- Asked by: Ariane Burgess, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Green Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Mairi Gougeon on 6 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to address the reported record-high mortality rates in the Scottish salmon farming industry in 2022.
Answer
The recent increase in mortality should be considered in the context of the trend seen since 2002, which indicates average mortality levels are relatively stable with peaks and troughs in different years. This is demonstrated by comparison of the number of fish surviving to harvest within a production cycle, which provides for a better comparison between years than mortality figures alone, and which is presented in our published production survey Scottish Fish Farm Production Survey 2021 - gov.scot (www.gov.scot)
The Scottish Government expects producers to drive mortality to lowest possible levels. We continue to work with the sector, regulators, fish vets and the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre to better understand causes of mortality, improve access to treatments and address the impacts of climate change.
- Asked by: Alexander Burnett, MSP for Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Thursday, 23 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Neil Gray on 6 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-15610 by Michael Matheson on 14 March 2023, when it expects that new guidance on noise limits and amplitude modulation will be produced, following the review of ETSU-R-97, and whether it will impose a moratorium on the approval of all onshore windfarm proposals until such new guidance is produced.
Answer
The Scottish Government will continue to work with the UK Government to carefully consider the recommendations made in the report and determine the appropriate next steps.
Until such time as new guidance is produced, ETSU-R-97 should continue to be followed by applicants and used by decision makers to assess and rate noise from wind energy developments.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 03 April 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 6 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to its pilot to remove peak ScotRail
fares, what its rationale is for running the pilot over a six-month
period, and what its position is on whether this will be a sufficient period of
time during which to assess the success or otherwise of the trial; what it
considers would constitute the success of the pilot, and how this will be
measured; what the rationale is for potentially removing peak fares, and
what the evidence base is that suggests that removing peak fares will achieve
this; in which geographical area(s) it expects the removal of peak fares to have the most impact, and what impact it projects the removal of peak fares will have on the ScotRail's income from
ticket fares during the trial period.
Answer
The ScotRail peak fares removal pilot reflects the cost of living crisis and takes account of changing travel patterns in the post-Covid period. Further details on the Scottish Government’s ScotRail peak fares pilot will be confirmed in due course.
- Asked by: Liam Kerr, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Wednesday, 29 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 6 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government how much subsidy it provided to ScotRail in each financial year since 2017-18, and how much it expects to provide in each of the five financial years after 2022-23.
Answer
- Asked by: Emma Harper, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish National Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick on 6 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will give consideration to directing all planning authorities, including through the fourth National Planning Framework regulations, to proceed to determine all wind farm applications within the 50km safeguarding zone at Eskdalemuir, and to use suspensive conditions, where needed, to resolve any outstanding objections by the Ministry of Defence.
Answer
Planning authorities are required to determine planning applications in accordance with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise, so ensuring all relevant planning matters are considered before a decision is made. The Scottish Government does not have the power to direct planning authorities to proceed to determine all wind farm applications located within the Eskdalemuir Seismic Array Consultation Zone.
Applicants for planning permission do have a right to appeal to the Scottish Ministers, or to a local review body, where their application is not determined within statutory timescales, or any extension to such timescales they may have agreed with the planning authority. Details can be found in paragraphs 4.2, 4.90 to 4.96 of Planning circular 3/2022: development management procedures - gov.scot (www.gov.scot) .
The Scottish Government is in the process of reforming the Eskdalemuir Working Group, refining its membership with the aim of developing a guidance document for development of onshore wind within the Eskdalemuir Consultation Zone.
- Asked by: Neil Bibby, MSP for West Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Monday, 27 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Maree Todd on 6 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its position regarding uprating the pay of social care workers to at least £15 per hour, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
Answer
From April 2023, adult social care workers delivering direct care in commissioned services will see their pay increase to a minimum of £10.90 per hour; in line with the Real Living Wage rate for the 2023-24 Financial Year. This represents a 14.7% increase for these workers in the last two years.
To increase the minimum pay rate for these workers from £10.90 per hour to £15 per hour could cost up to an additional £1.1bn. To increase pay to £15 per hour for all social care workers could cost up to an additional £1.7bn. There have never been greater pressures on public finances and the Scottish Government have continued to call on the UK Government to provide additional funding, including to take into account inflation. However, in the absence of this, we are having to make difficult choices.
- Asked by: Mark Griffin, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Michael Matheson on 6 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to S6W-15581 by Humza Yousaf on 16 March 2023, in relation to the £193,000 funding, whether this was funding for (a) 2022-23 or (b) 2023-24; whether it meets all project costs for 2022-23, and whether it includes (i) revenue, (ii) capital and (iii) salary costs.
Answer
The costs reported are for 2022-23 and they cover all project costs for that year. Costs are mainly salary related, but they are capitalised as they are part of a capital investment project.
- Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Tuesday, 21 March 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 6 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Deputy First Minister during the ministerial statement on Ferguson Marine on 16 March 2023, whether the planned operational lifespan of (a) MV Glen Sannox and (b) Hull 802 has changed.
Answer
There has been no change to the planned operational lifespan of either MV Glen Sannox or Hull 802.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Kevin Stewart on 5 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what provisions it has introduced to address train delays between East Lothian and Edinburgh.
Answer
Performance (reliability and punctuality) at Musselburgh, Wallyford, Prestonpans, Longniddry, and Drem on the North Berwick Line compare favourably with the ScotRail average, which in turn compares well with the GB average. Nonetheless, it is the responsibility of Scottish Rail Holdings and ScotRail to work in partnership with Network Rail in Scotland to continue to improve performance.
For Dunbar in East Lothian, many of the services are provided by LNER, Cross Country and Transpennine Express, which are UK Government train operating companies.
- Asked by: Craig Hoy, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
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Date lodged: Monday, 06 February 2023
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Current Status:
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 5 April 2023
To ask the Scottish Government what provisions it has introduced to address train delays between Tweedbank and Edinburgh.
Answer
The Borders railway line between Tweedbank and Edinburgh has been affected by ongoing issues with poor performance and the availability of diesel trains in ScotRail’s fleet. Scottish Rail Holdings and ScotRail are working to address this via an Improvement Plan. The reliability of ScotRail trains on this route has also been impacted by the poor performance of UK Government-managed train operating companies, which interact with Tweedbank services on the East Coast Mainline closer to Edinburgh.