Answer
Eligible students studying their first full-time degree in Scotland would not be expected to pay any tuition fees, due to the Scottish Government’s commitment to paying the tuition of qualifying first full-time undergraduates.
Students studying in England for their first full-time degrees would be expected to pay tuition fees of up to £9,250 per year.
Students studying in Wales for their first full-time degrees would be expected to pay tuition fees of up to £9,000 per year.
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Jeane Freeman on 25 March 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the latest available combined costs for prescription charges and eye tests in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales.
Answer
Prescription charges were abolished in Scotland on 1 April 2011. Prescriptions issued on Scottish prescription forms (GP10) are dispensed to the patient free of charge by Scottish community pharmacies. The current prescription charge in England of £8.80 per item is due to increase to £9 per item from 1 April 2019. Prescription charges were abolished in Wales on 1 April 2007.
Eye examinations in Scotland have been provided free of charge since 1 April 2006 to all UK residents and those exempt from charges under the National Health Service (Charges for Overseas Visitors) (Scotland) Regulations 1989. Free NHS funded eye examinations in England and Wales are only provided to certain groups of patients. Patients in England and Wales who wish to have their eyes examined and who are not eligible for a free NHS funded eye examination typically have to pay a private sight test fee, which varies by provider.
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 19 February 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse on 21 March 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of properties in each local authority have had access to broadband in each year since 2014.
Answer
Due to the commercial nature of much of this information, the Scottish Government does not hold data on broadband coverage percentages. However, independent broadband analysis site, thinkbroadband.com - the same source that the UK Government quotes for its own figures - provides breakdowns of coverage percentages for both fibre broadband and superfast broadband at Local Authority and Constituency level. The following tables show coverage percentages from 2014 to end February 2019.
| | Fibre coverage |
Local Authority | Jan-14 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Feb-19 |
Aberdeen City | 72.7% | 93.2% | 95.5% | 97.1% | 97.5% | 97.5% |
Aberdeenshire | 17.6% | 78.2% | 85.4% | 90.8% | 93.1% | 93.3% |
Angus | 62.6% | 78.3% | 88.1% | 91.6% | 94.7% | 95.0% |
Argyll & Bute | 0.9% | 49.5% | 71.6% | 88.1% | 91.1% | 91.4% |
City of Edinburgh | 90.7% | 93.7% | 96.4% | 98.6% | 98.6% | 98.6% |
Clackmannanshire | 55.9% | 80.6% | 97.5% | 99.6% | 99.8% | 99.8% |
Dumfries & Galloway | 18.9% | 79.9% | 87.6% | 92.6% | 94.8% | 95.0% |
Dundee City | 95.3% | 98.0% | 98.7% | 99.4% | 99.3% | 99.3% |
East Ayrshire | 51.7% | 86.5% | 92.2% | 96.5% | 97.0% | 97.0% |
East Dunbartonshire | 77.9% | 91.5% | 94.7% | 98.6% | 99.4% | 99.5% |
East Lothian | 33.2% | 76.7% | 88.0% | 93.8% | 96.7% | 96.8% |
East Renfrewshire | 85.7% | 90.7% | 95.1% | 97.3% | 99.0% | 99.0% |
Falkirk | 85.6% | 89.9% | 93.8% | 98.0% | 97.9% | 97.9% |
Fife | 53.4% | 86.5% | 95.2% | 98.1% | 98.8% | 98.8% |
Glasgow City | 75.9% | 92.7% | 95.4% | 98.3% | 98.7% | 98.7% |
Highland | 21.8% | 73.0% | 84.3% | 91.4% | 92.2% | 92.4% |
Inverclyde | 72.0% | 90.8% | 93.3% | 98.3% | 98.9% | 98.9% |
Midlothian | 49.0% | 76.5% | 91.2% | 97.3% | 97.2% | 97.1% |
Moray | 7.1% | 82.4% | 89.3% | 93.9% | 95.5% | 95.5% |
Na h-Eileanan an Iar | 1.6% | 39.7% | 59.4% | 81.0% | 85.9% | 87.2% |
North Ayrshire | 43.3% | 80.5% | 92.3% | 98.8% | 99.2% | 99.2% |
North Lanarkshire | 78.3% | 93.8% | 96.2% | 98.6% | 98.9% | 98.9% |
Orkney Islands | 12.0% | 44.0% | 69.0% | 81.9% | 81.5% | 81.9% |
Perth & Kinross | 40.0% | 69.1% | 85.1% | 91.4% | 93.4% | 93.7% |
Renfrewshire | 77.0% | 92.3% | 94.8% | 97.6% | 98.6% | 98.6% |
Scottish Borders | 23.1% | 72.8% | 84.1% | 90.6% | 94.0% | 94.4% |
Shetland Islands | 35.1% | 48.4% | 78.0% | 83.8% | 85.2% | 85.3% |
South Ayrshire | 46.4% | 84.9% | 90.8% | 96.3% | 97.6% | 97.9% |
South Lanarkshire | 72.0% | 91.5% | 94.8% | 97.8% | 98.6% | 98.7% |
Stirling | 58.6% | 80.3% | 87.8% | 94.7% | 95.4% | 95.8% |
West Dunbartonshire | 88.8% | 96.3% | 97.2% | 99.0% | 99.3% | 99.5% |
West Lothian | 64.4% | 84.5% | 90.6% | 98.1% | 98.6% | 98.6% |
| | Superfast coverage (30Mbps and above) |
Local Authority | Jan-14 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | Feb-19 |
Aberdeen City | 71.6% | 90.0% | 93.4% | 95.7% | 96.5% | 96.5% |
Aberdeenshire | 16.6% | 65.5% | 73.0% | 79.3% | 81.1% | 81.1% |
Angus | 58.8% | 71.5% | 79.9% | 84.2% | 87.5% | 87.5% |
Argyll & Bute | 0.9% | 41.9% | 60.4% | 78.1% | 81.8% | 82.1% |
City of Edinburgh | 90.5% | 93.4% | 96.2% | 98.3% | 98.4% | 98.4% |
Clackmannanshire | 54.2% | 77.8% | 95.3% | 98.0% | 98.3% | 98.3% |
Dumfries & Galloway | 17.0% | 65.7% | 73.4% | 81.0% | 83.1% | 83.3% |
Dundee City | 95.2% | 97.6% | 98.3% | 98.9% | 98.9% | 98.9% |
