- Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 11 April 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 20 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that planning authorities are able to recover financial contributions from developers in a timely and efficient manner.
Answer
Subject to the tests in Circular 3/2012 being met, planning obligations entered into under Section 75 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 can be used to secure contributions from those carrying out development. Planning obligations are enforceable, including against successors in title where an obligation is registered in the Land Register of Scotland or the General Register of Sasines.
- Asked by: Rachael Hamilton, MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is, regarding any impact on Scotland, to the UK’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).
Answer
The Scottish Government has made it clear that this agreement, will not compensate for the damaging impact of the UK leaving the EU. The UK Government’s own modelling suggests that CPTPP membership will result in a mere 0.08% increase in UK GDP. In contrast the Office for Budgetary Responsibility has forecast that Brexit will reduce the UK’s potential growth by 4%.
Whilst there are some welcome gains for Scottish businesses, such as the reduction in high Scotch Whisky tariffs, these must not be at the expense of other sectors vital to our economy.
We have consistently expressed concerns to the UK Government that joining CPTPP could place Scottish producers at a disadvantage by opening the door to cheaper imports produced to lower safety, animal welfare, environmental or labour standards. We are also unclear how the UK Government will protect domestic standards given the arbitration processes of the agreement.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its work to "carry out cross-portfolio engagement to scope where culture may be able to link in to the Place Standard tool", as outlined in its response to the National Partnership for Culture recommendations.
Answer
The Scottish Government will outline our ambitions around culture and creativity in learning via the Culture Strategy Action Plan refresh, which we will publish later this year. This will include our plans for cross-portfolio engagement in order to scope where culture may link in with other policy initiatives, such as the Place Standard Tool, as outlined in the National Partnership for Culture recommendations.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Thursday, 06 April 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its "review of the expressive arts curricular area", as outlined in its response to the National Partnership for Culture recommendations.
Answer
The review of the expressive arts curricular area is part of the ongoing National Discussion on Education as well as the Hayward review into qualifications and assessment. In the immediate term, Screen Scotland, in partnership with the education community, are piloting, in selected schools, a new Film and Screen curriculum for Scotland as part of the expressive arts curricular area. This pilot programme is being delivered across early years, primary and secondary settings.
The draft Film and Screen curriculum has been created to meet the needs of a shifting economy, employment landscape and learner demographic. A full evaluation of this will be made at the end of the pilot programme.
- Asked by: Jamie Greene, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 05 April 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Richard Lochhead on 20 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the Scotland-relevant findings contained in the know.space report commissioned for the UK Space Agency, Size & Health of the UK Space Industry 2022, which was published on 28 March 2023.
Answer
The latest report highlights the continuing significance of Scotland’s contribution to the UK space industry, making up 18% of the total workforce.
The Scottish Government is fully committed to supporting our burgeoning space sector identified as a priority in both our Inward Investment Plan and the National Strategy for Economic Transformation.
And it is that commitment that helped Mangata Networks choose to locate its state-of-the-art engineering and operations hub for satellite manufacturing and over 500 high skilled jobs in Scotland.
- Asked by: Katy Clark, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 04 April 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Paul McLennan on 20 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will establish a Cabinet-level ministerial position focused on housing and tackling homelessness.
Answer
There is already a Cabinet-level ministerial position focused on housing and tackling homelessness: the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice.
In addition, the appointment of a dedicated minister for housing demonstrates the Scottish Government’s continued commitment to delivering good, safe, secure and warm homes. The Minister for Housing will work alongside the new Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice to achieve ambitions set out in the Housing to 2040 strategy and in our Ending Homelessness Together action plan.
- Asked by: Jackson Carlaw, MSP for Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and Simon Coveney, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, on 9 March 2022.
Answer
The Minister and I had a constructive meeting last year during which we discussed the progress on Scottish-Irish Bilateral Review and how we support displaced people from Ukraine.
The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions. However, Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during international meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Friday, 31 March 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Angus Robertson on 20 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether the topic of Scottish independence was discussed in the meeting between the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture and the Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU on 1 June 2022.
Answer
The Permanent Representative of the Czech Republic to the EU and I held a positive meeting in June last year in which we spoke about the Czech Republic's priorities for the Presidency of the European Council, including energy policy.
The subject of Scottish independence was not an agenda item in discussions, however Scottish ministers will always be polite enough during meetings to answer any questions put to them about the Scottish Government's stated policies, including a legal, constitutionally sound referendum, as set out in our Programme for Government.
- Asked by: Sandesh Gulhane, MSP for Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Submitting member has a registered interest.
-
Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Shona Robison on 20 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government when the Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care last met with the chair of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry.
Answer
Portfolio responsibility for COVID-19 Inquiries rests with the Deputy First Minister. There have been no meetings between other Ministers, including the former Cabinet Secretary for Health and Social Care, and the Chair of the Scottish COVID-19 Inquiry, the Hon Lord Brailsford, since his appointment.
- Asked by: Stephen Kerr, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
-
Date lodged: Tuesday, 28 March 2023
-
Current Status:
Answered by Graeme Dey on 20 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what support it will provide to colleges and universities to tackle student mental health issues.
Answer
We are producing a Student Mental Health Plan, linked to our Suicide Prevention Strategy and the forthcoming Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy to provide a framework for institutional action.
We currently support NUS Think Positive which sign-posts help for students, where institutions can share good practice and where, through Student Mental Health Agreements, students’ associations and institutions collaborate on institutional mental health practices.
Since 2019/20, we have invested over £13.5 million to provide almost 90 additional counsellors and will provide funding for the entirety of AY 2022-23. Any decision with regard to funding beyond the end of the current Academic Year has yet to be taken.