East Ayrshire | 48.5% | 78.5% | 84.9% | 92.6% | 93.5% | 93.6% |
East Dunbartonshire | 77.6% | 89.0% | 92.0% | 96.8% | 97.7% | 97.8% |
East Lothian | 31.9% | 71.2% | 81.8% | 88.3% | 91.3% | 91.4% |
East Renfrewshire | 84.6% | 89.1% | 93.5% | 95.9% | 97.7% | 97.6% |
Falkirk | 85.2% | 88.6% | 92.4% | 96.5% | 96.6% | 96.6% |
Fife | 52.9% | 83.2% | 91.8% | 95.3% | 96.1% | 96.1% |
Glasgow City | 75.2% | 91.2% | 94.8% | 98.1% | 98.5% | 98.5% |
Highland | 20.3% | 59.2% | 68.3% | 76.9% | 78.6% | 78.6% |
Inverclyde | 72.0% | 88.1% | 92.0% | 96.8% | 97.4% | 97.4% |
Midlothian | 44.0% | 70.3% | 87.8% | 94.0% | 93.5% | 93.5% |
Moray | 6.9% | 71.8% | 76.9% | 84.9% | 86.3% | 86.4% |
Na h-Eileanan an Iar | 1.3% | 25.4% | 41.3% | 64.5% | 71.7% | 72.3% |
North Ayrshire | 40.9% | 75.7% | 89.0% | 96.0% | 96.3% | 96.3% |
North Lanarkshire | 77.3% | 91.2% | 94.9% | 97.5% | 97.9% | 98.0% |
Orkney Islands | 11.1% | 35.9% | 48.9% | 64.4% | 64.7% | 65.1% |
Perth & Kinross | 39.3% | 61.0% | 76.0% | 82.8% | 84.9% | 85.1% |
Renfrewshire | 76.7% | 90.7% | 93.6% | 96.4% | 97.6% | 97.6% |
Scottish Borders | 20.8% | 59.6% | 71.6% | 80.1% | 83.8% | 84.2% |
Shetland Islands | 28.9% | 37.4% | 60.0% | 72.1% | 73.7% | 73.7% |
South Ayrshire | 44.9% | 80.0% | 86.6% | 92.8% | 94.3% | 94.4% |
South Lanarkshire | 70.2% | 86.4% | 90.9% | 94.7% | 95.7% | 95.9% |
Stirling | 56.5% | 73.6% | 80.8% | 88.3% | 89.3% | 89.7% |
West Dunbartonshire | 88.7% | 95.5% | 96.7% | 98.6% | 98.9% | 99.1% |
West Lothian | 63.0% | 81.5% | 88.9% | 96.2% | 97.0% | 96.9% |
These figures show that fibre coverage across Scotland increased from 60.3% in January 2014 to 97.2% in February 2019. Similarly, superfast coverage increased from 59.3% to 93.4% in the same timeframe – an increase of over 34 percentage points.
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 March 2019
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2019
To ask the Scottish Government how much of its Budget it allocated to the Court of the Lord Lyon in Scotland, and how the finance secretary reached this decision.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 28 March 2019
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 11 March 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 20 March 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the maximum toll or charge for use of a public road or bridge in (a) Scotland, (b) England and (c) Wales.
Answer
There are no tolls or charges for using public roads or bridges in Scotland.
The Scottish Government does not hold information on tolls or charges on public roads in England and Wales. This would be a matter for the UK and Welsh Government respectively.
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Ben Macpherson on 13 March 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what impact reduced levels of immigration as a result of Brexit could have on Scotland’s public services.
Answer
The UK Government proposal to end free movement will significantly reduce the number of people coming to Scotland to live, work and study. The recently published independent report of the Expert Advisory Group on Migration and Population estimates a reduction in net migration to Scotland of between 30% and 50% over the coming two decades if the UK Government puts in place the measures set out in its White Paper on immigration.
Key services, such as health and social care, depend on EU workers to make up a significant proportion of their workforce. A reduction in migration to Scotland of the level suggested in the White Paper will have severe consequences for Scotland's public services. A 5% decline in Scotland's working age population, as the Expert Advisory Group estimates, will reduce the number of workers available to fill roles, affect the Scottish Government's abilities to raise revenue for public services, and therefore increase the challenge of managing the consequences of an ageing population.
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 27 February 2019
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Current Status:
Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the potential impact on sheep farming of Brexit.
Answer
Taken in the Chamber on 7 March 2019
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 February 2019
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Current Status:
Answered by Christina McKelvie on 27 February 2019
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to tackle social isolation and loneliness in the South Scotland region and other rural areas.
Answer
It is important that our work to address social isolation and loneliness is inclusive of rural communities. I was pleased to learn from the member of the great example set by the Retired Farming Social Group in Dumfries and Galloway at the debate last month, and I’m looking forward to hearing some choir singing later in the year too.
We know that social isolation and loneliness manifest themselves in different ways in urban and rural communities. We want to develop our understanding of the differences in rural communities, and will explore this further through engagement with bodies like Scottish Rural Action and Scotland’s National Rural Mental Health Forum as part of our wider work to build a more connected Scotland.
